Firms hold back on hiring amid ‘significant cost rises’, surveys say

KPMG/REC report shows decline in people being placed in roles continues, while unemployment is rising, says BDO

Mark Carney to be next Canada PM after winning Liberal leadership race

Former central banker will be only second prime minister in Canadian history without a seat in parliament

Just two buyers left in race to buy WH Smith high street division – report

Alteri and Modella Capital are the only two parties remaining in talks, according to Sky News

Is This Working? by Charlie Colenutt review – labours of love in unexpected places

The author’s study of UK workers and their feelings about their jobs uncovers mushrooming red tape and an enduring sense of fatigue, but also a sense of pride

Postcode electricity pricing is a minefield for Ed Miliband

There is little middle ground in the battle over zonal pricing – and the energy secretary has only months to settle dispute

John Lewis partners watch the profits rack up – but still not the bonuses

After a tricky few years, the group has bounced back, but, says its new chair, cash rewards for workers must wait

Quarter of England’s strategic A-roads have electric car charging ‘cold spots’

Affected roads include vital routes for holidaymakers, including A2 towards Folkestone and parts of A303 and A30

Virgin aims to raise £700m to rival Eurostar on cross-Channel trains

Richard Branson’s group plans rail routes linking London to Paris and Brussels, and maybe Amsterdam

EU must brace for impact of Trump wrecking ball on global trading system

UK appears to be out of US eyeline for now but it would not be immune to slowdown triggered by rising tariffs

‘The pandemic reinforced existing inequalities – it was a magnifying glass’: how Covid changed Britain

More government borrowing, more abandoned pets, more sourdough baking. Our panel looks at the ramifications of the pandemic on education, health, arts and life in the UK

‘Military Keynesianism’? Reeves faces British defence dilemma after EU spending surge

Even Berlin and Brussels are bending fiscal rules in the face of Russia’s threat. Will the chancellor still stick to hers?

Five years on: Britons among hardest hit by Covid fallout

Life expectancy, homelessness and young people’s mental health were among the areas where Britain performed poorly despite spending more than other countries

‘World’s hottest brand’: how Miu Miu defied sales plunge in fashion industry

As luxury firms struggle worldwide, the ‘knowingly cool’ label is posting record-breaking sales figures

Buy British: it will help defend the UK against Trump

UK manufacturing is unloved and underinvested – but the defence industry is more essential than ever in a changing political age

US rise of cryptocurrency and fall of regulation pose ‘profound risks’ – report

Center for Political Accountability, which advocates for corporate disclosure, warns of fallout from Trump’s efforts