Closing summary: Foreign lenders expected to agree debt extension for Thames Water
The Dutch bank ING and two Chinese state-owned lenders could play a crucial role in deciding the fate of beleaguered Thames Water, it has emerged.
The banks are expected to agree an extension on a £190m loan to the parent company of Britain’s biggest water supplier, which is due to be repaid at the end of this month.
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In other finance news today:
Trade groups have warned that consumers could see a rise in food prices after the UK government announced the introduction of post-Brexit charges on imports of EU food and plant products later this month.
The gender pay gap among UK staff at Goldman Sachs has hit its highest level in six years, raising concerns about a lack of women among the bank’s most senior ranks.
Rio Tinto is facing a likely lawsuit in an English court brought by the UK-based law firm Leigh Day on behalf of people living in villages near a mine in Madagascar.
Holidaymakers will continue to face limits on the amount of liquid they can carry on flights out of the UK this summer after the government extended the deadline for airports to install new security scanners by a year.
Despite record levels of shoplifting in its food stores, the Co-op increased profits in its grocery business last year as it signed up 1 million new members and invested more than £90m in cutting prices, including introducing special discounts for members.
UK rail passengers are bracing for travel disruption as train drivers bring some routes on the national network to a halt in a wave of strikes, but two days of similar action on the London Underground have been called off.
You can continue to follow our live coverage from around the world:
In the UK, Rishi Sunak is criticised for saying border security more important than staying in European court of human rights
In the US, Joe Biden is to speak to Netanyahu amid reports US president is furious over Gaza aid convoy strike
In our coverage of the Middle East crisis, Israel says investigation into its airstrike that killed aid workers in Gaza will take weeks
In our coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterates calls for stronger air defences as his foreign minister asks Nato for Patriot missiles
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US stock markets appear to have taken heart from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s dovish comments last night.
The tech-focused Nasdaq index has gained 1% in the opening minutes on Wall Street, while the S&P 500 gained 0.8% and the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.7%.
