Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

• Israel has carried out airstrikes on Iran, US officials say
• What we know so far about Israel’s strike on Iran

Gas prices have jumped this morning, with the UK month-ahead contract up 1.9% to 82.7p per therm.

Shares are dipping in Europe as traders digest events in the Middle East overnight.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Apple says Chinese government ordered it to remove two Meta-owned apps for ‘national security’ reasons

Apple has removed WhatsApp and Threads from its Chinese App Store after the Chinese government ordered it to do so for “national security” reasons.

Apple confirmed it had withdrawn the two apps – both owned by Meta, also the owner of Facebook – under instruction from the Cyberspace Administration of China, which regulates and censors China’s highly restricted internet and online content.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Exclusive: India seeking to use approach of UK election as bargaining chip and any exemption would be controversial

India is demanding an exemption from the UK’s planned carbon tax as part of negotiations aiming to finalise a free trade deal before the UK election.

India’s negotiating team have spent this week in London in a surprise set of talks to try to overcome the remaining hurdles to an agreement.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Process has coincided with a rise in price in the past and is due to take place again on Saturday

Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of bitcoin, still has an influence on the cryptocurrency nearly 14 years after disappearing.

This week the protocol designed by Nakamoto – an individual or group of individuals who went silent in December 2010 – will trigger what is known as a “bitcoin halving”, a process that has coincided with price increases in the past. The latest halving is expected to take place on Saturday.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Top rated retrofits: from a grand listed city centre penthouse dating back to the 1700s to a converted church in a pretty village

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Pilot to explore how to repurpose unused school space to increase capacity for funded childcare

An estimated 85,000 additional childcare places would be required by September 2025 to enable the government’s planned expansion of funded childcare for working parents in England, according to the Department for Education.

A pilot will explore how to repurpose unused school space to support childcare and increase capacity. If successful, the scheme will be rolled out to expand funded childcare for eligible families of children as young as nine months old.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Almost three in four services between London, Edinburgh and York will be cut in Aslef members’ stoppage

A train drivers’ strike will lead to almost three in four services being cut on Saturday on LNER, which operates intercity trains between London, York and Edinburgh.

Members of the Aslef union will take industrial action for 24 hours on 20 April – and also ban overtime during the weekend – in a dispute over terms and conditions, separate to the wider pay row that has led to strikes at all national rail operators across England.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Researchers say early deaths may have been avoided over 10-year period if technology installed

Research has estimated the health impacts from the coal-fired power plants that operate across India.

Six hundred coal power plants generate more than 70% of India’s electricity. Despite regulations passed in 2015, fewer than 5% of these plants operate with modern systems to clean up air pollutants from their chimneys. In China, 95% of coal-fired power plants were fitted with clean-up technologies by 2013.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Exclusive: 80% of Welsh dairy farms inspected, 69% of English ones, 60% in Scotland and 50% in Northern Ireland breaching regulations

The majority of UK dairy farms are breaking pollution rules, with vast amounts of cow manure being spilled into rivers.

When animal waste enters the river, it causes a buildup of the nutrients found in the effluent, such as nitrates and phosphates. These cause algal blooms, which deplete the waterway of oxygen and block sunlight, choking fish and other aquatic life.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Which? says inconsistencies also found, with ‘meaningless’ labels making it hard for shoppers to make informed choice

“Misleading” and “inconsistent” labels make it hard for shoppers to know where their food comes from, the consumer champion Which? has said, as it found supermarket chains were selling products with “meaningless” statements on their packaging.

Retailers must supply the “country of origin” for specific foods including fresh fruit and vegetables, unprocessed meats, fish, wine and olive oil but the rules do not generally apply to processed meat or frozen or processed fruit and vegetables.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

New post-Brexit border checks ‘set to zero’ to avoid what Defra calls risk of serious disruption

The UK government has reportedly told port health authorities it will not “turn on” health and safety checks for EU imports as new post-Brexit border controls begin this month.

A presentation prepared by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) highlighted the risk of “significant disruption” if the new measures were implemented, according to the Financial Times. It made clear that the systems would not be fully ready on time.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Company says ‘we’re off to a good start in 2024’ as net income jumps 79% to $2.3bn, beating analysts’ expectations

Profits at Netflix have surged as the world’s largest streaming service added millions of new paying subscribers.

The entertainment giant added 9.3 million subscribers in the latest quarter – more than expected by analysts on Wall Street – leaving it with a record 269.6 million worldwide.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

The anti-growth coalition, Bank of England and the OBR are among those under fire from Liz Truss

Raw free-market economics is missing in action. Somewhere between its 1980s ascendancy and today, the media, politicians, civil service and even the corporate mainstream abandoned small government and low taxes.

