Bank of England holds interest rates at 3.75% and signals rise is possible within months

19/03/2026 12:27 The Guardian

Decision comes as concerns mount over economic fallout from Iran war bringing inflation shockAnalysis: BoE delivers message Britons don’t want to hearBusiness live – latest updatesThe Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold and signalled it could be forced to increase borrowing costs within the coming months as the US-Israel war on Iran threatens to drive inflation in the UK above 3%.As households brace for a surge in living costs, the Bank’s rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) voted unanimously to keep its base rate at the current level of 3.75% amid growing concern over the surge in energy prices triggered by the conflict. Continue reading...

Continua a leggere su "The Guardian"

Altre notizie da "The Guardian"

Middle East crisis live: Israeli officials push back on US claim that Trump knew nothing about gasfield attack

Three Israeli officials tell Reuters that the US actually helped coordinate Israel’s attack on Iran’s South Pars gasfieldThe war cost the US $12.7bn by day six. Here’s how it’s been spent – in chartsTurning to Australia now, a petrol tsar will manage “unprecedented” supply issues cause...

19/03/2026 14:29 The Guardian

No breakthrough on Hungary’s veto of EU’s €90bn loan to Ukraine – Europe live

EU leaders fail to convince Viktor Orbán, shortly facing Hungarian elections, to drop his opposition to aid Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz also called for de-escalation in the Middle East, welcoming what he said were signals by US president Donald Trump that combat action in Iran could come...

19/03/2026 14:27 The Guardian

Bank of England expected to raise UK interest rates twice this year to fight inflation shock from Middle East crisis – business live

UK central bank has left rates on hold, and warned that CPI inflation will be higher in the near term as a result of the ‘new shock to the economy’ from Middle East crisisWhy are mortgage rates going up when the Bank of England base rate hasn’t changed?Fed holds interest rates steady as Iran w...

19/03/2026 14:20 The Guardian

Prolonged high oil prices could ‘crimp’ AI boom, WTO warns

Iran war and its impact on energy and fertiliser costs is the main risk to the global economy, report saysBusiness live – latest updatesAn extended period of high oil prices as a result of war in the Middle East could “crimp” the AI boom, the World Trade Organization’s chief economist has wa...

19/03/2026 14:00 The Guardian

Europe’s biggest airlines say fuel price spike caused by Iran war will drive up fares

Carriers warn they cannot hold off passing on costs for long, while some airlines plan to increase flights via AsiaBusiness live – latest updatesEurope’s biggest airlines have said the spike in fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East will drive up fares and are advising passengers to bo...

19/03/2026 13:04 The Guardian

BoE delivers message Britons don’t want to hear as inflation – and rates – look set to rise

Decision to hold interest rates is backed by gloomy assessment of economy as Iran war pushes up oil pricesBank of England holds interest rates at 3.75%Business live – latest updatesThe US-Israel attack on Iran has already driven prices higher and not just at the petrol pumps, the Bank of England s...

19/03/2026 12:56 The Guardian

Democrats move to impeach Pam Bondi after ‘fake’ Jeffrey Epstein briefing – US politics live

Anger grows after a closed-door briefing from attorney general where she refused to commit to testify under oath despite subpoenaDemocrats walk out in protest at Epstein briefing from BondiSign up for the Breaking US News US emailSpeaking today, Pete Hegseth said that US forces have hit 7,000 Irania...

19/03/2026 12:27 The Guardian

PwC partners who fail to embrace AI have no future at firm, US CEO warns

Paul Griggs says senior staff at consulting firm who are not ‘paranoid about being AI-first’ are likely to be replacedBusiness live – latest updatesThe US boss of PricewaterhouseCoopers has warned that partners who do not get to grips with AI have no future at the consulting firm.Paul Griggs s...

19/03/2026 12:04 The Guardian

First Thing: Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ all of Iran’s South Pars gasfield if Tehran strikes Qatar

The move would be a major escalation in the US-Israel war against Iran. Plus, FBI director admits to buying data tracking Americans’ locationsGood morning.Donald Trump threatened to “massively blow up” the world’s largest gasfield after Israeli strikes on Iran’s South Pars field led Tehran...

