Business news

• Twitter tightens security for politicians and journalists

  17-09-2020 23:57 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Twitter on Thursday said it is tightening security of high-profile politicians, campaigns and journalists as a "critical preventative step" ahead of the US presidential election.
  
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• Market Report: IG buoyed by lockdown trading surge

  17-09-2020 23:48 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Lockdown trading fever boosted IG Group, sending its shares 6pc higher. Net trading revenues during the three months to the end of August, IG’s first quarter, were £209m, up 62pc on the same period last year. The group said its performance was driven by “a combination of continued high levels of trading activity from existing clients and growth in the active client base”, with total active clients up 50pc on 2019’s levels. June Felix, the chief executive, said: &ldq
  
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• Global stocks fall amid central bank caution, oil prices gain

  17-09-2020 23:20 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Global stocks fell Thursday as markets digested cautious outlooks from central banks, while oil prices rallied again as Saudi Arabia's top oil official called for compliance from other exporters on an OPEC+ production agreement.
  
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• Poland proposes billion-euro EU fund for Belarus

  17-09-2020 23:16 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Poland on Thursday proposed an EU stabilisation fund for Belarus worth at least one billion euros ($1.2 billion), as a top opposition leader prepared to meet EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
  
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• As deadline looms, scramble on TikTok deal structure

  17-09-2020 23:12 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Amid a looming deadline set by President Donald Trump, negotiators scrambled to find a new ownership structure for the popular video app TikTok that would pass muster in both the United States and China.
  
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• Facebook to restrict how employees can discuss politics while at work

  17-09-2020 23:06 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Facebook said it will prohibit employees from debating social issues on parts of its internal messaging service and start moderating discussions when they occur more widely, amid growing internal rows over political and social issues. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, told staff said this would give workers the option to engage in matters like racial discrimination or pay inequality on their own terms rather than feeling pressured into to voicing their opinion in front of others. A sp
  
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• Brexit: Hauliers' meeting with Michael Gove 'a washout'

  17-09-2020 23:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Road Haulage Association says there was "no clarity" on border checks after the transition period.
  
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• Spain's CaixaBank, Bankia green light mega merger

  17-09-2020 22:02 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Directors from CaixaBank and Bankia Thursday approved their merger into Spain's biggest  lender in a move which will transform the landscape of Spanish banking.
  
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• TikTok courts Instagram founder Kevin Systrom to run US spin-off, report claims

  17-09-2020 21:35 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  TikTok is courting Instagram founder and former boss Kevin Systrom to lead a new American spin-off company that could go public as early as next year, according to reports. Sources told the New York Times that TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, is in talks with the 36-year-old billionaire to recruit him as chief executive of the new venture. That job would pit him directly against his own creation, which he sold to Facebook in 2012 and which has since become TikTok's biggest rival in a vicious b
  
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• US jobless claims decline only slightly as aid deadlock persists

  17-09-2020 21:34 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  New claims for US jobless benefits inched down last week, but not by much, as a brief outburst of optimism about a new government aid package fizzled Thursday amid a continued impasse in Washington.
  
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• Macquarie puts in offer for Enel's Open Fiber stake

  17-09-2020 21:34 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Enelhas received a bid from Macquarie for its stake in Open Fiber valuing the group at more than 7 billion euros ($8.3 billion), signaling strong interest from big funds for Rome's plans for a national broadband network.Enel said on Thursday Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets had made a binding bid for its 50% stake in Open Fiber that was worth 2.65 billion euros, excluding debt, adding there were also adjustment and earn out mechanisms.The state-controlled utility gave no further detail
  
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• Chile court shuts gold mine over environmental fears

  17-09-2020 21:08 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Chile's environmental court confirmed Thursday a final order to close Canadian company Barrick Gold's huge Pascua Lama mining project, on hold since 2013 over environmental concerns.
  
