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The US president's trade war for Greenland tells us that the time for fence-sitting or wishful thinking is overOne way or the other, President Trump said, he will have Greenland. Well, at least now we know it's the other; not an invasion that would have sent young men home to their mothers across Europe in coffins, but instead another trade war, designed to kill off jobs and break Europe's will. Just our hopes of an economic recovery, then, getting taken out and shot on a whim by our supposedly closest ally, months after Britain signed a trade deal supposed to protect us from such arbitrary punishment beatings. In a sane universe, that would not feel like a climbdown by the White House, yet by comparison with the rhetoric that had Denmark scrambling troops to Greenland last week it is.That said, don't underestimate the gravity of the moment.Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist Continue reading......

Influential MPs including committee chairs say millions could benefit with minor changes to financial inclusion bill A group of Labour MPs have called on Rachel Reeves to support a huge expansion of credit unions to boost access to cheap credit for millions of people on low incomes.The move coincides with celebrations on Monday to mark the 10-year anniversary of the UK's military credit unions, which are supported by Queen Camilla and provide “an ethical and affordable alternative to high-cost lenders” for service personnel. Continue reading......

Losses on stocks likely with precious metals forecast to spike even higher after move to impose 25% levies on European alliesTrump threatens 25% tariff on allies until Denmark sells GreenlandAnalysis: tariff threats are bad, but the uncertainty is far worseGlobal stock markets are bracing for falls when trading resumes on Monday after Donald Trump threatened eight European countries with fresh tariffs until they support his ambition to acquire Greenland.The US president's plan to impose new trade levies of 10% on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland from 1 February, rising to 25% on 1 June, is creating fear in the markets, and among European businesses. Continue reading......

Five exchange-traded funds have been launched by Trump Media, owner of the president's social media platform Truth SocialThe word “Truth” was plastered all around the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday morning. At 9.30am, when the market opened, a small crowd stood on the balcony above the trading floor to ring in the day.The group was celebrating the launch of five exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, that are tied to Truth Social, Donald Trump's social media platform that has spun into a menagerie of products over the last few years. Continue reading......

The spectre of rising inflation, slowing global trade and jittery markets has re-emerged as US economic policy divorces itself from any logicTrump threatens 25% tariff on European allies until Denmark sells GreenlandDonald Trump's latest tariff threat, in pursuit of his goal of seizing Greenland, is a political nightmare for European leaders, but it could create a severe economic headache, too.As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has repeatedly pointed out since Trump's trade war began in earnest last year, whatever the ultimate level of tariffs, uncertainty takes its own toll. Continue reading......

The chancellor has been cosseting City lenders to fuel economic growth but studies show UK plc would be better served by trying to keep them in checkBack-slapping bankers will be thick on the ground in the Swiss ski resort of Davos this week, as Rachel Reeves flies in to mix with the global elite. But she might be wise to treat the finance bros with a certain froideur.That has not been Labour's approach thus far: Reeves spared the banks from a windfall tax in her 26 November budget, and the UK's regulators have just loosened capital rules, for the first time since the financial crisis. Continue reading......

Worth £6bn and with revenues recently rising by 10.9%, the niche interest game has become a global businessYou don't need to spend your weekends organising a face-off between bloodthirsty orcs and elves to have heard of the game Warhammer.So popular is the fantasy game that its parent company Games Workshop is valued at a staggering £6bn and is almost ever-present on British high streets. Continue reading......

Warner Bros is also being pursued by Paramount Skydance, helmed by David Ellison, son of president's allyDonald Trump bought at least $1m worth of bonds in Netflix and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), according to a financial disclosure form, days after he said would “be involved” in a proposed merger between the two companies.The White House released a financial disclosure report on Friday which showed that Trump made two purchases from Netflix and two purchases from WBD, each amounting to at least $502,000. Continue reading......

Royal will join a group of notable figures in his action against the tabloid and its stablemate, the Mail on Sunday, in a trial expected to last nine weeks On Monday morning, Prince Harry's legal war with the Daily Mail, one of the British media's most formidable forces, will finally come to trial in court 76 of the high court in London.The prince is joined in his action by some of the most recognisable figures in British life: the singer and songwriter Elton John and his husband, David Furnish; actors Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost; Doreen Lawrence, a Labour peer whose son Stephen was murdered in a racist attack; and former politician Simon Hughes, who once ran to lead the Liberal Democrats. Continue reading......

Donald Trump will lead the largest US delegation ever at the World Economic Forum, as others plan a fightback against his policies“A Spirit of Dialogue”: the theme for this year's World Economic Forum, the gathering of the global elite in the sparkling Alpine air of Davos, seems a heroic stretch, when star guest Donald Trump has spent the past year smashing up the world order.The president will touch down alongside the snowcapped Swiss mountains with the largest US delegation ever seen at the WEF, including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, and the special envoy Steve Witkoff. Continue reading......

