Financial news

• Scottish shopping centre up for sale with reserve price of £1

  17-01-2019 19:57 via theguardian.com
  Plight of the Postings in Kirkcaldy shows crisis facing bricks-and-mortar retailers It’s the kind of price tag usually associated with discount stores such as Poundland, but an entire Scottish shopping centre is to go under the hammer with a reserve price of just £1.The Postings mall in Kirkcaldy, in which 14 of the 21 shops currently lie empty, is being auctioned by its City pension fund owner next month, according to the auctioneer’s website. Continue reading...
  
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• The government isn't quite ready to drop its obsession with nuclear | Nils Pratley

  17-01-2019 19:51 via theguardian.com
  Greg Clark knows nuclear cannot compete with the likes of wind and solar – but he is not giving upThere was excellent news within Hitachi’s decision to shelve its plan to build a £16bn nuclear plant at Wylfa in Anglesey. Finally, a government minister may have grasped the basic problem with nuclear power. It is being “out-competed” by alternative technologies, especially wind and solar, the business secretary, Greg Clark, had to concede in the Commons. Exactly. So d
  
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• RBS seeks to buy government shares worth up to £1.4bn

  17-01-2019 19:38 via theguardian.com
  Bank hopes to obtain shareholder approval to purchase stake of up to 4.99% Royal Bank of Scotland is looking to buy up to £1.4bn worth of shares from the government as part of efforts to cut the publicly owned stake in the lender, following its 2008 bailout.The bank is seeking shareholder approval to buy a stake of up to 4.99% from the Treasury, in a move that would reduce the government holding from about 62.3% to 60.3%. Continue reading...
  
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• Philips to close last UK manufacturing plant, putting 430 jobs at risk

  17-01-2019 19:10 via theguardian.com
  Company says Brexit would have been factor in closure of Glemsford site in SuffolkDutch technology company Philips plans to close its last manufacturing plant in the UK, after its chief executive previously warned that a hard Brexit could harm its ability to export products.The plans, now under consultation with employees, would see Philips close its plant at Glemsford in Suffolk, putting 430 jobs at risk. Production at Glemsford, which currently makes products including baby bottles, will trans
  
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• Oxford places ban on donations and research grants from Huawei

  17-01-2019 19:01 via theguardian.com
  Decision on Chinese telecoms firm comes as national security concerns mount in the westThe University of Oxford has placed an indefinite ban on accepting research grants or donations from the Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, which is facing mounting concerns from several governments about whether it poses a risk to national security.The decision emerged the day after the US prosecutors reportedly opened an investigation into Huawei for alleged theft of trade secrets from American firms. Berlin is a
  
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• Ethereum hard fork: How will Constantinople upgrade IMPACT ETH prices?

  17-01-2019 18:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  ETHEREUM is about to upgrade via the eagerly-anticipated Constantinople hard fork. So how will the Constantinople upgrade impact ETH prices?
  
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• Debenhams rating cut raises fears of creditors going unpaid

  17-01-2019 18:20 via theguardian.com
  Moody’s downgrade adds to department store chain’s debt refinancing worriesThe credit agency Moody’s has said Debenhams will struggle to refinance its debts without raising new funds from shareholders as it warned creditors of a higher risk they would not be paid back by the retailer.The department store chain, which last week said it had net debt of £286m, is battling to reach a new deal with its banks this month after a difficult Christmas capped off a lacklustre 2018 d
  
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• ITV shares fall as broadcasters are warned not to underestimate Netflix

  17-01-2019 17:58 via theguardian.com
  The market underappreciates the pace of the decline in TV consumption, say analystsShares in ITV fell by nearly 6% on Thursday after investors took fright at a report warning that the market is underestimating the decline of traditional TV viewing and the disruptive impact of of services such as Netflix and YouTube.ITV was the biggest faller in the FTSE 100 by late afternoon trading – down 5.9% at 129p – following a bleak assessment of the prospects of traditional TV broadcasters by
  
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• Oil price TUMBLES: Crude falls as concern grows over weakening US demand

  17-01-2019 16:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  OIL prices tumbled today as concern grew over weakening demand in the United States.
  