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• John Lewis's problems are fixable but partners will need patience

  17-09-2020 21:03 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  John Lewis's problems are fixable but partners will need patience. Though a sense of urgency is what the department store group badly needs, four main worries linger
  
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• Divorce and will-writing demand during Covid-19 lockdown boost Co-op profits

  17-09-2020 20:56 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Divorce and will-writing demand during Covid-19 lockdown boost Co-op profits. Divorce inquiries surged by 300% and will-writing demand rose by 69% during pandemic says mutual
  
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• Dutch court freezes stake in Angola's former first family oil feud

  17-09-2020 20:41 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  An Amsterdam court on Thursday froze a stake held by Exem Energy, a company owned by the husband of Angola's former first daughter Isabel dos Santos, in a dispute over a deal struck with Angolan state oil firm Sonangol in 2006.The dispute, which is being heard in Amsterdam after both sides agreed on arbitration, concerns Sonangol's sale 14 years ago of a 40% stake in holding company Esperaza to Exem, which is owned by Isabel dos Santos' husband Sindika Dokolo."There has been no findings of wrong
  
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• Retail rebound lost pace in August – live updates

  17-09-2020 20:34 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Retail sales data at 7am FTSE set to fall slightly at open Bank of England moves a step closer to negative rates Ben Marlow: Wolfson is not afraid to treat staff, investors and customers like grown-ups Sign up here for our daily business briefing newsletter
  
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• Retail rebound expected to have slowed in August – live updates

  17-09-2020 20:34 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Retail sales data at 7am FTSE set to fall slightly at open Bank of England moves a step closer to negative rates Ben Marlow: Wolfson is not afraid to treat staff, investors and customers like grown-ups Sign up here for our daily business briefing newsletter
  
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• Instagram down: App not working amid major server outage

  17-09-2020 20:31 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Instagram has stopped working amid what appears to be a major server outage.The app appeared to load as normal – but attempting to get new pictures into the feed just left a spinning wheel and no updates.Instagram’s owner, Facebook, appeared to be hit by less widespread and dramatic problems.
  
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• Almost 10m under local lockdown across UK

  17-09-2020 20:25
  Experts question effectiveness of policy on its own as coronavirus cases rise around country
  
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• Coronavirus: Singapore and Thailand added to England's 'quarantine-free' list

  17-09-2020 20:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  But those coming from Slovenia and Guadeloupe to England and Scotland will now have to quarantine.
  
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• Toyota reveals plan to turn trucks into emissions-free 'power plants'

  17-09-2020 20:05 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Toyota reveals plan to turn trucks into emissions-free 'power plants'. Carmaker is to begin testing proposal to fit its Dyna vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells
  
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• Corporate Greed Creates Dozens Of Business Opportunities For Sneaker Scalpers

  17-09-2020 19:51 via ibtimes.co.uk
  
  Ticket scalpers have found their match in the sneaker industry. Automated sneaker bots are grabbing limited edition shoes as soon as they appear on websites, leaving many sneaker fans disappointed and frustrated.
  
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• Facebook to curb private groups spreading hate, misinformation

  17-09-2020 19:47 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Facebook on Thursday said it is cracking down on private groups where hate or misinformation is shared among members.
  
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• Wealth of US billionaires rises by nearly a third during pandemic

  17-09-2020 19:19 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Wealth of US billionaires rises by nearly a third during pandemic. Report includes Jeff Bezos, whose personal fortune has risen by 65% since 18 March
  
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• How e-commerce is exploding in South Africa

  17-09-2020 19:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  E-commerce has been one sector that has boomed in South Africa during the pandemic.
  
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• Five things we learned about John Lewis' fight for survival

  17-09-2020 19:05 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Like many incoming bosses, Dame Sharon White promised a sweeping review of her new business when she arrived in March. On Thursday, she asked stakeholders to wait until next month for a big unveil of her plan that is meant to stabilise the mutual. She has already hinted at some eyebrow-raising measures, including the conversion of excess space in stores into housing and offices. Nina Bhatia, who was hired in February to lead the review of both Waitrose and John Lewis, insisted there was "no myst
  
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• Czech billionaire takes big stake in Sainsbury's

  17-09-2020 19:05 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has launched a fresh assault on a UK household name by taking a major stake in Sainsbury’s. The serial investor, dubbed the “Czech sphinx”, has disclosed a 3pc stake worth roughly £130m in the supermarket, making him the fourth-largest shareholder. The disclosure follows Mr Kretinsky’s stakebuilding in Royal Mail, which has led to him becoming the postal monopoly’s biggest investor. Speculation has mounted this year that the
  
