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It means that the U.K.'s inflation rate remains more than three times higher than the Bank of England's target rate of 2%. The bank, though, is not expected to raise interest rates at its next policy meeting in early November, opting instead to keep its main borrowing rate unchanged at the 15-year high of 5.25%. Last month, the bank brought an end to nearly two years of interest rate rises as inflation fell from multi-decade highs above 11%. Higher interest rates, which cool the economy by making it more expensive to borrow and bearing down on spending, have contributed to bringing down inflation worldwide. The U.K. has the highest inflation rate among the Group of Seven leading industrial economies — the U.S.'s rate for example is 3.7%.

Persons: James Smith Organizations: Office, National Statistics, Bank of, Bank of England, Conservative Party, European Union Locations: Ukraine, U.S, Britain

☆ UK regular pay growth slows for first time since January
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Private-sector regular pay - the component looked at most closely by the BoE - saw annual growth slow to 8.0% in the three months to August, from 8.1%. Regular pay, adjusted for CPI inflation, grew by an annual 0.7% in the three months to August. Reuters GraphicsSLUGGISH ECONOMYBank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill said on Monday that fast rates of nominal pay growth stood at odds with most other labour market measures, which have pointed to a slowing economy. The number of job vacancies in the three months to September fell to a two-year low of 988,000, Tuesday's data showed. Unemployment figures and other related labour market data will not be published until Oct. 24, after the ONS said on Friday it needed more time to take account of low response rates.

Persons: Kevin Coombs, BoE, James Smith, Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Huw Pill, payrolls, Ashley Webb, Webb, Sachin Ravikumar, William Schomberg, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, LONDON, Bank of England, Britain's, National Statistics, Reuters, U.S, Bank, England's, ING, Private, of England, International Monetary, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain

☆ Bank of England to leave rates on hold through mid-2024, cut in Q3
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Shaloo Shrivastava | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. Last week, the Bank surprised markets by not raising rates, sending sterling to a six-month low, but signalled rates would remain higher for longer. Still, over 40% of economists, 15 of 37, who answered an extra question said the BoE should hike rates again this year. Sixteen economists predicted Bank Rate at 5.00% in the third quarter, 10 forecast 4.75%, six said 4.50%, one expected 4.25% and one 3.75%. The European Central Bank was predicted to cut rates in the third quarter next year but the Federal Reserve might start in the second quarter, separate Reuters polls showed.

Persons: Hollie Adams, The BoE, BoE, James Smith, James Rossiter, Shaloo Shrivastava, Anitta Sunil, Purujit Arun, Jonathan Cable, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Rights, Bank, Monetary, The, ING Financial Markets, TD Securities, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

LONDON (AP) — The British economy shrank by 0.5% in July amid a series of strikes, particularly by doctors at the start of their careers, and unseasonably wet weather, official figures showed Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics said the strikes by so-called junior doctors weighed on health sector activity, while the sixth wettest July on record hit retailers after a buoyant June, when business was brisk as a result of warm weather. Most economists downplayed the prospect that the British economy would fall into recession as monthly growth figures have been yo-yoing up and down as of late. Still, growth is expected to stay tepid. Political Cartoons View All 1154 ImagesMost economists think the bank will raise its main rate by a further quarter of a percentage point to a fresh 15-year high of 5.5%.

Persons: James Smith Organizations: National Statistics, ING, Bank of England

☆ UK economy shrinks at fastest pace in seven months, hit by strikes and wet weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Office for National Statistics are due to release the latest UK CPI Inflation data on Wednesday. The economy put in a better-than-expected performance for the second quarter as a whole, with the ONS reiterating its reading of 0.2% growth. July's surprise dip meant the economy shrank at its fastest pace since December, according to ONS figures. On Tuesday, figures showed U.K. mortgages in arrears jumped to a seven-year high in the three months to June. Major investment banks trimmed their U.K. growth expectations following the reading.