At the heart of Liz Truss’s new book, Ten Years to Save the West, the former prime minister reckons this is the reason for Britain’s economic drift, alongside “unelected technocrats” overruling the “wishes of the people”.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Pair also join two other siblings on board, further strengthening family’s control of French luxury goods company

Two sons of the world’s richest man, Bernard Arnault, have joined the board of LVMH after a shareholder vote, further cementing the family’s control of the French luxury goods company.

The pair joined their elder siblings on the board of directors of the company, which houses brands such as Dior and Louis Vuitton, meaning four of Bernard Arnault’s five children now sit on the board.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

The sale of the music fund ends its tumultuous years as a listed company – and that may be for the best, for it and its investors

So ends a stock market experiment that is unlikely to be repeated in a hurry: Hipgnosis Songs Fund, the music royalties company with songs by the likes of Beyonce, Blondie and Chic, is to be sold to a US fund for less than its starting price in 2018 of 100p.

The immediate point is that 93p a share, or GBP1.1bn, is a lot better than shareholders were looking at in recent months. The price went as low as 60p during the company’s bust-up with its own investment adviser, a suspension of dividends (unforgivable for a fund designed to turn royalties into income) and a writedown in the value of assets after a tortuous debate about valuation methodologies.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Exclusive: Under Whitehall blueprint for water company some lenders could lose up to 40% of their money

Thames Water could be renationalised, with the bulk of its GBP15.6bn debt added to the public purse, under radical plans being considered by the government, the Guardian can reveal.

The blueprint, codenamed Project Timber, is being drawn up in Whitehall and would turn Britain’s biggest water company into a publicly owned arm’s-length body. Some lenders to its core operating company could lose up to 40% of their money under the plans.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Tentative offer follows four months of talks and could create new banking group with almost 5m customers

Coventry Building Society has tentatively offered GBP780m to buy the Co-operative Bank from its hedge fund owners, in what could be the latest in a string of takeovers among UK lenders.

The offer follows nearly four months of exclusive talks between the two lenders, which began in December. If a deal is completed, it would create a new high street challenger with almost 5 million customers and an GBP89bn balance sheet

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

The public supports it, and even the rich are calling for it. We must prevent a deeper slide into global inequality

• Abigail Disney is a member of Patriotic Millionaires

The need to tax rich people like me has never been so dire. Extreme wealth concentration in the hands of a few oligarchs is a threat to democracy the world over. Meanwhile, we are cooking our planet and irreversibly damaging our biosphere.

Last summer was the hottest on record, and we’re also seeing historic wildfires, biblical floods, devastating droughts and rising sea temperatures. It is only right that the funds to mitigate further damage and develop green energy systems come from those most able to pay – and who, by the way, are the ones disproportionately driving it with their jet-setting, gas-guzzling lifestyles.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

To the average person, it looks very similar to Meta’s Instagram – with a few differences

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

TikTok quietly launched its Instagram rival, Notes, in Australia and Canada on Thursday, testing out a new app dedicated to still images and text.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Passengers crowded around airline desks at Dubai international airport on Wednesday after major delays and cancellations caused by heavy rains.

The United Arab Emirates was hit by what the government described as the highest rainfall in the past 75 years. The rains began on Monday night, and by Tuesday evening the desert city of Dubai had received the average amount of rain it normally gets in a year.

Although the heavy rains had eased by late Tuesday, disruption was continuing on Wednesday, with Emirates airline suspending check-in for passengers departing from Dubai until midnight

• What the desert city of Dubai looks like after its biggest rainfall in 75 years – video

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

'No single politician has ever put tax up more times than he has,' said Keir Starmer during a heated session at prime minister's questions, during which the Labour leader clashed with the prime minister over the Conservative party's management of the economy. Sunak defended his record, saying inflation was down and pensions had been increased, accusing the Labour leader of wanting to increase taxes

• UK politics – latest updates

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

The car is just five years old, and now the company seems to be washing its hands of the matter

I read with interest your recent letter.

