After the Supreme Court struck down the legal basis for President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Friday, many U.S. trading partners saw the tariff rate on their goods lowered from what they faced before the ruling. But for others, like Britain and Australia, the math went the other way, the New York Times reported. Britain became the first country to reach a trade deal during Mr. Trump’s second term, and both governments emphasized the “special relationship” between the two countries.

Private-sector activity in the U.S. slowed in February as tariffs drove costs higher for firms, while Europe expanded at a stronger pace than anticipated as a rebound in industry signaled resilience against lingering headwinds, the Wall Street Journal reported. The S&P Global Flash U.S. Composite PMI—based on a survey of around 650 manufacturers and 500 service providers—fell to 52.3 this month from 53.0 in January. A reading above 50 indicates activity continued to grow.

Wyndham said Wednesday that it booked $160 million in charges tied to the mid-January collapse of its largest European franchisee, Revo Hospitality Group, Skift.com reported. The charge was a reminder of the unpredictability of the hotel industry's asset-light business model, in which hotel groups like Wyndham don't own the hotels they market to guests. Revo is a Berlin-based operator that manages roughly 22,000 rooms under Wyndham and other brands.

Global Counsel, the advisory firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson, is to collapse into administration, blaming the “maelstrom” caused by revelations about the former peer’s relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, The Guardian reported. Companies including Barclays, Tesco and the Premier League have all deserted Global Counsel, despite the company’s efforts to sever ties with Mandelson and the company’s co-founder Benjamin Wegg-Prosser.

Warrington council has asked to borrow £354mn from the government to fund day-to-day services and stave off bankruptcy after years of warnings that the authority’s high-risk investments could threaten its financial viability, the Financial Times reported. The government last year sent in a team of experts to the Labour-run council, one of the most indebted in the UK, after a review concluded it had been making risky investments to avoid spending cuts.

The U.K’s rate of inflation slowed in January, furthering the chances of a rate cut by the Bank of England when policymakers next meet in March, the Wall Street Journal reported. Consumer prices rose 3.0% in January on year, compared with a 3.4% uptick in December, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday. A fall in inflation suggests a rate cut by the U.K. central bank could come sooner rather than later.

Now-bankrupt Celtic Tiger property developer Seán Dunne told the High Court on Wednesday he believed he may be the only “dual bankrupt” in the world, the Irish Times reported. He made the comment in a case in which he is representing himself in his challenge to the validity of the appointment of the Irish officials who oversaw and continue to oversee his bankruptcy estate. The businessman was adjudicated a bankrupt in the United States and in Ireland in 2013, with bank debts of hundreds of millions of euro. He remains a bankrupt in both jurisdictions.

A Circuit Court judge has refused to confirm the appointment of an examiner over three companies tied to KC Capital Property Group, the Irish Times reported. The developer is appealing the decision in the High Court. That will be heard next week. KC Capital is behind a nine-storey office block on Cuffe Street beside St Stephen’s Green, known as the Greenside Building, with the court hearing it has built up debts in excess of €55 million in the construction phase but just two months of work remain.

Higher U.S. tariffs are not the main reason for a surge in Chinese exports to the eurozone, Africa and other parts of Asia, according to economists at the European Central Bank, the Wall Street Journal reported. While President Trump last year hiked tariffs on imports from countries around the world, the duties faced by Chinese businesses are higher than most other countries. That has led to a sharp fall in Chinese exports to the world’s largest economy.

The number of hospitality businesses entering insolvency eased very slightly in 2025, yet remained historically high, reflecting challenging trading conditions for the industry, CatererLicensee.com reported. Some 3,353 accommodation and food service companies, including hotels, restaurants and pubs, closed in the twelve months to December 2025, down 3.2 % from 3,465 for 2024, according to government data. Q4 saw a 2.4% improvement over Q3, with 786 companies in trouble.