(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.) Good morning. We’re covering the challenges awaiting Christine Lagarde at the European Central Bank, European efforts to save the Iran nuclear accord and the costs of the U.S. trade war with China. A test for Christine Lagarde Ms. Lagarde is poised to become president of […]

I won’t be sorry to see that decrepit old cash ‘n’ carry warehouse come tumbling down. Shabby, forlorn and nothing more than a receptacle for fast food detritus, the site has been a blight on my neck of the woods for more years than I care to remember. Sitting directly opposite Bray’s railway station, itself […]

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Osram Licht (OSRn.DE) has been approached by Austria’s AMS (AMS.VI) to discuss a non-binding 38.50 euros ($43.32) per share takeover offer, it said on Monday, sparking a potential bidding war for the German lighting company. The AMS offer comes after Osram this month backed an approach from private equity firms Bain and […]

Australian border officials have cracked a major drug-smuggling case involving a piece of construction equipment stuffed with 384 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine was concealed inside the hydraulic arm of a second-hand excavator, according to Ray Johnson, chief police officer for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Police. “This is the largest drug seizure ever conducted […]

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian internet company Yandex’s (YNDX.O) joint venture with Uber (UBER.N) has agreed to buy Russian taxi firm Vezet’s core business, further cementing Yandex’s role as a major online taxi operator in Russia and neighboring countries. Taxi, ride sharing and car sharing services have been booming in Russia over the last couple of […]

Long-suffering business people, motorists and householders may decide both sides in this argument deserve one another, and each is to blame for spiralling insurance premiums. The insurance crisis in Ireland is closing businesses, threatening jobs, and forcing charities and sports groups to curtail their activities. This basic unfairness is hurting many law-abiding citizens. The past […]

To the Editor: Re “Sound, Fury and Prescription Drugs” (editorial, July 7): I heartily agree with your recommendations to constrain prescription drug costs. In addition to efforts at the federal level, state governments have been very active on this issue since 2017. State initiatives become models for federal action, and this area is no exception. […]

Every person who assumes the title of president of the United States also takes on the role of deporter in chief. That’s because the office comes with the responsibility to enforce the nation’s laws — laws that require that the borders be secure and that some of the people who aren’t legally authorized to live […]

Hi, Robin, I hope you’re well. I can’t seem to find the attachment. Please re-send. All the best, Laura Dear Laura, I hope you’re well, too. Thank you for checking on my wellness — wellness has been on my mind. What are the chances that two associates at Sullivan & Partners are thinking about wellness […]

CUSCO, Peru — The Andean village Chinchero, which sits above the Urubamba Valley, is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. Majestic terraces made by the Incas stretch out into the vast plateau. Fields of quinoa, amaranth, potato and corn plants form a tapestry of shades — green, red and gold. Sweeping views of snow-laden […]