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Joao SantosLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceAlice CunninghamBBC News, SuffolkJoao Santos/LDRSKatie Chappell feared the charity would not be able to help as many people due to the National Insurance hikeA charity is facing an £18,000 bill next month as changes to National Insurance contributions come into effect.Reach Community Projects, based in Haverhill, Suffolk, will pay an extra £12,000 on top of its current contributions.It comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her autumn Budget she would increase the National Insurance (NI) rate for employers to boost funding for public services including the NHS.Head of fundraising at Reach, Katie Chappell, said the announcement…

Premier Li Qiang has urged officials to pull out all the stops in a race to achieve China’s major goals laid out during the past week’s “two sessions” meetings, such as maintaining an economic growth rate of around 5 per cent.“We must refine measures and speed up their implementation, race against time amid various uncertainties, and work quickly and proactively,” Li said at a meeting of the State Council on Wednesday, a day after China’s top legislative and consultative bodies concluded their annual gathering.All government agencies should “take the initiative to fulfil their responsibilities and take more positive actions to…

Customers queue outside an Apple store ahead of its opening hours during the first day of sale of the iPhone 15 smartphone in Mumbai, India, on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Dhiraj Singh | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThis report is from this week’s CNBC’s “Inside India” newsletter which brings you timely, insightful news and market commentary on the emerging powerhouse and the big businesses behind its meteoric rise. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.The big storyThe general consensus was that U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a successful meeting in Washington last month. What went wrong…

Workers on the production line at the new Ferrari NV E-building factory in Maranello, Italy, on Friday, June 21, 2024. Francesca Volpi | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe chief executive of Ferrari on Thursday said the company was prepared for potential U.S. tariffs on European automakers.”We are ready with some countermeasures,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told CNBC’s Robert Frank at CONVERGE LIVE in Singapore on Thursday, without providing specifics on the plan.”You wait for the official number to be published,” he said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs “in the neighborhood of 25%” on global carmakers.”We are watching what’s going…

Chinese lawmakers have urged the authorities to take the lead in eliminating job market discrimination that targets those over the age of 35.In recent years, hidden discrimination in China’s job market – such as age caps on recruitment, bias against married but childless women, and discrimination against graduates from non-elite universities – has been increasingly brought out into the open, adding to the anxieties of middle-aged jobseekers.National People’s Congress (NPC) deputy Zheng Gongcheng said many universities and government departments impose an age limit of 35 when hiring PhD graduates, which violated fair employment principles and forced young people onto an…

KARACHI: Global rating agency Moody’s has upgraded Pakistan’s banking outlook to positive from stable on the back of improved financial performance. “We have changed our outlook on Pakistan’s banking system to positive from stable to reflect the banks’ resilient financial performance as well as improving macroeconomic conditions from very weak levels a year ago,” said the statement issued by the rating agency. Financial sector experts say the banks have generated substantial profits over the past couple of years despite a lack of engagement in using their money for economic growth. Lending to the private sector has been dismal. However, the…

Bitcoin rose on Wednesday away from four-month lows while settling above $80,000 on positive sentiment after more purchases by major corporations.    Now markets await mainline US inflation data for February, expected to provide fresh clues on the odds of a Fed rate cut in upcoming months.   Prices   Bitcoin rose 0.95% at Bitstamp today to $83,733, with a session-low at $81,268.   On Monday, bitcoin rose 5.5%, the first profit in six days away from a four-month trough at $76,600.   Crypto Market Value    The market value of cryptocurrencies rose by $30 billion today to $2.795 trillion. …

NEW DELHI: ArcelorMittal’s India joint venture has sued New Delhi for rejecting imports of a steelmaking raw material, saying it was incorrectly imposing import curbs retroactively, escalating its fight over a policy change that is hurting its business, documents show. India’s government imposed curbs on imports of low-ash metallurgical coke, or met coke, starting in January, with country-specific quotas to help domestic suppliers. That has spooked big players like ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India which are concerned about quality issues with local met coke. ArcelorMittal Nippon has already warned New Delhi privately that it may have to severely curtail steelmaking and…

ISLAMABAD: Global rating agency Moody’s has said that Pakistan’s macroeconomic situation has improved with banking outlook upgraded from stable to positive, and the country’s economy is set to register a three percent growth. The global rating agency, in a statement, said “We have changed our outlook on Pakistan’s banking system to positive from stable to reflect the banks’ resilient financial performance as well as improving macroeconomic conditions from very weak levels a year ago.” Moody’s said “The positive outlook on the sector also mirrors the Government of Pakistan’s (Caa2 positive) positive outlook, with Pakistani banks having significant exposure to the…

ISLAMABAD: Work on the Mass Transit Master Plan 2030 is set to commence, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) providing technical assistance in its preparation. The plan aims to expand Islamabad’s transport network, including the extension of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, the introduction of rail cars, and increased investment in transport infrastructure. This was discussed during a Zoom meeting between Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa and an ADB delegation on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Member Planning Dr Khalid Hafeez, DG Resources Shakeel Ahmed, and other senior CDA officials. During the briefing, the CDA…