Holds

• 聯準會週三投票決定將基準聯邦基金利率維持在 3.5% 至 3.75% 不變，理由是對伊朗戰爭導致通貨膨脹上升的擔憂。 • 這標誌著聯準會在此前 2025 年 9 月、10 月和 12 月連續三次調降 25 個基點後，繼續暫停調整利率。 • 聯準會主席 Jerome Powell 預計將於東部時間下午 2:30 舉行新聞發佈會討論此項決定，這可能是他作為聯準會主席的最後一次利率公告。

Brussels will relax state aid rules to allow member countries to offer ‘targeted and temporary’ supportEurope live – latest updatesThe EU will cut electricity taxes and provide consumers with fresh incentives to ditch fuel-burning cars and boilers, the European Commission has announced, as the Iran war energy crisis speeds a shift to a clean economy.The plan, which foresees tweaking rules so that electricity is taxed less than oil and gas, aims to bring down bills while encouraging the move away from polluting devices that prolong reliance on foreign fuels. Continue reading...

Human rights groups have warned that the collective prosecutions violate due process and block defendants from accessing legal counselA Salvadoran court on Tuesday began a collective trial of 486 alleged gang members, in one of the biggest mass trials under president Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on gang violence through controversial emergency powers.Prosecutors say the charges against alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13, span more than 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend that was El Salvador’s bloodiest since its civil war. Continue reading...

Government looks to rush through laws allowing pavement ‘charging gullies’ to help boost EV take-up and cut dependence on fossil fuelsUK to appeal against tax ruling cutting VAT on public EV chargers to 5%Households without off-street parking could soon be able to charge their electric vehicles from home under new government plans to help households cut their need for expensive fossil fuels.The government has promised to pass legislation this summer that will allow motorists to run power cables through a charging “gully” built into the pavement outside their home without the need for planning permission. Continue reading...

• US stocks demonstrated resilience amid Iran geopolitical tensions and high energy prices, with the S&P 500 up nearly 2% year-to-date by April 14, just 1% below its January 27 all-time high. • The index's maximum drawdown stayed under 10%, cushioned by forward earnings estimates growing at a 17% annual rate despite a 20% drop in P/E ratios. • S&P 500 profit margins hit new highs around 15% in early April, driven by broad fundamentals including AI and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act effects, not just energy sector gains.

• Netflix reported earnings that missed analyst estimates, yet broader market indices maintained record highs as investor focus remained on Iran ceasefire developments and energy market normalization. • The streaming giant's earnings disappointment was overshadowed by positive sentiment around geopolitical deescalation and reduced energy price pressures benefiting the wider market. • Market participants are weighing mixed corporate earnings results against macro-level improvements in global risk sentiment and supply chain stability.

Analysis by IFS shows George Osborne’s mortgage schemes launched in 2013 had little effect on social mobilityHigher-income households were the biggest beneficiaries of George Osborne’s Help to Buy mortgage schemes, introduced in the 2010s, according to an analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) thinktank.Launched by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government in 2013, Help to Buy involved two separate schemes aimed at making home ownership more achievable in a period of rapid house price growth. Continue reading...

Weakened economic activity, soaring fuel prices and rising inflation have created a horror scenario, RBA deputy governor saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAndrew Hauser, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s deputy governor, says the “stagflationary shock” from the Iran war is a “central banker’s nightmare”, as confidence among Australian households crashed to its lowest level in years.Speaking at an event in New York on Tuesday morning AEST, Hauser said the RBA was “judging the balance” between the damage to the economy from “a big income shock” associated with soaring fuel prices, versus a sharp rise in inflation. Continue reading...

Incentives to absorb surplus wind and solar energy could help balance the grid and lower billsThe UK needs more North Sea gas, not greater reliance on US imports | Nils PratleyHouseholds will be called on to boost their consumption of Great Britain’s record renewable energy this summer to help balance the power grid and lower energy bills.Under the new plans, people could be encouraged to run dishwashers and washing machines or charge up their electric vehicles when there is more wind and solar power than the electricity grid needs. Continue reading...