Persons: Jose Sarmento Matos, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, James Smith, Paul Dales Organizations: National Statistics, Bloomberg, Getty, ING, Capital Economics Locations: Italian, London

Despite that, the latest Reuters poll narrowly showed Bank Rate peaking at 5.50%, down from 5.75% predicted in July. All but one of 62 economists in the Aug. 16-23 poll expected Bank Rate to go up 25 basis points to 5.50% next month. The medians showed Bank Rate remaining on hold after September's hike until Q3 next year, though a significant minority - 47% or 29 of 62 economists - estimated a higher peak. That is a flip from a July poll when a slim majority, 51% or 31 of 61 participants, predicted Bank Rate at 5.75% or more by year-end. The wider poll showed inflation averaging 6.8% and 4.7% this quarter and next.

Persons: Luke MacGregor, BoE, James Smith, Simon Wells, Shaloo Shrivastava, Jonathan Cable, Mumal Rathore, Rahul Trivedi, Purujit Arun, Ross Finley, John Stonestreet Organizations: of, REUTERS, Bank of England, Reuters, ING, Reserve, European Central Bank, HSBC, Thomson Locations: of England, London, BRITAIN, BENGALURU, LONDON, Western Europe

☆ Tornado Cash founders charged with laundering more than $1 billion, including millions for North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Two founders of Tornado Cash, the widely known Russian cryptocurrency mixer, have been charged with laundering more than $1 billion in criminal proceeds. Charges in the indictment include conspiring to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit sanctions violations and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The third co-founder, Alexey Pertsev, who is not mentioned in this action, faces trial in Amsterdam over his involvement with Tornado Cash. Tornado Cash is used by some people as a legitimate way to protect their privacy in the still-nascent crypto market. Using a crypto mixing service like Tornado Cash masks those details by anonymizing the funds and concealing the identity of the buyer.

Persons: Roman, Semenov, Storm, James Smith, Alexey Pertsev, Roman Semenov, Damian Williams, Brian Klein, Waymaker, Klein, Lazarus Organizations: Tornado, Lazarus, Justice Department, CNBC, Tornado Cash, Storm, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Foreign Assets, Lazarus Group, U.S . Treasury, Treasury Department Locations: Russian, Korean, Washington, York, Amsterdam, U.S, Harmony

☆ Factory slump and cost-of-living squeeze puts UK economy on course to shrink
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The BoE said earlier this month it only saw inflation falling below 4% from the second quarter of 2024. The PMI survey recorded the slowest growth in output prices since February 2021. Manufacturers - who make up 10% of Britain's economy - reported the biggest fall in output prices since February 2016, echoing wider weakness in the sector. "Companies are reporting reduced orders for goods and services as demand is increasingly hit by the cost-of-living crisis, higher interest rates, export losses and concerns about the economic outlook," Williamson said. Manufacturers said this fall appeared to be an attempt to reduce the need for working capital at a time of rising interest rates.

Persons: Carl Recine, BoE, Queen, Chris Williamson, Sterling, James Smith, P's Williamson, Williamson, David Milliken, William Schomberg, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, P, P Global Market Intelligence, Bank of England, ING, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain

☆ Bank of England set to raise rates for 14th time in a row
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A pedestrian carrying an umbrella walks near the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, July 30, 2023. Market expectations for peak Bank Rate reached 6.5% on July 11 after data showed record wage growth before falling back to 5.75% after a sharp decline in consumer price inflation. Investors see a two-in-three chance of the BoE raising Bank Rate to 5.25% on Thursday but for most economists polled by Reuters the BoE's decision is finely balanced. However, some BoE critics argue it risks causing an unnecessary downturn, and that higher rates are a poor tool to tackle inflation caused by higher food and energy prices. "The main winners are banks, whose profits have flourished thanks to higher rates," said Fran Boait, co-executive director of campaign group Positive Money.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Bailey, BoE, Rishi Sunak, James Smith, Smith, Andrew Bailey, Dave Ramsden, Swati Dhingra, Silvana Tenreyro, Megan Greene, Fran Boait, ING's Smith, David Milliken, William Schomberg, Giles Elgood Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Mortgage, Investors, Reuters, ING, Kroll Institute, Monetary, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, Germany

