This is the first in a weekly series of news digests, collecting together some of the key business stories that you should keep an eye on for two important reasons.

News-wise, there is a lot to absorb this week, including some big financial losses being reported, as well as bad news for both the “flash crash” trader and the Co-op’s Fairtrade suppliers.

Phew, what a week. If you’re tired of seeing Donald Trump and his entire extended family having a jolly time being entertained by the royals, then you’ve come to the right place.

You’re at university (law or non-law) and you want to know what you should be doing.

We know that it’s less than a week until the big training contract deadline of the year (31 July, in case you weren’t sure) and you’re probably furiously working away on the last few applications. To help, cast your eye over this week’s selection of business news.

As the UK’s political parties set off on the campaign trail this week, there has already been scandal, resignations, pacts and many a promise made. 

The UK’s cost of living crisis continues to wreak havoc this week, with concerns that low-income households could fall further into debt, hunger and poverty. On top of the cost of living crisis, what else is in the news this week? Are you up to date?

Commerciality; as far as law firms are concerned, you can never have too much of it, nor start developing it too early.

Autumn tends to bring with it a renewed sense of vigour and the chance for a fresh start – make one of your autumn resolutions a commitment to honing your commercial awareness skills in a bid to impress future employers. Where to start? Look no further than this selection from the past week.

This week, the world’s business leaders, politicians and campaigners gathered in the Swiss ski resort of Davos for the annual World Economic Forum.

It’s been a busy week, with both Halloween and Bitcoin’s 10^th birthday falling on the same day (which one did you celebrate?), fracking-induced earthquakes stopping work at the Cuadrilla site in Lancashire and the Waitrose Food magazine editor lambasted for suggesting that vegans should be kidnapped and force-fed meat. We’re not sure which news story is spookier… happy Hal-law-een! (Sorry.)

As autumn knocks at the door, we’re sure that you’re all getting excited for crunchy leaves, pumpkin spiced lattes, and Chancellor Philip Hammond’s big reveal of the autumn budget (29 October, people, put it in your diaries!). Here at LCN the autumn term signifies the onset of traversing the country for law fair season.

The big story this week has been the spectacular collapse of Carillion, and the fallout from its compulsory liquidation. The construction and facilities company hasn’t just put its private sector building projects in jeopardy – it also had many public sector contacts which now need fulfilling. For this and other big business news, look no further.

Another week, another set of business stories to keep on top of. Here are just some that you should lavish your attention on.

As the moon passed between the sun and the earth on Monday, those in North America experienced a rare phenomenon: a solar eclipse. Millions of people gathered to witness the event with the path of totality spanning parts of Mexico, eastern Canada and 13 US states. While we all marvel at the pictures and hastily google “when will the next total solar eclipse be visible in the UK?” (not until 2090 apparently!), what else has been happening this week? Read on to find out!

You’re probably all slaving away over your vacation scheme applications and that is as it should be. However, don’t forget that if you do secure an interview, you will be expected to know something about the business world. Keep abreast of what’s going on with our weekly digest.

In this week’s round-up, we take a look at Airbnb’s new anti-party tech, UK inflation, the demand for digital banking and the drop in house prices. 

One of the main areas of discussion during the ”Law firm as a business” panel at NationalLawLIVE last week (and likely to also feature at CityLawLIVE tomorrow) was the defining characteristics of a good commercial lawyer. Having a sense of the business world in which your clients operate is key to your success; start now with these.

It’s been a turbulent week in commercial news but we’re here to cut through the noise with coverage of this week’s top stories.

Rishi Sunak is banning begging under new antisocial laws, raw sewage is flooding English waterways and Jeremy Corbyn is making headlines once more – but this time not as a Labour politician. More strikes are on the way, this time involving civil servants, schools and the Royal Mail. Plus, Landlords are being given new powers to evict tenants.