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• BlackRock votes against 49 companies for lack of climate crisis progress

  17-09-2020 19:04 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  BlackRock votes against 49 companies for lack of climate crisis progressWorld’s largest asset manager reveals votes against directors on environment issues
  
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• iOS 14: iPhone update adds simple change to make headphones sound much better

  17-09-2020 18:48 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Spatial audio and hearing tests are part of the new suite of software features
  
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• Johnson & Johnson charged by New York with civil insurance fraud over opioid claims

  17-09-2020 18:46 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  New York state filed civil charges on Thursday accusing Johnson & Johnsonof insurance fraud for downplaying the risks of opioid painkillers, including to doctors and elderly patients.J&J and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals affiliate were accused of targeting elderly patients for opioid treatment despite the risks of side effects such as falls, fractures and neuropsychiatric symptoms.The company was also accused of employing marketing materials, "seemingly independent" advocacy groups and "ke
  
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• Twitter adds ‘misleading’ label to Trump tweet about US election voting

  17-09-2020 18:44 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Twitter has added a “misleading” label to a tweet by Donald Trump about mail-in voting – but will leave the post online.In the president’s post, he suggested that the results from the November election may not be accurate because of mail-in voting.There is nothing to indicate that the mail-in voting will lead to any significant degree of voter fraud, or that it could lead to the election result not being determined.
  
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• Questor: forget dividends and just take your capital gains? This is why we disagree

  17-09-2020 18:44 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Does an income portfolio such as ours actually need dividends from its stocks? It may sound like a daft question but there are many, professionals and DIY investors alike, who say there is no such need. You are just as well off – better off, in fact – owning investments geared to growth and simply selling a small proportion of them when you need money, the argument goes. Questor has come across financial advisers and fund managers who take this view and has seen it expressed many tim
  
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• Pandemic will usher in a new era for virtual reality, Zuckerberg says

  17-09-2020 18:36 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  The pandemic has helped usher in a new era of virtual and augmented reality, Mark Zuckerberg has said. The Facebook chief believes that calls where a person’s hologram can appear next to you and where you can interact with virtual objects has become “much more mainstream” and will continue to do so. The social media giant owns virtual reality headset firm Oculus, which has just launched its latest “Quest 2” headset aimed at a more affordable market. Speaking at the
  
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• U.S. investors set to own majority stake in TikTok Global - source

  17-09-2020 18:35 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  U.S. investors, including Oracle Corp , are set to hold at least a 60% stake in TikTok, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters.The U.S. Treasury submitted a revised term sheet to ByteDance late Wednesday to address national security concerns that was agreed to by the Chinese parent of TikTok, the source said.The new company, called TikTok Global, will have a majority of American directors and a U.S. chief executive.
  
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• U.S. investors, companies set to own majority stake in TikTok U.S. operations - source

  17-09-2020 18:35 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  U.S. investors and companies, including Oracle Corp , are set to hold at least a 60% stake in TikTok's U.S. operations, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters, a move that could help ease concerns raised about the deal by U.S. President Donald Trump.The U.S. Treasury submitted a revised term sheet to ByteDance late Wednesday to address national security concerns that was agreed to by the Chinese parent of TikTok, the source said.The new company, dubbed TikTok Global, will have a majority of
  
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• ByteDance plans TikTok IPO to win U.S. deal as deadline looms - sources

  17-09-2020 18:35 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  ByteDance is racing to clinch an agreement with the White House that will stave off a U.S. ban on TikTok that President Donald Trump has threatened could happen as early as next week.Trump ordered ByteDance last month to divest TikTok amid U.S. concerns that the personal data of as many as 100 million Americans who use the app could be passed on to China's Communist Party government.
  
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• ByteDance plans TikTok IPO as U.S. deal talks advance -sources

  17-09-2020 18:35 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  ByteDance is racing to clinch a deal with the White House that will stave off a U.S. ban on TikTok that President Donald Trump has threatened could happen as early as next week.Trump ordered ByteDance last month to divest TikTok amid U.S. concerns that the personal data of as many as 100 million Americans who use the app could be passed on to China's Communist Party government.
  