The BoE said in May it expected June inflation would fall to 7.9%, moving further away from October's 41-year high of 11.1% but still way above its 2% target. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the core measure of price growth to hold at 7.1%. Despite June's drop, Britain's inflation rate remains the highest among the world's top seven rich economies. In Western Europe, only Iceland had a higher rate of inflation in June. Suren Thiru, Economics Director at ICAEW, an accountancy body, said July's inflation rate was likely to slow to below 7%.

Persons: Sterling, BoE, James Smith ,, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, William Schomberg, William James, Sarah Young, Catherine Evans Organizations: Reuters, Bank of, Bank of England, U.S ., Reuters Graphics, National Statistics, Labour Party, Sunak's Conservative Party of, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Bank of England, May's, Western Europe, Iceland, Britain

☆ Bank of England to take Bank Rate to 5.50% over next two meetings: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last week, the central bank surprised investors by raising interest rates half a percentage point, taking Bank Rate to 5.00%, and said there had been "significant" news suggesting persistently high inflation in Britain would take longer to fall. Bank Rate is now expected to peak at 5.50% next quarter following 25 basis point hikes at the BoE's August and September meetings, medians in the poll taken after the Bank's Thursday move showed. In a June 14 poll, policymakers were expected to draw a halt at 5.00% next quarter. "Are they going to be happy with just one more 25 basis points in August? Forty of 52 poll participants said the Bank would dial down the pace to 25 basis points on August 3 but gave a high median 40% chance of another 50 basis point lift.

Persons: James Smith, Stefan Koopman, Jonathan Cable, Aditi Verma, Anitta Sunil, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank of England, Reuters, ING, Bank, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ VIEW Bank of England delivers hefty rate hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Traders scrambled to price in a peak to UK rates of as much 6% and its implications for the risk of recession, and rate-sensitive stocks like banks and homebuilders slid. MONEY MARKETS: UK 2-year gilts dropped sharply, then rose after the decision but were last unchanged at 5.04%. But even if the bank hasn't offered up any new guidance, the rate decision itself is revealing. The UK has the unenviable title of highest core inflation rate in the G7, and by quite some margin. "Having said that, their policy is now more data dependent, the bank had to deliver a rate increase.

Persons: homebuilders, Sterling, gilts, JAMIE NIVEN, JAMES SMITH, hasn’t, hasn't, BoE, SEEMA SHAH, CHRIS BEAUCHAMP, Bailey, PAUL OBERSCHNEIDER, BOE, ” ROBERT JEFFREE, GARY SMITH, EVELYN, Yoruk Organizations: Bank of England, MPC, Traders, CANDRIAM, ING, LONDON, IG GROUP, Treasury, EMEA, Thomson

☆ Cleveland, Texas shooting: Suspect in massacre had been deported 4 times after entering US illegally, ICE source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Ed Lavandera Holly Yan Elizabeth Wolfe Rosa Flores | Ed Lavandera | Holly Yan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The suspect, identified as Francisco Oropesa Perez-Torres by ICE, was first removed by an immigration judge in March 2009, the ICE source said. The suspect was convicted of driving while intoxicated in 2012 in Montgomery County, Texas, and was sentenced to jail time, the ICE official said. Family photo“One of the people who died saw when my wife fell to the ground,” Garcia told CNN. Go Nakamura/Getty ImagesThere had been 15 people in the house at the time of the shooting, Garcia told CNN. He was in my county,” Capers said.

May 1 (Reuters) - A Texas man accused of killing five neighbors after being asked to stop shooting his assault-style rifle because of the noise had been deported from the U.S. four times since 2009, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said on Monday. He was apprehended and deported again in September 2009, January 2012 and July 2016, ICE said. Oropesa was convicted of driving while intoxicated in January 2012 in Montgomery County, Texas, and sentenced to jail, ICE added. "We do not know where he is," FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge James Smith told reporters on Sunday. Capers said police have recovered the weapon used in the shooting, but the suspect might be armed with a pistol.