19/03/2026 11:23 The Guardian

Analysis from West Point warns that strait of Hormuz blockade will strangle US defense industry

Report shows how minerals critical to defense readiness have seen a ‘near total’ disruption in seaborne tradeSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe closure of the strait of Hormuz is causing a “paralyzing, real-time problem” for any prospective manuf...

19/03/2026 11:00 The Guardian

Tropical Cyclone Narelle to make landfall in far north Qld on Friday as category 5 storm, bringing 315km/h wind gusts

Massive storm tracking a path to Queensland coast, which intensified offshore Thursday morning to category 5, fuelled by warm waters in Coral SeaCyclone Narelle path tracker mapGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSevere Tropical Cyclone Narelle is expected to make landfall in...

19/03/2026 10:40 The Guardian

Efforts to shut down pro-Palestinian speech face series of setbacks in court

Rulings in cases alleging antisemitism on US campuses say common pro-Palestinian speech is constitutionally protectedFew debates from the last few years have been more contentious than whether criticism of Israel and Zionism is antisemitic, threatens Jewish people or violates their civil rights. All...

19/03/2026 10:00 The Guardian

The war on Iran cost the US $12.7bn by day six. Here’s how it’s been spent – in charts

Now, the total is likely to have exceeded $18bn and counting. Where are America’s war dollars going, in a war that was never declared in the first place? Continue reading...

19/03/2026 10:00 The Guardian

Oil and gas prices jump after Iran and Israel attack gasfields

Month-ahead UK wholesale gas price hits highest level since August 2022 as Donald Trump threatens retaliationMiddle East crisis – live updatesBusiness live – latest updatesGas prices jumped and oil prices rose again after an escalation of attacks by Israel and Iran on gasfields heightened fears...

19/03/2026 09:23 The Guardian

UK to cut climate aid to developing countries by 14% to £2bn a year in ‘refocus’

Move will put national security and lives overseas at risk, critics say, as overall UK aid budget is slashed to 0.3% of gross national incomeClimate aid to developing countries from the UK will be cut by about 14% to roughly £2bn a year under government plans, in a move critics said would put natio...

19/03/2026 07:00 The Guardian

Leo Varadkar: LGBTQ+ rights in Europe face ‘chill wind’ from east and west

Ireland’s former taoiseach warns of conservative Russian influence and says US is now ‘off the pitch’ under TrumpLGBTQ+ rights in Europe are caught in a “chill wind” from east and west as Vladimir Putin’s Russia exports its conservative agenda and the “Americans are off the pitch” un...

19/03/2026 07:00 The Guardian

Thursday briefing: The largest cluster of cases in a generation – what’s behind the meningitis B outbreak?

In today’s newsletter: After a spate of infections linked to a nightclub in Kent, some parents and experts are questioning the UK’s vaccination regime It is every parent’s worst nightmare. University students enjoying themselves at a nightclub, only to fall ill a few days later with a potentia...

19/03/2026 06:44 The Guardian

Australia news live: Tropical Cyclone Narelle forecast to hit far north Queensland three hours earlier than expected; ASX plunges amid Iran war

Follow today’s news liveTropical Cyclone Narelle tracker map: where and when will it hit the Queensland coast?Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAgriculture minister says government monitoring any price gouging of fertiliserJulie Collins, the federal minister for agricultur...

19/03/2026 06:25 The Guardian

Stopping gas dictating UK energy price could cut bills by £200, thinktank says

Iran war has increased gas price, with effects on UK energy bills that could be avoided, Common Wealth saysHousehold energy bills could be reduced by up to £203 a year by stopping expensive fossil gas setting the price of energy in the UK, according to a report.Under the existing system, gas – th...

19/03/2026 06:00 The Guardian

Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ all of Iran’s South Pars gasfield if Tehran strikes Qatar

US president claims Israel will not attack South Pars again – but threatens to destroy ‘extremely important and valuable’ site if Iran continues to attack gas facilities in QatarMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump threatened to “massively blow up” the world’s largest gasfield...

19/03/2026 05:53 The Guardian

Hungary’s Orbán to face pressure over Ukraine loan veto at EU summit

Hungarian PM shows no sign of backing down while Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges EU to resolve disputeHungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, will face pressure from other EU leaders to stop blocking a vital €90bn loan for Ukraine over a political dispute about an oil pipeline.Ahead of an EU summit o...

