First-time buyers hit as mortgage rates keep rising

John LaurensonBusiness reporter, Lugano, Switzerland AFP via Getty Images Shops and restaurants across the Swiss city of Lugano now accept bitcoin In a McDonald’s by a lake surrounded by mountains, in the centre of the Swiss city of Lugano, a customer orders coffee. “Can I pay with bitcoin?” he asks, and the person behind the…

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The chancellor has given the clearest indication yet that she wants to give herself more financial breathing space in November’s Budget. Speaking at a gathering of business leaders in Saudi Arabia, Rachel Reeves said she wanted to ensure the UK had “sufficient headroom” to provide resilience against future shocks. The implication is that the £9.9bn…

Osmond ChiaBusiness reporter Reuters Last week, China’s Ministry of Commerce published a document that went by the name of “announcement No. 62 of 2025”. But this wasn’t just any bureaucratic missive. It has rocked the fragile tariffs truce with the US. The announcement detailed sweeping new curbs on its rare earth exports, in a move…