Financial news

• Shopping centres and DIY stores struggle in Easter sunshine

  21-04-2019 19:29 via theguardian.com
  High street footfall rises, but non-food sector and retail parks have a tough weekendBritish shopping centres, DIY stores and garden centres struggled over the bank holiday weekend as shoppers stayed outside to enjoy the blazing sunshine.Indoor shopping centres were hit particularly hard, with a year-on-year decline in footfall of more than 11% on both Friday and Saturday, according to retail data company Springboard. Separate data from Ipsos Retail Performance also showed a 10.4% decline in foo
  
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• Broken land ownership system fuels inequality | Letters

  21-04-2019 18:45 via theguardian.com
  The unequal distribution of land has created serious problems in housing provision and wider society, say readersThe revelation that half of England is owned by less than 1% of the population (Report, 18 April) is a stark example of how broken our archaic system of land ownership is. This inequality is a sign of the wider inequalities in British society, but also has a more immediate impact: seriously exacerbating the housing crisis. The high cost of land for new homes, and lack of transparency
  
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• Potential bidders circle Thomas Cook as it hires turnaround specialist

  21-04-2019 18:00 via theguardian.com
  China’s Fosun is among number of groups interested in buying all or part of holiday operatorThomas Cook, Britain’s oldest package holiday operator, could be split up in a takeover that may lead to its high street stores and package deals being bought by a Chinese conglomerate.The company, which is struggling with a fall in demand for package holidays and fierce online competition, is being circled by potential bidders after a string of profits warnings and an 80% drop in its share pr
  
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• HMRC tax refund: Does HMRC send you a text for tax rebate? Is this a SCAM?

  21-04-2019 17:29 via feedproxy.google.com
  TAXPAYERS across Britain have recently received texts from what appear to be from the HM Revenue and Customs . But does HMRC send you a text for tax rebate or is it a scam?
  
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• Cannabis websites in US and Canada crash on biggest 4/20 day

  21-04-2019 17:14 via theguardian.com
  Company that offers ‘free delivery’ happy hour has difficulty fulfilling ordersGlobal cannabis suppliers struggled to keep up with demand on Saturday, the biggest ever 4/20 Day, an annual celebration of marijuana on 20 April, which in the US calendar is referred to as 4/20.Suppliers in the US, where recreational cannabis is legal in 10 states, and Canada, where the drug was decriminalised for recreational use last year, reported difficulties fulfilling orders on what has been called
  
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• Tesla gets restraining order against alleged harasser

  21-04-2019 15:08 via theguardian.com
  Carmaker says man trespassed on factory in California and drove at security guardTesla has been granted a temporary restraining order to prevent an alleged harasser from approaching the carmaker’s California factory.The electric carmaker claimed in its application for the order that the man had repeatedly harassed its employees. He allegedly controls a Twitter account which frequently claimsthat Tesla engages in fraud and which claims to be betting that Tesla shares will fall. Continue rea
  
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• Wanted: newsrooms that truly reflect modern Britain

  21-04-2019 15:07 via theguardian.com
  No-name applications may be an effective way to eliminate elite bias in journalist recruitmentDanielle Wall may be the managing editor of the Spectator, but she still feels like the odd one out at some corporate events. Not because she is one of the weekly title’s most senior women, but because she left school at 16. “It can make me feel uncomfortable,” she said last week.Wall’s journalistic flair and fierce work ethic first brought her to the attention of the editor, Fra
  
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• The zero-waste revolution: how a new wave of shops could end excess packaging

  21-04-2019 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Shops that minimise the environmental impact of our consumer habits are springing up across Britain. Could they help us avert catastrophe?The smell in Natural Weigh, a zero-waste shop that opened a year ago in Crickhowell in mid-Wales, is lovely. The shop – filled with pasta, grains, seeds and dried fruit served from hoppers to avoid plastic packaging; washing-up liquid and laundry products that customers pump into their battered old squeezy bottles; fair-trade coffee and chocolate, plus a
  
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• A chance at last for Hammond to hunt for a new Bank governor | Larry Elliott

  21-04-2019 14:50 via theguardian.com
  There isn’t a shortage of Brits to succeed Carney, but the net may well be spread beyond these shoresWanted: suitable candidate to run one of the world’s leading central banks. Applicants should demonstrate the economic acumen of a Keynes, the diplomatic skills of a Metternich, the political cunning of a Machiavelli, and the hide of a rhinoceros. Those interested should register their interest with the Right Hon Philip Hammond Esq at HM Treasury. Interviews will take place in the com
  
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• Last orders for Bristol pub linked to Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island

  21-04-2019 14:18 via theguardian.com
  Threat of closure hangs over Llandoger Trow after serving people of Bristol for 450 yearsA beloved Bristol pub with connections to Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island has called last orders for the final time, leaving the future of the waterside black and white timbered building in doubt.Bank Holiday drinkers enjoyed their final pints at the Llandoger Trow on Saturday night before it closed after serving the people of Bristol for almost 450 years as well as attracting fans of Daniel Defoe and Ro
  
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• Dutch engineers build world's biggest sun-seeking solar farm

  21-04-2019 11:59 via theguardian.com
  The 15 floating solar islands will possess sunflower-like ability to turn to face the sunDutch engineers are building what will be the world’s largest archipelago of islands made up of sun-tracking solar panels.Growing resistance to the construction of wind turbines or fields of solar panels on land has led the renewable energy industry to look for alternative options. Large islands of solar panels are under construction or already in place in reservoirs and lakes across the Netherlands, C
  
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• Home improvements customers need stamina to conquer Everest

  21-04-2019 09:00 via theguardian.com
  Many sign up with the household name believing costly work will go smoothly. It’s not always soThe thrill of Everest is adventuring into the unknown. Even the most doughty stamina and resolve can’t guarantee those who commit to the journey will reach their goal. Which is why Britain’s second-largest double-glazing company seems aptly named.Everest was the second choice of Michael and Catrin Poole when its rival, Anglian, declared the arched doors and windows they required could
  
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• Even Amazon and the tech giants could fail to click in a changing market

  21-04-2019 08:00 via theguardian.com
  If the online retail giant has felt some pressure on profits, what price other, less secure, Silicon Valley firms?The march of Amazon and other US tech giants to world domination can sometimes seem unstoppable. Investors who have bought into the Amazon story have rarely been let down either. Amazon’s share price performance since the millennium stands at +2,345%.Last year tech stocks were in overdrive until the autumn, when almost all took a big tumble. But Amazon is still up more than 25%
  
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• Modest proposals will not make the audit process any more watertight

  21-04-2019 07:59 via theguardian.com
  Andrew Tyrie’s report recognises the value of more competition, but tinkering at the edges won’t make it happenCompanies go out of business all the time, but big companies should be an exception. They have responsibilities to the communities where they operate. They employ lots of people and perform economically essential tasks. So they need to be resilient and have the capacity to adapt.So what part does a financial audit play in keeping such a corporate ship afloat? It’s a qu
  
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