Business / Finance
Bessent becomes most interventionist Treasury chief in decades
Expanded bond buybacks and yen purchases mark an unusually activist approach, but widening deficits could limit its effectiveness
U.S. CFTC chief puts staff on notice to create crypto regulations if Clarity Act fails
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Mike Selig told the inaugural gathering of the Innovation Advisory Committee that his agency won't sit idle.
CFTC Chair Readies Crypto Rules If Congress Fails to Pass Clarity Act
The CFTC chair said staff is already exploring a crypto market structure framework and could move quickly to propose rules if Congress fails to act.
Alibaba's Revenue Jumps 9% as AI Cloud Growth Hits 45%—But a Profit Plunge Sends Shares Lower
Cloud and AI product revenue accelerated in the June quarter, but a 75% drop in net income extended Alibaba's run of profit misses to a fifth straight quarter.
Mortgage Rates Are Lower This Week. Could They Drop Further?
Mortgage interest rates ebbed slightly this week. The Treasury Department's plan to buy more longer-term bonds could potentially support lower rates.
Walmart sales under strain as US shoppers pull back
High gas prices and weaker pharmacy sales pushed Walmart's growth to its slowest pace in six years
The AI industry is getting better at spotting dangerous behavior. It is less clear that labs know how to stop it.
Recent incidents involving OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta show what happens when increasingly capable AI agents are tested in flawed environments. A new assessment finds leading labs…
Scott Bessent on the national debt: ‘There’s nothing magic about the $40 trillion number’
"We can grow our way out of that," the Treasury Secretary told CNBC on Thursday.
XRP Notches Best Week Since 2024 Election Pump on Bitcoin Short Squeeze
The token's steepest daily and weekly gains in months rode Bitcoin's record liquidation wave—though ETF flows and futures data hint the move is running on borrowed momentum.
US debt tops $40T stoking debate on what it means for Bitcoin
Analysts say the $40 trillion debt milestone could bolster Bitcoin’s long-term case, even as Treasury yields, dollar strength and liquidity remain key near-term drivers.
Gen Z forced to rewrite the American Dream in the ‘Great Postponement’: Fixer-uppers, side hustles and doing life out of order
"We've not seen challenges in terms of affordability like this in more than a generation," said Wharton professor Susan Wachter.
Reform’s new economic adviser has called for end of pensioners’ triple lock
Exclusive: Mitchell Palmer has also argued for privatising the NHS and immigration as way of cutting poverty Reform UK’s new economic adviser has previously called the pensions tr…
Facing weary customers, Walmart will use its nearly $3 billion in tariff refunds to lower prices
Walmart passed on tariff-related costs last year and is now trying to lower prices as shares fell nearly 9% after its U.S. sales growth hit a six-year low.
Bill Ackman’s $400 million brain institute was inspired by his daughter—and built outside elite universities, which he says are losing talent
The billionaire investor said campus politics and funding cuts have made academia less attractive
JD Sports boss is still struggling to turn up the heat amid tepid trainer market
Latest profit warning is particularly disappointing in a World Cup year, which should have given the business a sporty buzzJD Sports cuts £50m from profit forecast as cost of livi…
Iranian Hackers Tied to $6 Million Bitcoin Extortion Charged in Massive Cyber Campaign
Seventeen alleged members of Iran-based Mabna Institute were charged over hacks targeting hundreds of universities, companies, and government agencies.
Nearly 2,000 Hacked WordPress Sites Turned Into Criminal Infrastructure
The StopAndProtect operation used compromised WordPress websites to spread malware, steal crypto wallet files, and deploy ransomware.
Bernard Matthews confirms closure of Derby factory
Bernard Matthews Foods says its Shaftesbury Street factory will close by the end of 2026.
Treasury buybacks could set up Bitcoin’s next move toward $180,000, says strategist
Longtime bond market investor Mark Connors sees routine government bond buybacks improving liquidity and bringing bitcoin’s next rally closer.
Lack of water storage is an urgent national security issue | Letters
Readers respond to the crisis facing Britain caused by the lack of reservoir capacity and hotter summersYour reporters came up with a good list of urgent climate policies in respo…
Unite’s mixed message on global heating | Letters
The Unite union’s support for new North Sea oil and gas extraction is questioned by Edward Jackson. Plus a letter from Alan Gray Of the mass walkouts of transport drivers in parts…
International students bring much more than money to the UK | Letters
Catriona McCarthy says enduring personal and professional connections should not be overlooked, while Graham Thompson says university leaders should shoulder some responsibility f…
Why is the Trump administration causing turmoil in the bond markets? | Richard Partington
As yields are dragged higher in the UK, Europe and Japan, the impact for consumers and businesses will be far-reaching‘Starve the beast’? The $40tn cost of Republicans’ false prom…
Bitcoin miners pour billions into AI as capex outpaces revenue 15-to-1
Nine public miners generated $341 million from AI and HPC operations in the first half of 2026 after spending more than $5 billion on capital assets.