Good morning. Donald Trump may name the next Federal Reserve chair early. Shell says it isn’t in talks to buy BP. And Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film. Listen to the day’s top stories.
The dollar and Treasury yields fell on bets that US interest-rate cuts would come sooner than expected after the Wall Street Journal reported Donald Trump is considering naming a replacement early for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Separately, the Fed unveiled plans to roll back a capital rule that big banks have said limits their ability to hold more Treasuries and act as intermediaries in the $29 trillion market.
British household incomes are set to stagnate in the 2020s, making it the worst decade for living standards in the past 60 years, according to a think tank.
The UK is seeking to increase the recognition of British professional certifications abroad, making it easier for highly skilled employees to work for clients overseas.
A startup building massive helium balloons that float in the stratosphere has raised $15 million from Japan’s SoftBank Corp.—part of an effort to monitor climate data and bring connectivity to hard-to-reach areas.
Sceye has built more than 20 of its zeppelin-like airships, stationed at a sprawling 41,600-square-foot warehouse in New Mexico.
The vehicles are 214 feet long, almost the size of a Boeing 747’s wingspan, and are equipped with specialized cameras and radars.
Designed to hover above the earth for months at a time, they can capture real-time data on wildfires, flooding and greenhouse gases, and provide wireless service to people during large-scale disasters.
NATO chiefs sacrificed self-respect to back Ukraine, Max Hastings writes. But stroking Trump’s ego will be worth it if the US doesn’t cut off Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Denis Villeneuve, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin on the set of Dune: Part Two. Photographer: Niko Tavernise
Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond movie. The Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director will helm the first Bond flick since Amazon MGM Studios took over the franchise from the Broccoli family.