19/03/2026 05:00 The Guardian

FBI probing US counter-terrorism chief who resigned over Iran war, reports say

The reported inquiry predates Joe Kent’s departure on Tuesday from his post as director of the national counter-terrorism centerThe resignation of Joe Kent, a senior counter-terrorism official who spoke out against the US war in Iran, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday with a report that he is unde...

19/03/2026 03:45 The Guardian

Cathay Pacific suspends flights to and from Dubai until end of April – as it happened

This liveblog is closed – follow our new liveblog here.Iran is still exporting millions of barrels of oil, with about 90 ships, including oil tankers, having crossed the strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the war with Iran, according to maritime and trade data platforms reports.This is despit...

19/03/2026 03:43 The Guardian

Reader callout: are you feeling the petrol pinch in Australia, and how is it affecting you?

Have you cancelled a holiday? Are you working from home more or taking fewer journeys? Tell us your experienceGlobal oil market prices have surged, with the US-Israel war on Iran disrupting key shipping routes. The strait of Hormuz, where as much as a fifth of global fuel supply travels through, has...

19/03/2026 02:11 The Guardian

Senate Republicans vote down Democrats’ war powers resolution to check Trump on Iran – as it happened

This live blog is now closed.Trump news at a glance: president’s war on Iran is putting billions on the US tillSign up for Breaking US News US emailsRand Paul seemed immediately frustrated with Mullin as he opened the hearing. While he was speaking, he suggested that Mullin wasn’t listening to h...

19/03/2026 02:09 The Guardian

Australia’s major fuel suppliers being investigated over alleged price-gouging amid Iran war

Anthony Albanese also announces new national fuel supply taskforce and reiterates call for motorists to ‘only take what you need’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s competition watchdog is investigating ma...

19/03/2026 00:49 The Guardian

Senate votes down measure aiming to limit Trump’s war powers by 53-47 vote

Republicans block resolution to take up the measure, which Democrats vow to bring up ‘again and again and again’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxSenate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a measure that aimed to rein in Donald Trump’s power to wage war...

19/03/2026 00:37 The Guardian

Ban corporate donations to UK political parties to protect elections, says thinktank

CenTax warns bill under debate in parliament has ‘easily exploitable’ loopholes and will not prevent foreign interferencePolitical donations by companies should be banned to protect UK elections from foreign interference, a thinktank has warned.In the first big overhaul of election funding in 26...

19/03/2026 00:01 The Guardian

UK to double steel tariffs to 50% to save plants from collapse

Business secretary announces new ‘steel safeguards’ during visit to Tata’s Port Talbot plantThe UK is to double tariffs on Chinese and other foreign steel in a bid to save its remaining plants from collapse.The new “steel safeguards” came weeks after bosses at Tata Steel in south Wales war...

19/03/2026 00:01 The Guardian

Seoul raises terror alert as it prepares to host BTS comeback concert

Thousands of police prepare to deploy to South Korea’s capital ahead of K-pop’s most anticipated comebackSeoul has stepped up security ahead of BTS’s huge comeback concert on Saturday, which more than a quarter of a million fans are expected to attend, with authorities raising the terror alert...