Call for UK state to step in after Gupta-owned Dalzell works in Scotland unable to produce metal for three new warshipsA shipbuilder for the Royal Navy faces an uncertain wait for the steel to build three warships because of a shortage of cash at the Scottish steel mill that has won the contract.Liberty Steel Dalzell in Scotland has been unable to start production in earnest because there is “no cashflow to buy slab”, despite an order to supply 34,000 tonnes of metal plates to build fleet solid support (FSS) ships for the navy, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. Continue reading......

Exclusive: Amazon, Meta and X among firms holding hundreds of meetings with people at heart of government, data showsTech companies have been meeting government ministers at a rate of more than once per working day, enjoying high-level political access that dwarfs that of child safety and copyright campaigners, who called the pattern “shocking” and “disturbing”.Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Elon Musk's X, whose Grok AI image generator has sparked outrage with its sexualised images of women and children, were among the US tech companies holding hundreds of meetings with people at the heart of government, a Guardian investigation has found. Continue reading......

President said 10% tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland will begin on 1 February and increase to 25% on 1 JuneDonald Trump said he will impose a 25% tariff on a slew of European countries including Denmark, Germany and the UK – until the US is allowed to purchase Greenland, in an escalation of the US president's bid to claim the autonomous Danish territory.In a lengthy post on Saturday on Truth Social, Trump said he would impose a 10% tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland beginning 1 February, “on any and all goods sent to the United States of America”. Continue reading......

Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland will face tariffs from 1 FebruaryWhat do people in Greenland think of Donald Trump and his threats to take over the island? The Guardian's Miranda Bryant and Lauren Hurrell take a look.Reuters estimated that thousands of protesters attended the “Hands Off Greenland” rallies around Denmark on Saturday, chanting “Greenland is not for sale” and waving Greenland's red and white “Erfalasorput” flag. Continue reading......

The cost of producing milk is higher than that being paid by milk processors, leaving farmers operating at a loss“Every morning that I roll out of bed at 4.40am, I know I'm losing £1,800 that day, just by getting up.” This is the stark daily reality for Paul Tompkins, as he and his fellow dairy farmers struggle in the face of plummeting milk prices.Tompkins, who is the third generation to run his family's 234-hectare (600-acre) farm in the Vale of York, can produce milk for about 40p a litre from his 500-strong herd of black and white Holstein cows. However, he is being paid only 29p a litre by his milk processor, leaving him operating at a loss, despite trying to run his business as efficiently as possible. Continue reading......

Guardian analysis shows electricity bills were up 6.7% last year, and much higher in some states, and gas bills up 5.2%Trump's failed energy bill pledge leaves US households struggling: 'It's obscene'Donald Trump has comprehensively failed to meet a key election promise to slash Americans' energy bills in half within the first year of his presidency, with power prices instead surging across the US.The average household electricity bill in the US was 6.7% more expensive in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to a Guardian analysis of data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Department of Energy's statistical arm. The increases meant that, on average, US households paid nearly $116 more across 2025 than they did in 2024. Continue reading......

M&S, Morrisons and Ocado among retailers bringing out ranges targeting shoppers taking Wegovy or similarVeganuary and dry January are among the new year health kicks enthusiastically endorsed by supermarkets, but this year the buzz is around “Jab-uary” as pricey diet foods aimed at people on weight-loss drugs hit the shelves.Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Asda, Ocado and the Co-op are among the big names targeting shoppers who use weight-loss injections, known as GLP-1 agonists, but better known by brand names such as Wegovy and Mounjaro. Continue reading......

Progress of artificial general intelligence could stall, which may lead to a financial crash, says Yoshua Bengio, one of the 'godfathers' of modern AIWill the race to artificial general intelligence (AGI) lead us to a land of financial plenty – or will it end in a 2008-style bust? Trillions of dollars rest on the answer.The figures are staggering: an estimated $2.9tn (£2.2tn) being spent on datacentres, the central nervous systems of AI tools; the more than $4tn stock market capitalisation of Nvidia, the company that makes the chips powering cutting-edge AI systems; and the $100m signing-on bonuses offered by Mark Zuckerberg's Meta to top engineers at OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Continue reading......

Chocolate treats reduced in size or weight as higher price of cocoa drives new wave of 'shrinkflation'Chocolate eggs are looking smaller than ever this year and it is not just because Easter is still so far away.Many of the Easter eggs already out on supermarket shelves this month not only cost more, but have been reduced in size or weight as the price of cocoa has driven a new wave of shrinkflation. Continue reading......

Parts suppliers 'put production on hold' amid mounting confusion as China restricts purchase of the chips and US puts 25% roundabout tariff on their saleSuppliers of parts for Nvidia's H200 have paused production after Chinese customs officials blocked shipments of the newly approved artificial intelligence processors from entering China, according to a report.Reuters could not immediately verify the report, which appeared in the Financial Times citing two people with knowledge of the matter. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment made outside regular business hours. Continue reading......