Stunning loss of rightwing populist in Hungary carries symbolic and psychological significance for US politicsFor US Democrats seeking rays of light in the dark landscape of Donald Trump’s authoritarian onslaught, illumination has arrived from the unlikely source of Budapest.Viktor Orbán’s stunning defeat in Hungary’s general election – ending 16 years of unbroken rule for his governing Fidesz party – carries symbolic and psychological significance for American politics out of all proportion to the central European country’s modest size and distance from the US. Continue reading...

Resolution Foundation says households face rising costs from higher bills for energy and filling upHigher energy prices as a result of the Iran war are likely to deal a blow to Britons’ living standards, leaving them nearly £500 worse off this year, a thinktank has warned.The Resolution Foundation said households faced rising costs from both higher gas and electricity bills and at the petrol pump. Continue reading...

As president Patrice Talon steps down after a decade, the west African country’s finance minister is favourite to winThis Sunday, just four months after a failed coup, Benin heads to the polls for a presidential election that feels more like a coronation than a contest.Patrice Talon, the businessman turned politician who has been president since 2016, is ineligible to run again after serving two five-year terms. Continue reading...

Catherine King says while peace talks were ‘best chance’ at lowering fuel prices, further help may be included in budgetFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesTrack Australia’s fuel prices, service station outages and shipments in chartsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Albanese government is contemplating further relief for struggling households and businesses in next month’s federal budget, as peace talks continue between the US and Iran amid a fragile ceasefire.The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, said the success of those talks was the “best chance” at bringing down fuel prices. But she warned there would be a “long tail” from the crisis even if the strait of Hormuz – which was still being blocked by Iran and strangling global oil supplies – reopened imminently. Continue reading...

• US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on April 8, 2026, ending 38 days of intense conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran involving major military exchanges. • Iran maintained leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route, while the US pushed Iran to negotiations based on Tehran's 10-point framework against Washington's 15-point demands on nuclear activity and regional influence. • Israel rejected parts of the ceasefire scope and continued operations in Lebanon, prompting Iran to warn of withdrawal if attacks persist, highlighting the truce's precarious nature amid high regional tensions.

Beijing’s powerbrokers are being credited with winning Iran over, although one analyst says they were ‘pushing an open door’Middle East crisis – live updatesAs the world struggles to make sense of what, if anything, was achieved by the ceasefire deal announced by the US and Iran on Tuesday, one major power that stands to win regardless is China.Beijing’s powerbrokers are being credited with pushing Iran towards agreeing to the ceasefire, bolstering its status as a regional mediator. In China’s tightly censored domestic media, articles basking in the glory of China being the grown-up in the room at a time of international crisis were allowed to circulate. Continue reading...

Proposal to help people heat two rooms, provide hot water and run key appliances without incurring more debtIn order to cut rising bills all UK households should receive a minimum amount of energy at rates subsidised by the government through North Sea taxes, a thinktank has suggested.Providing all homes with enough energy to heat two rooms, provide hot water and run key appliances such as a fridge and washing machine, at rates frozen at current levels, would require a subsidy of about £4.5bn, according to the New Economics Foundation. Continue reading...

• The Federal Reserve maintained the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5%–3.75% during its March 2026 meeting, marking the second consecutive session without adjustment. • Policymakers cited solid economic expansion despite subdued job gains and elevated inflation above target levels. • The decision reflects caution amid global volatility, including Middle East conflicts driving oil prices up over 40% and renewed US trade frictions.

• Following April 1 shelling that killed 12 Indian soldiers and 8 Pakistani troops, US-mediated talks led to a 72-hour ceasefire along the Line of Control. • Details include troop pullbacks by 2 km and no-fly zone for drones, verified by US satellites. • The de-escalation prevents nuclear escalation fears, with markets in Mumbai and Karachi rising 1.8%.