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• Nine apps to help simplify adult life

  17-01-2019 16:39 via theguardian.com
  It can be difficult to cope with modern living without some support. From personal organisation to keeping fit and healthy, these apps will help make your world run more smoothlyTodoist
  todoist.com
  Simple to use and clearly designed, Todoist is your pocket PA, organising and scheduling multiple tasks, tracking and prioritising as you go. Add, complete, reschedule with drag-and-drop and set due dates. Organise lists according to colour or prioritise by subprojects and subtasks and earn karma poin
  
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• How to stay on top of your to-do list: online tips for the time-savvy

  17-01-2019 16:39 via theguardian.com
  Overwhelmed by ever-growing life admin? From planning meals to advice on decreasing the time you spend managing bills, here are some handy online resources to help tackle time-consuming everyday tasksThere are a few things in life that are seemingly never-ending: taxes, bills and housework, for example. According to research by the Association of Accounting Technicians, adults carry out an average of 109 life-admin tasks a year. The poll, which surveyed 2,000 Britons, found more than half of tho
  
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• Eight simple life hacks for easier everyday organisation

  17-01-2019 16:39 via theguardian.com
  Do you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of responsibilities? Save time, stress and money with these tips on how to simplify life adminMundane personal jobs such as making appointments, managing bills or cooking are a necessary part of life, but every day these tasks eat into our precious free time. What if there were a few simple ways to cut down the time and effort spent on these while saving money? We take a look at some of the best ways to approach life admin so it becomes less of a c
  
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• 10 simple signs that you’ve turned into a responsible adult

  17-01-2019 16:39 via theguardian.com
  Being a child meant no responsibilities. Being adolescent meant ignoring them. But now that you’re a grownup, there’s no running away. Thankfully, there are 10 simple ways to show you’re tackling adulthood like a proRecycling
  There was a time when all your rubbish went into one bin. Not any more. Now it’s a military operation – food, paper, cardboard, bottles and plastic all need to be separated and placed in specific colour-coded containers. But you’re well-d
  
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• Brexit department uses seven 'gagging orders' as firms plan for no deal

  17-01-2019 16:38 via theguardian.com
  Defra also confirms enforcing NDAs despite Theresa May’s criticism of such contractsWhitehall’s Brexit department has enforced seven “gagging orders” on outsourcing firms and suppliers working on no-deal preparations, despite Theresa May’s previous criticism of such contracts.The disclosure comes as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), run by Michael Gove, confirmed for the first time that it had also asked suppliers to sign non-disclosure
  
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• FINANCIAL CRASH WARNING: Consumers braced for MAJOR financial and housing crisis THIS YEAR

  17-01-2019 16:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  FEARS of an impending financial crisis are looming with consumers braced for a major financial and housing crash this year, according to a new survey.
  
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• Primark sales defy UK high street gloom

  17-01-2019 16:16 via theguardian.com
  Chain is biggest UK clothing retailer by volume and likely to topple Next as No 2 by valuePrimark said it gained market share, increased sales and cut down on discounting over Christmas by focusing on the high street and continuing to keep away from the internet.Sales at the cut-price fashion chain’s established UK stores rose 3% over the Christmas period, according to analysts’ estimates, and slipped less than 2% in the four months to 5 January, despite a dismal period for many clot
  
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• Davos 2019: World leaders you WON'T be seeing at WEF and WHY – Trump and May included

  17-01-2019 15:49 via feedproxy.google.com
  THE annual World Economic Forum will kick off in Davos next week with global political and business elites gathering to discuss the dangers facing the economy and environment in 2019.
  
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• Bitcoin WARNING: THIS is the biggest PROBLEM facing BTC in 2019

  17-01-2019 15:39 via feedproxy.google.com
  BITCOIN traders have been kept on edge during a turbulent 12 months for the world’s leading cryptocurrency, but there is one problem still to tackle in 2019.
  
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• Demand for credit cards and mortgages in UK falling fast, warns BofE

  17-01-2019 15:07 via theguardian.com
  Banks say borrowing on plastic will be lowest since 2007, with mortgages down to 2010 levelBorrowing on credit cards is expected to plunge to the lowest levels since 2007 in the three months before Brexit, according to the Bank of England, in another indication of stresses facing the UK economy.According to the latest quarterly health check on credit conditions from Threadneedle Street, high street banks forecast borrowing on plastic will decline in the first quarter by the most since records be
  
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• What role does nuclear power play in UK and what are alternatives?

  17-01-2019 15:06 via theguardian.com
  The options remaining, with three projects shelved and old plants reaching end of roadHitachi scraps £16bn nuclear power station in Wales
  Does Hitachi decision mean the end of UK’s nuclear ambitions?Britain’s old nuclear power stations supply about a fifth of electricity supplies and are a key part of the energy system. However, their share of the mix has been gradually shrinking as renewables have grown and energy demand has fallen. Continue reading...
  
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• Nuclear power can be green – but at a price

  17-01-2019 14:36 via theguardian.com
  As Hitachi and Toshiba abandon plans for new British nuclear reactors, Damian Carrington assesses the merits of the technologyHitachi scraps £16bn nuclear power station in WalesAll sources of electricity face the same trilemma in the 21st century: carbon emissions, continuity of supply and cost. The UK government has placed a big bet on nuclear power, but reactors meet only two of the three challenges. Nuclear power is low carbon and a secure source of electricity – but it is hugely
  
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• Premier Inn owner says bookings are falling outside London

  17-01-2019 14:13 via theguardian.com
  Whitbread says tourists are bringing business to capital, but sales are weak elsewhere Whitbread, the owner of the UK’s biggest hotel brand, Premier Inn, has said bookings outside London are falling as travellers tighten their purse strings.Alison Brittain, the company’s chief executive, said central London was still benefiting from international tourists but outside the capital the picture was grim, with both businesses and leisure travellers reining in spending. Continue reading...
  