☆ Police still searching for Texas man accused of killing five neighbors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 30 (Reuters) - Over 200 law enforcement officers in Texas searched on Sunday for a man accused of shooting to death five neighbors after being asked to stop firing a semiautomatic rifle in Cleveland, Texas. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said over 200 law enforcement personnel were going door-to-door looking for the suspect or any tips on how to find him. Oropesa's name had been spelled "Oropeza" in early communications from law enforcement but was changed "to better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems," the FBI said on Sunday. Oropesa "topped off his magazine and walked down his driveway" onto the street then "into the people's house and started shooting," Capers said. Police had been called to the suspect's house on a couple of previous occasions over complaints about noise from gunfire in his yard, Capers said.

☆ Cleveland, Texas, shooting: Search continues for man suspected of killing his neighbors after being asked to stop firing his rifle outdoors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The FBI is helping in the manhunt for a gunman accused of shooting and killing five people – including a child – at a Cleveland, Texas, home after neighbors asked him to stop firing his rifle outdoors, officials said. After declining their request, the suspect at some point was seen in footage from a doorbell camera approaching the neighbors’ front door with a rifle, according to Capers. Exterior of a crime scene where five people, including an 8-year-old child, were killed after a shooting inside a home on Friday in Cleveland, Texas. The suspect was known to shoot a .223 rifle, according to Capers. “The tracking dogs from Texas Department of Corrections picked up the scent, and then they lost that scent,” the sheriff said.

☆ In the 'Garden of England', loss-making orchards are cut down
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Sarah Young | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The fruit that helped give the "Garden of England" its name hundreds of years ago no longer makes money so farmer James Smith is tearing down his orchards. Turning a profit from selling red apples to supermarkets has been a struggle for years, he said. In Kent, Smith is removing 80% of his orchards. Last year growing apples lost him 150,000 pounds ($186,000), a loss which would have been higher had it not been cushioned by other income streams from his land. He's also planting a vineyard and is growing small amounts of cherries, the fruit which legend has it prompted King Henry VIII to first call Kent the "Garden of England".

☆ Inflation shock puts Bank of England on course to raise rates again
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A general view of the Bank of England (BoE) building, the BoE confirmed to raise interest rates to 1.75%, in London, Britain, August 4, 2022. Most economists had believed inflation was on course to fall steadily, after hitting a 41-year high above 11% in October. But Wednesday's data - showing inflation rising to 10.4% in February rather continuing its descent - immediately turned Thursday's announcement into an almost one-way bet on a quarter percentage-point increase in Bank Rate. As recently as Tuesday, investors were split almost 50-50 on whether the BoE would leave Bank Rate unchanged for the first time since November 2021. The European Central Bank last week stuck to its plans and raised rates by 50 basis points despite the Credit Suisse turmoil.

LONDON, March 15 (Reuters) - Finance minister Jeremy Hunt presented less gloomy forecasts for Britain's economy at his Spring Budget on Wednesday. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsROSIER OUTLOOKA rout in global banking stocks on Wednesday overshadowed many UK-specific moves. Investments announced by Hunt such as a corporate spending tax break, a boost for defence and extra childcare support were not viewed as particularly inflationary. Unlike in the last budget, noise around windfall taxes on oil and gas companies was muted in the run-up to the budget since energy prices have fallen dramatically since then. "In general, the budget is not the big story for gilts right now, global drivers are in the driving seat," said James Smith, economist at ING.

Palliser and some of Capricorn's biggest shareholders had also publicly opposed a planned merger with Israeli gas producer NewMed (NWMDp.TA), with major proxy advisers recommending votes against the merger plan and Capricorn's board. Chairperson Nicoletta Giadrossi, CEO Simon Thomson and three other directors stepped down from the board with immediate effect, Capricorn said on Tuesday. NewMed said in a statement following Capricorn's board shake-up that it saw a significantly smaller chance of finalising the merger. Capricorn postponed the NewMed vote to Feb. 22, while the meeting called by Palliser regarding the directors will go ahead as planned. The NewMed merger plan, announced in September, aims to create an Israel-Egypt focused gas producer, but several shareholders have said the deal undervalues Capricorn.