18/03/2026 23:59 The Guardian

BREAKING NEWS

19/03 14:29 - Middle East crisis live: Israeli officials push back on US claim that Trump knew nothing about gasfield attack 19/03 14:27 - No breakthrough on Hungary’s veto of EU’s €90bn loan to Ukraine – Europe live 19/03 14:20 - Bank of England expected to raise UK interest rates twice this year to fight inflation shock from Middle East crisis – business live 19/03 14:09 - Why is the FBI investigating a former counterterrorism chief who opposes the US-Israeli war on Iran? 19/03 14:07 - Are US and Israel in lockstep in Iran war? Deciphering Trump's post after gas field attacks 19/03 14:06 - REPLAY: Pentagon press conference on war in Middle East 19/03 14:05 - Energy prices soar, Iran and US trade threats after Qatar gas hit 19/03 14:04 - 'Free France': Macron reveals name of Europe's largest warship 19/03 14:00 - Prolonged high oil prices could ‘crimp’ AI boom, WTO warns 19/03 13:42 - Saudi Official Warns Patience Is Limited as Iranian Attacks Barrage Kingdom 19/03 13:41 - Iran war exposes Gulf economies' food, water vulnerability 19/03 13:30 - Drone attack from Sudan kills 17 people in Chad as war spills over border 19/03 13:30 - Drone attack from Sudan kills 17 people in Chad as war spills over border 19/03 13:10 - Millions of children out of school: Yemen's education system on its knees 19/03 13:06 - A Crucial Loan for Ukraine Becomes Election Leverage for Orban 19/03 13:04 - Europe’s biggest airlines say fuel price spike caused by Iran war will drive up fares 19/03 12:56 - BoE delivers message Britons don’t want to hear as inflation – and rates – look set to rise 19/03 12:38 - The US–Israel war with Iran will not end with a clear victor 19/03 12:38 - The US–Israel war with Iran will not end with a clear victor 19/03 12:34 - Iran’s dilemma in war and peace 19/03 12:34 - Iran’s dilemma in war and peace 19/03 12:27 - Bank of England holds interest rates at 3.75% and signals rise is possible within months 19/03 12:27 - Democrats move to impeach Pam Bondi after ‘fake’ Jeffrey Epstein briefing – US politics live 19/03 12:13 - How Ukraine became an enemy of Iran 19/03 12:05 - Former counter-terrorism head investigated by FBI over alleged leaks 19/03 12:04 - PwC partners who fail to embrace AI have no future at firm, US CEO warns 19/03 11:50 - Could Iran war trigger the next global food shock? 19/03 11:50 - Could Iran war trigger the next global food shock? 19/03 11:44 - Conflict shifts to ‘energy war’ as Iran targets Gulf oil and gas 19/03 11:44 - Conflict shifts to ‘energy war’ as Iran targets Gulf oil and gas 19/03 11:23 - First Thing: Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ all of Iran’s South Pars gasfield if Tehran strikes Qatar 19/03 11:19 - Pentagon wants $200 billion Iran war chest – WaPo 19/03 11:18 - Iran: Saudi Arabia warns of 'military action' over repeated attacks 19/03 11:01 - Iran women's football team return after asylum tussle 19/03 11:00 - Analysis from West Point warns that strait of Hormuz blockade will strangle US defense industry 19/03 10:58 - EU leaders slam Hungary’s Orban for blocking Ukraine aid package 19/03 10:58 - EU leaders slam Hungary’s Orban for blocking Ukraine aid package 19/03 10:45 - Central banks confront spectre of inflation as Iran war escalates 19/03 10:40 - Tropical Cyclone Narelle to make landfall in far north Qld on Friday as category 5 storm, bringing 315km/h wind gusts 19/03 10:35 - EU leaders pile pressure on Hungary's Orban to lift block on Ukraine loan 19/03 10:32 - Iraq caught in crossfire of Middle East war 19/03 10:31 - Dozens arrested in Dubai for allegedly filming the war 19/03 10:29 - French top diplomat to visit Beirut: Paris vows solidarity with Lebanon 19/03 10:28 - EU summit to focus on wars in the Middle East and Ukraine 19/03 10:27 - War in Ukraine: Kharkiv opera defies Russian bombardment 19/03 10:26 - Iran causes 'extensive' damage to Qatar gas hub, sparks Trump warning 19/03 10:12 - Interest rates expected to be held due to Iran war 19/03 10:00 - Gas spirals after Israeli strikes trigger retaliation, Moscow warns of ‘tipping point’ (PHOTOS, VIDEOS) 19/03 10:00 - Efforts to shut down pro-Palestinian speech face series of setbacks in court 19/03 10:00 - The war on Iran cost the US $12.7bn by day six. Here’s how it’s been spent – in charts 19/03 09:51 - Will the Jalisco cartel's new US-born leader complicate Trump's war on drugs? 