Unfortunately, I am having a very similar experience, but, in my case, Renault wants to charge us GBP9,121 to repair the heater on our Zoe, which we bought new for GBP30,000.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

A fire has broken out at Copenhagen’s old stock exchange, one of the Danish capital’s most famous buildings, engulfing its spire, which collapsed on to the roof. There were no reports of injuries. The historic building, whose spire is shaped as the tails of four dragons entwined, had been under renovation when the blaze broke out. The Dutch Renaissance-style building no longer houses the Danish stock exchange but serves as headquarters for the Danish Chamber of Commerce

• Spire collapses after fire breaks out at Copenhagen’s old stock exchange

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

From simple lifestyle changes to choosing the right bedding and gadgets that can help

Dr Nicola Cann, a sleep consultant and psychologist, says sleeping is a natural process “that our bodies are primed for”, so there is a lot you can do to improve it without spending anything.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

For days now, every time I try to book, a pop-up menu adds GBP42

I have been trying for days to book a GBP520 train and hotel package to Lille in September via the Eurostar website. Each time I enter my card details and hit “continue” to pay, a pop-up window advises that the trip has increased by an extra GBP42. Each time I have cancelled the transaction and started again. Each day it’s still advertised at GBP520 on the Eurostar site, but the same price increase pops up when I try to pay. It seems Eurostar is counting on me not bothering to cancel and go through the booking process again.
CB, Congleton, Cheshire

Eurostar seems to think that if it makes the right noises, customers will overlook shoddy service. “We prioritise the safety and wellbeing of our customers and staff above all else,” it explained last week when asked to justify a new policy that prevents staff pushing the wheelchairs of passengers with disabilities.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Customers who suffer loss of service should get compensation without having to ask. But many, unaware of their rights and facing opaque rules, do not

Broadband customers who suffer service failures may be missing out on money they are owed because they are unaware of their rights to automatic compensation.

Under the telecoms regulator’s “ automatic compensation” scheme, customers should receive set daily payments of up to GBP9.76 if an internet outage is not rectified after two days, or if an installation date is missed.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

It is enabling her to make money while she is refusing to pay rent

I am banging my head against the wall with Airbnb, which is allowing a tenant to sublet my house illegally. She began to fall short on the monthly rent payments in early 2022. I had a good relationship with her, and showed patience and understanding. Last November, when the rent arrears had increased to GBP18,600, I discovered that my house was listed on Airbnb, with reviews going back to April 2022. When I confronted the tenant, she ordered me to get out of her house, and has since stopped paying any rent. I asked Airbnb to remove the listing and had to provide proof of ownership before it would discuss the matter. It then told me it did not get involved in third-party disputes and referred me to the host. Relations with the tenant have completely broken down, so that is not an option. My house has continued to be listed on Airbnb, which is enabling the tenant to make money from my house, while refusing to pay rent.
LA, Chigwell, Essex

Your tenant signed an assured shorthold tenancy agreement that specifically bans subletting. That’s of no consequence to Airbnb which, extraordinarily, does not require evidence that hosts are legitimate, although it was quick to demand legal documents from you.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

The drive to meet our climate targets is radically reshaping the workforce of tomorrow. What shape will it take, and what opportunities will it provide for the next generation?

Achieving net zero by 2050 is one of the great challenges of our time, but one that will bring many benefits. Not only will it bring cleaner, more affordable and more secure energy to homes and businesses across the country, but a low carbon future also presents huge economic prospects for the UK, as well as jobs for future generations.

Among those ready to take on the challenge is Jade Kimpton, 23, a substation apprentice for National Grid studying for a foundation degree in electrical power engineering.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

From cost to London-centrism, there are a lot of myths surrounding clean energy. Read on to find out why they’re wrong

In the years ahead, more and more of our energy will come from renewable sources as we aim to transition to a cleaner, greener era. And it’s a matter of when, not if: the International Energy Agency says that the world is now on an “unstoppable” shift towards clean energy.

In the UK, to transport this clean energy from where it will be generated to the homes and businesses that need it, the electricity grid needs to be overhauled, and the plan for this is called The Great Grid Upgrade.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

The most ambitious upgrade to the UK’s electricity grid in generations is under way – and it will have an impact on all of us

For almost 90 years the UK’s electricity grid has served us well. So well, in fact, that it is easy to take for granted. We put the kettle on and know it will boil. Flick a switch and lo, there is light. But with the shift from fossil fuels to cleaner energy, the grid, which we rely on so much in our day-to-day lives, is in need of an upgrade.

That’s because it was originally engineered to connect coal and gas-fired power stations that were built on the coal seams running down the centre of the country. But our reliance on fossil fuels is being replaced by renewable sources of energy, which are generated in large part by offshore windfarms, as well as solar. So significant new infrastructure is needed to connect that renewable energy from where it’s generated to where it’s needed by homes and businesses right across the country.

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg

Do you know how much energy UK households use each year to put the kettle on? Or by which year we have to hit our net zero target? Take this quiz to test your knowledge

Learn more about The Great Grid Upgrade, and how it will help the UK switch to clean energy, here

Медиа:1. image / jpg 2. image / jpg