☆ Harvard school in row over fellowship for human rights advocate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 10 (Reuters) - The prestigious Kennedy School at Harvard University is under fire over a decision not to award a fellowship to the former head of Human Rights Watch, which one academic said was due to the campaigner's criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. The school's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy last year approached Kenneth Roth, who served as HRW's executive director from 1993 to 2022, and agreed on the terms of a fellowship, according to both Roth and the Carr Center. The fellowship was subject to approval by Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf. Kathryn Sikkink, a human rights academic at the Kennedy School, told The Nation magazine that Elmendorf told her he rejected the appointment because of what he called HRW's "anti-Israel bias." Harvard Kennedy School spokesperson James Smith said by email that Elmendorf decided not to appoint Roth "based on an evaluation of the candidate’s potential contributions to the Kennedy School," adding that the school does not discuss such deliberations.

LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Capricorn Energy's (CNE.L) third-biggest shareholder, Palliser Capital, has called for a general meeting to set a vote on removing seven Capricorn directors from supervisory roles including the CEO, according to documents seen by Reuters. "We have requisitioned the board of Capricorn Energy ... to convene a general meeting (the "EGM") of the Company," Palliser Chief Investment Officer James Smith said in a Dec. 19 letter to Capricorn shareholders. "The EGM will enable shareholders to vote on resolutions to effect the removal of seven current Capricorn directors and the appointment of six independent, highly-qualified replacement candidates." The directors that Palliser wants to remove include Capricorn Chief Executive Officer Simon Thomson and its chief financial officer, also named James Smith, who both hold executive and supervisory roles. The shareholder meeting to vote on Palliser's resolutions has to take place by Jan. 30, Palliser said.

Officer Carol Darch and Dean had been responding to a call at Jefferson’s home when Dean, who is white, fatally shot Jefferson, a 28-year-old Black woman who was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew. Darch said Dean took the lead as they approached the house and moved toward Jefferson’s backyard. According to police and body camera footage, Dean failed to identify himself before firing his weapon and striking Jefferson. Aaron Dean arrives to the 396th District Court in Fort Worth on Dec. 5, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas, for the first day of his trial in the murder of Atatiana Jefferson. Dean, who resigned from the Fort Worth Police Department before his arrest, was indicted by a Texas grand jury in December 2019 on a murder charge.

☆ Bank of England to raise Bank Rate by 50 bps in Dec, peak at 4.25% in Q1: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

After adding 75 basis points to Bank Rate earlier this month the Monetary Policy Committee will add a more modest 50 basis points on Dec. 15, taking it to 3.50%, the Nov. 18-22 poll found. In an October poll, the rate was expected to end this year at 3.75%. Over 75% of respondents, 43 of 56, opted for 50 basis points while 13 said 75. Reuters Poll - Bank of England monetary policy outlook for DecemberAt the Nov. 3 meeting Governor Andrew Bailey told investors, who were pricing in a peak around 4.70%, their rate hike bets looked too big. The United States Federal Reserve has made four consecutive 75 basis point increases but was expected to shift down the pace to a 50 basis point move next month.

☆ The UK economy is sliding into recession and Europe is set to follow
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN Business —The UK economy shrank in the third quarter, signaling the start of a recession that is likely to hit Europe next. UK GDP fell 0.2% between July and September, ending five consecutive quarters of growth, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday. Recession stalks EuropeThe Bank of England warned last week that the UK economy could experience its longest recession since the 1940s. The European Commission warned Friday that high inflation and rising interest rates are likely to tip the euro zone into recession in the fourth quarter. Still, the Commission expects GDP growth in the euro area to remain positive next year and in 2024.

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