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 145,000 nonfarm payroll additions in March, modestly below the 165,000 forecast but within a range suggesting labor market deceleration without crisis-level deterioration. • The unemployment rate remained flat at 3.9%, while average hourly earnings grew 3.8% year-over-year, slightly below the 4.0% pace in February and indicating moderating wage pressures that support the Fed's inflation narrative. • Economists cited seasonal adjustments and service sector softness as factors in the slower jobs growth, though private payroll strength and continued hiring in healthcare and professional services suggest underlying economic resilience despite recent market volatility.

Shift seen away from from traveling to states with legal abortion in favor of telehealth and mail-order pillsThe abortion rate is holding steady in the US despite total and partial bans in some states – largely because of travel across state lines and a significant increase in telehealth appointments, a new report says.US regulatory officials are weighing changes to the ways mifepristone, an abortion medication, may be dispensed, but they have reportedly pushed their review until after the midterm elections, given the widespread support for abortion across the US. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Federal Reserve decided to hold interest rates steady on March 19, 2026, in its first move since oil prices spiked due to the Iran war. • Officials cite inflationary pressures from energy disruptions but project stability if conflict de-escalates. • The decision impacts American consumers facing higher gas prices, influencing mortgage and loan rates nationwide.

Decision comes as concerns mount over economic fallout from conflict bringing fresh cost of living shockBusiness live – latest updatesThe Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold amid growing fears over an inflation shock triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.As households brace for a rise in living costs, the Bank’s rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority to keep its key base rate at the current level of 3.75%. Continue reading...

• Wall Street indices declined sharply on Wednesday, March 18, with the S&P 500 falling 1.4% to 6,624.70, Dow Jones dropping 1.6% to 46,225.15, and Nasdaq sliding 1.5% to 22,152.42. • The Federal Reserve decided to keep its main interest rate unchanged, opting against resuming cuts to support the job market and economy amid rising inflation pressures. • Fed Chair Jerome Powell stated, “We just don’t know,” regarding the impact of surging oil prices and President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the economy.

ONS data for three months to January is unlikely to convince Bank of England to cut interest ratesBusiness live – latest updatesWage growth slowed sharply in the three months to January according to the latest snapshot of the jobs market from the Office for National Statistics.Average earnings fell to 3.8% in the three months to January, from 4.2%, which was a larger fall than forecast by City economists. It was the slowest rate of wage growth in more than five years. Continue reading...

• The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence convenes an open hearing on the 2026 Annual Worldwide Threats Assessment on March 19 at 8:30 AM. • Session addresses global risks including ongoing Middle East conflicts and other geopolitical challenges. • Timing aligns with US-Iran war escalations and fresh intelligence on threats like China-Taiwan dynamics.

Jerome Powell resists Trump pressure as policymakers weigh energy shock against a weakening US jobs marketSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for the second time this year, a widely expected move amid turmoil in the Middle East and rising energy prices.Fed officials faced a confluence of issues to consider in their meeting this week: soaring oil and gas prices, fluctuating inflation that still remains above the Fed’s target of 2% and a weakened job market that unexpectedly saw 92,000 losses last month. Continue reading...

As Iran war drives up cost concerns, thinktank says £3.7bn discount system should be developed before next winterThe UK government is facing calls to spend almost £4bn to launch a “social tariff” providing cheaper energy for poor households amid growing concerns over the Iran conflict.As households brace for an increase in living costs, the Resolution Foundation said ministers should develop a system of discounted domestic energy bills in time for next winter to protect the most vulnerable households. Continue reading...

Borrowers face losing hundreds of dollars a month in higher repayments and rising pump rices will add to the pain, economists warnFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSurging interest rates and petrol prices have stripped more than $1bn a month from Australian household budgets as economists warn of recession risks.Consumers are preparing for rates to surpass their recent highs after the Reserve Bank delivered back-to-back hikes ahead of an inflation spike driven by the US war on Iran. Continue reading...