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• Insta-scam: how online con artists have adapted for the Instagram era

  17-01-2019 13:47 via theguardian.com
  Photographers and ‘influencers’ are the latest to suffer an elaborate internet rip-off – but some Instagrammers are themselves pulling a fast oneThere was a time when an online scam was easy to spot: there would be a Nigerian prince, and the promise of a fortune, and an email address that was just a long string of numbers. Now, though, things have got a little more sophisticated.One such scam that recently made the news targeted travel photographers and Instagram influencers. T
  
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• Bitcoin rival Ethereum saved from CYBER-ATTACK threat by THIS accidental discovery

  17-01-2019 13:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  BITCOIN rival Ethereum was saved by an accidental discovery during a training exercise.
  
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• Students and rail users 'penalised by flawed inflation measure'

  17-01-2019 13:01 via theguardian.com
  Lords report accuses ministers of ‘inflation shopping’ with tactical use of RPI and CPIStudents and rail passengers have been unfairly penalised by the government using a “flawed” measure of inflation that needs to be urgently fixed, according to a highly critical report from peers.Ministers have been able to use a tactic of “inflation shopping” to select the retail prices index measure of inflation when it stands to benefit the exchequer, and the typically lo
  
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• US ECONOMY WARNING: Government SHUTDOWN will cause GREATER damage than feared

  17-01-2019 13:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  THE US economy will suffer greater damage than previously feared as the record-breaking government shutdown enters its fourth week, the White House has acknowledged.
  
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• Hitachi FREEZES £22bn nuclear power plant plans in Wales sparking UK energy crisis fears

  17-01-2019 12:38 via feedproxy.google.com
  PLANS for a multi billion-pound new nuclear power station have been suspended, delivering a huge blow to the industry. Japanese firm Hitachi announced it was not continuing with work already under way at Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales.
  
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• Does Hitachi decision mean the end of UK's nuclear ambitions?

  17-01-2019 12:23 via theguardian.com
  Despite recent scrapping of three plants, experts still feel the energy has stake in futureHitachi scraps £16 nuclear power station
  The role of nuclear power in UK and the alternatives
  Ever since Tony Blair rebooted support for nuclear power 13 years ago, British governments have been committed to a new generation of reactors to secure supplies and cut carbon emissions.However, those ambitions have yielded only one project under construction, Hinkley Point C in Somerset, south-west England
  
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• Another thing you may not know about Bitcoin: it's killing the planet | Ethan Lou

  17-01-2019 12:00 via theguardian.com
  As a Bitcoin maker who covered the oil industry as a journalist, I see parallels between the two that may haunt cryptocurrencyI make Bitcoin, and in a previous life, I covered the oil industry as a journalist. Increasingly, I’m realizing the two worlds are alike. Bitcoin is oil.And one day, Bitcoin will become big oil, and all who dabble in it will be reborn as enemies of the environmental movement, seen as plunderers of the planet and the bad guys in the fight against climate change &ndas
  
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• Hitachi scraps £16bn nuclear power station in Wales

  17-01-2019 10:11 via theguardian.com
  Japanese giant unable to agree deal with UK as fears grow for Anglesey atomic plant
  The role of nuclear power in UK and the alternatives
  Does Hitachi decision mean the end of UK’s nuclear ambitions?
  Hitachi has scrapped plans to build a nuclear power station in Wales, becoming the second firm in two months to abandon a major nuclear project and triggering “a full-blown crisis” for the UK energy’s strategy.The £16bn Wylfa plant on Anglesey was meant to be the next in
  
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• Why is my insurance more due to other drivers’ mistakes?

  17-01-2019 07:59 via theguardian.com
  I have a clean licence and big no claims – but my premium has gone up to nearly £2,000A driver, who was on the phone, hit my new car from behind seven months ago. Then, three weeks ago, I was struck on a roundabout by an Estonian lorry driver who had misunderstood the right of way. I have been driving for 31 years, have a clean licence and maximum no claims. My renewal is due and the quote from One Call has risen from £476 last year to £1,882.Continue reading...
  
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• UK house prices fall at fastest rate in six years on back of Brexit – Rics

  17-01-2019 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Outlook for sales the weakest in two decades, say Britain’s surveyorsThe looming threat of Brexit has dragged down the UK property market further, with prices falling at the fastest rate in six years and the outlook for sales the weakest in two decades, according to Britain’s surveyors.The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said the number of inquiries, agreed sales and new instructions all declined in December. Continue reading...
  
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