Ward: Security

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Lower clothing and food prices help inflation fall by more than expected

The November figure is down on the 3.6% recorded in the year to October.

209

Bubbles Are Everywhere in the Global Economy

From AI to Labubus, 2026 could be a year of reckoning.

211

Heating Costs Expected to Rise 9.2% This Winter

Colder weather and rising electricity and fuel costs will lead to a big jump in costs for individuals, according to estimates from a group representing state energy officials.

220

Coal demand reaches new annual record as US output rises

IEA forecasts a decline in years to 2030 despite ‘many uncertainties’

218

Promise of seven-week driving test wait in Great Britain ‘unlikely to happen until 2027’

Government efforts to recruit examiners fail again with average test slot wait now at 22 weeks, report saysPlans to cut the wait for a driving test to seven weeks by the end of the year will not be achieved until November 2027, an audit report has found.Only a net 83 more driving test examiners have…

230

India Rupee Roars Back on RBI’s Support, Up Most in Seven Months

India’s rupee strengthened the most in seven months versus the dollar after the central bank sold dollars aggressively to support the currency.

210

Copper Climbs as Traders Weigh Fed Outlook Before Inflation Data

Copper gained as investors await the US inflation data that could impact the Federal Reserve’s stance on further rate cuts.

317

$50,000 home equity loan vs. $50,000 cash-out refinance: Which is better heading into 2026?

Both offer viable ways to borrow $50,000 worth of home equity, but only one has timely benefits worth knowing now.

220

Rate hikes, rising inflation and difficult decisions: key takeaways from Jim Chalmers’ budget update

Treasurer says his Myefo, which shows a small improvement in the budget bottom line, is “the most responsible” on recordJim Chalmers has claimed “the most responsible mid-year update on record”, unveiling a multi-billion dollar improvement in the budget bottom line alongside extra money for mental h…

111

UK Inflation Drop Clears Way for BOE Rate Cut

Santander Economist Victoria Clarke reacts to UK inflation data which slipped to its lowest level in eight months, a bigger than expected drop that clears the path to an interest-rate cut at the Bank of England on Thursday. She speaks on Bloomberg Television.

118

The year the US doubled down on critical minerals

In 2025, the list of metals became a top priority under Trump. But what even are they?

108

Germany’s Business Outlook Deteriorates More Than Expected

German business confidence dipped in December, underscoring the challenges for Europe’s largest economy to overcome years of economic weakness.

109

Opinion: U.S. scientists must compete internationally, just like auto and steel workers do

“We ask auto and steel workers to compete with the world, yet we treat research funding as something that must be protected from it,” an economist writes.

211

UK driving tests agency will not hit key waiting time target until 2027

Public spending watchdog calls for ‘underlying issues’ at DVSA to be tackled in bid to cut backlog

221

Mexico’s Oil Refining Hits 11-Year High as Key Plant Ramps Up

It took about three years, but now Mexico’s largest oil-processing plant is finally running at close to full tilt. That’s sending refining in the nation to the highest in more than a decade.

109

Slowing UK inflation in November clears last hurdle for December cut

Inflation figures were much more encouraging than the Monetary Policy Committee was expecting

122

Christmas dinner and festive treats up to 70% more expensive, reports Which?

Price of turkey jumps as much as £15 compared with 2024, while chocolate has steepest mark-upShoppers are paying up to 70% more for Christmas chocolate treats compared with last year, while the price of a turkey has jumped by as much as £15, according to the consumer champion Which?The group analyse…

111

The rural towns fighting for survival as New Zealand grapples with a growing exodus

Ruapehu is emblematic of question facing New Zealand: how to prevent rural regions – and the country at large - from hollowing outFor generations, two centres of gravity in New Zealand’s central Ruapehu region had enough pull to entice people to the area and keep them there: the mountains and the mi…

220

A Growing Population of Unemployed Americans

Hello and welcome to the newsletter, a grab bag of daily content from the Odd Lots universe. Sometimes it's us, Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway, bringing you our thoughts on the most recent developments in markets, finance and the economy. And sometimes it's contributions from our network of expert…

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Here's what a $650,000 mortgage loan costs monthly after the December Fed rate cut

The latest Fed rate cut has pulled mortgage rates down further from this year's highs, improving affordability.