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• Boxer beats pregnant girlfriend and unborn child to death

  17-09-2020 18:12 via ibtimes.co.uk
  
  The man left his dying partner at the hospital and was arrested at the couple's home after the woman's death.
  
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• US airlines lobby White House for another round of federal aid

  17-09-2020 18:09 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  The chiefs of majors US airlines converged on the White House Thursday to advocate for another round of federal support to avert thousands of impending layoffs.
  
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• Piggy banks raided by a quarter of parents during lockdown, survey finds

  17-09-2020 18:07 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Piggy banks have been raided by a quarter of parents struggling to pay the bills during lockdown, a survey has found. According to polling of 2,000 parents by Direct Line Life Insurance, buying food was among the most common reasons for 23 per cent of respondents saying they had dipped into their children’s savings. Charities have previously warned that lockdown has been tough for many families who have seen their incomes reduce either through furlough or redundancy. However, others were a
  
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• Now more than ever, the gentlemanly outfitters of Jermyn Street and beyond need our support

  17-09-2020 17:56 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Tentatively stepping back into Life Before Covid, a stroll down a familiar thoroughfare was a sobering experience. Jermyn Street, in the heart of St James’s, is usually bustling. The sartorial sibling to Savile Row, it’s the epicentre of all the gentlemanly accoutrements that make a suit sing - ties, shirts, shoes and pocket squares. Jermyn Street has for centuries catered to the raffish fellow about town, from cigar emporiums to umbrella specialists and a few scandalous clubs in bet
  
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• 2-year-old beaten to death by stepfather for urinating on the floor

  17-09-2020 17:53 via ibtimes.co.uk
  
  The mother did not intervene when her husband abused her daughter for months before the toddler's death.
  
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• Italy's aviation authority meets Ryanair over COVID-19 compliance dispute

  17-09-2020 17:45 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Italy's national civil aviation authority, which has accused Ryanairof failing to comply with COVID-19 health and safety regulations, said on Thursday it has held discussions with representatives of the budget carrier.The authority, ENAC, warned last month that it might ban Ryanair over what it said were systematic failures to follow safety rules.Ryanair denied violating any of the measures.
  
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• Card finally trumps cash in Germany as virus prompts change

  17-09-2020 17:43 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Card payments will surpass cash transactions for the first time in Germany in 2020 as the pandemic changes shoppers' behaviour, a study said Thursday.
  
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• Social distancing could cost businesses £5,450 per employee, study finds

  17-09-2020 17:33 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Doubling working spaces could cost businesses tens of thousands every year.
  
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• Cities press EU for tougher laws governing Airbnb rentals

  17-09-2020 17:30 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  An alliance of 22 European cities urged the EU on Thursday to enact tougher rules on Airbnb and other short-term holiday rental platforms, accusing them of driving up property prices and squeezing out locals.
  
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• England’s waterways as polluted as they were 4 years ago

  17-09-2020 17:28
  Only 16% of rivers, lakes and coastal waters meet minimum ecological criteria, agency says
  
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• Lionel Messi wins nine-year fight to trademark his surname

  17-09-2020 17:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The European Union's highest court rules in favour of the footballer after a nine-year legal battle.
  
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• LVMH takes aim at Tiffany’s legal action over $16bn takeover

  17-09-2020 17:10 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  LVMH has hit back at “feverish and hasty” attempts by Tiffany to fast-track legal proceedings over its $16bn (£12bn) merger, urging a US court to reject the luxury jeweller’s request. Tiffany filed a lawsuit against LVMH earlier this month after the French owner of brands including Louis Vuitton and Dior abandoned its takeover of the US group. LVMH, controlled by Europe’s richest man Bernard Arnault, said it was walking away following pressure from the French govern
  
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• Bank of England leaves rates on hold

  17-09-2020 17:04 via uk.finance.yahoo.com
  
  Yahoo Finance's Oscar Williams-Grut has the latest from London.
  
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