19/03 09:33 - Strikes kill two PMF fighters in northern Iraq amid wider war, group says 19/03 09:33 - Strikes kill two PMF fighters in northern Iraq amid wider war, group says 19/03 09:32 - Greek animal airlift evacuates pets and owners from Middle East war 19/03 09:31 - 27 Spring Wardrobe Must-Haves From Gap 19/03 09:29 - How the war may affect money and bills 19/03 09:23 - Oil and gas prices jump after Iran and Israel attack gasfields 19/03 09:22 - The Soldier Who Came Back From the Dead 19/03 09:09 - Economic fallout from U.S.-led war is hitting the rest of the world harder 19/03 08:39 - Trump denies knowledge of Israeli gas field attack 19/03 08:39 - Trump denies knowledge of Israeli gas field attack 19/03 08:24 - Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ world’s largest gas field 19/03 08:19 - Iran war: What’s the Jones Act, and why has Trump suspended it for 60 days? 19/03 08:19 - Iran war: What’s the Jones Act, and why has Trump suspended it for 60 days? 19/03 08:09 - US weighs sending thousands of troops to region as Iran war rages: Report 19/03 08:09 - US weighs sending thousands of troops to region as Iran war rages: Report 19/03 07:59 - News24 | ‘Not our war’: European leaders reject Trump pressure to join Iran fight 19/03 07:57 - War enters new phase as Israel attack on Iran gasfield sparks Gulf response 19/03 07:57 - War enters new phase as Israel attack on Iran gasfield sparks Gulf response 19/03 07:04 - Ayman Mhanna: 'Lebanon has become the theatre for a war between Israel and Iran' 19/03 07:00 - UK to cut climate aid to developing countries by 14% to £2bn a year in ‘refocus’ 19/03 07:00 - Leo Varadkar: LGBTQ+ rights in Europe face ‘chill wind’ from east and west 19/03 06:48 - Iran war: What is happening on day 20 of US-Israel attacks? 19/03 06:48 - Iran war: What is happening on day 20 of US-Israel attacks? 19/03 06:44 - Thursday briefing: The largest cluster of cases in a generation – what’s behind the meningitis B outbreak? 19/03 06:33 - Warm settled weather set to continue into the weekend 19/03 06:29 - Visa changes will keep workers away and cause harm to sheep, shearers warn 19/03 06:25 - Australia news live: Tropical Cyclone Narelle forecast to hit far north Queensland three hours earlier than expected; ASX plunges amid Iran war 19/03 06:23 - France's FM to visit Lebanon in show of 'support and solidarity' amid Middle East war 19/03 06:06 - The Iran War’s Economic Threat to Europe and Asia 19/03 06:01 - News24 | Trump administration mulls large troop deployment to Middle East in new phase of Iran war 19/03 06:00 - Stopping gas dictating UK energy price could cut bills by £200, thinktank says 19/03 05:59 - How the Iran war has left Europe facing yet another energy crisis 19/03 05:53 - Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ all of Iran’s South Pars gasfield if Tehran strikes Qatar 19/03 05:00 - Hungary’s Orbán to face pressure over Ukraine loan veto at EU summit 19/03 04:17 - All doctors in England warned to watch for meningitis symptoms after Kent outbreak 19/03 04:09 - EU leaders seek breakthrough on €90 billion Ukraine loan blocked by Hungary's Orban 19/03 03:45 - FBI probing US counter-terrorism chief who resigned over Iran war, reports say 19/03 03:43 - Cathay Pacific suspends flights to and from Dubai until end of April – as it happened 19/03 03:32 - News24 | US intelligence contradicts Trump’s Iran war justification, finds no nuclear rebuilding 19/03 02:57 - ‘Does America have a plan? Israel has a plan. Does America know?’ 19/03 02:57 - ‘Does America have a plan? Israel has a plan. Does America know?’ 19/03 02:43 - EU state’s leader urges return to ‘harmony’ in ties with Russia 19/03 02:33 - Middle East War live: Oil and gas prices soar as Iran intensifies strikes on Gulf energy plants 19/03 02:19 - Three women killed in occupied West Bank missile attack 19/03 02:19 - Three women killed in occupied West Bank missile attack 19/03 02:11 - Saudi FM warns Iran that patience in Gulf not ‘unlimited’ amid attacks 19/03 02:11 - Saudi FM warns Iran that patience in Gulf not ‘unlimited’ amid attacks 19/03 02:11 - Reader callout: are you feeling the petrol pinch in Australia, and how is it affecting you? 19/03 02:09 - Senate Republicans vote down Democrats’ war powers resolution to check Trump on Iran – as it happened