Commitment to end water poverty by 2030 ‘evaporates’ as bills soar – watchdog

German carmaker slashes profit margin to between -0.5% and 0.5% this year in face of competition from China The German carmaker BMW has issued its second profit warning in a year, blaming the costs of a restructuring programme including significant job losses in the face of continuing competition from China. The company is the latest to issue a profit downgrade in the German car sector, with Mercedes-Benz last week cutting its profit outlook. Western automakers have struggled to keep pace with l

A major Poundland supplier has urged the government to "thoroughly investigate" the conduct of its majority owner as the discount chain teeters on the brink of collapse.

Bigger workloads prompted firms in the services industry to take on additional staff in October, the PMI survey found.

Concern over greater AI regulation, while investors move into US treasuries as Trump faces political gridlock Business live – latest updates US midterm elections – live updates The US dollar has fallen sharply after the Democrats won control of the Senate and the House in the midterm elections, sparking fears that greater regulation of AI could slow economic growth. The dollar hit a one-month low on Wednesday while coming under pressure from falling bond yields, as investors moved into US treasu