Financial news

• When it comes to coal, Australia has transitioned away from economics and common sense | Richard Denniss

  20-08-2019 20:00
  Our political leaders have switched from pretending they can’t hear the Pacific to pretending they don’t understand themAustralia isn’t transitioning away from extracting fossil fuels, it is doubling down on them. That’s right – even though Australia is already the third largest fossil fuel exporter in the world, the federal government still wants to double our coal exports, drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight and open more farmland to fracking.Australia is
  
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• Donald Trump’s UK trade promises are hot air – his aim is Brexit chaos | Michael H Fuchs

  20-08-2019 16:23
  If Boris Johnson seriously believes the US will shower rewards on Britain after leaving the EU he is mistakenAs the UK races towards a potential no-deal Brexit, President Donald Trump is cheering it on. But Brexit – especially without a deal in place with the European Union – would be bad for the US-UK special relationship and would make the UK a much less important US ally.The ramifications of Brexit – in particular without a deal with the EU that pleases everyone – coul
  
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• How would a state pension age rise to 75 affect you? THIS region of UK could suffer most

  20-08-2019 15:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  STATE PENSION age is rising, however a think tank has recently proposed a dramatic hike in the state pension age, which would reach 75 by 2035 under their plans. How would the proposal affect those living in different regions in the UK?
  
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• NatWest and RBS customers hit by credit card glitch

  20-08-2019 14:07
  Outage comes as many people prepare to pay monthly billsNatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland customers have been hit by computer problems preventing them from accessing credit card information, and the bank’s call centres are unable to deal with credit card queries.The outage, which is believed to have first been spotted in the early hours of Monday, comes at an unfortunate time for many customers as they prepare to pay their monthly bills. Continue reading...
  
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• Persimmon profits fall as housebuilder looks at repairing reputation

  20-08-2019 13:10
  Company increased customer service spending by about 40% after criticism over qualitySales and profits at Persimmon have slipped as the UK’s second biggest housebuilder attempts to repair its battered reputation after criticism of its shoddy workmanship, huge executive rewards and an overreliance on the government’s help-to-buy scheme.The company said it had increased spending on customer service by some 40% over the first six months of the year, adding an extra 200 staff to its 5,00
  
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• Amazon under fire for new packaging that cannot be recycled

  20-08-2019 11:42
  Use of plastic envelopes branded a ‘major step backwards’ in fight against pollutionAmazon has been criticised by environmental groups and customers after introducing a range of plastic packaging that cannot be recycled in the UK.While supermarkets and other retailers have been reducing their use of single use plastics, the world’s biggest online retailer has started sending small items in plastic envelopes, seemingly to allow more parcels to be loaded on to each delivery truck
  
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• Government yet to refund £28m in student loan overpayments

  20-08-2019 10:19
  More than half a million English university graduates overpaid loans by average £600
  The government is holding on to more than £28m in student loan overpayments by graduates that have been identified but not yet refunded.More than half a million former students in England overpaid their student loans by an average of nearly £600, Student Loans Company (SLC) data shows. Continue reading...
  
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• I folded cardboard at Blockbuster, and found inner peace amid the boredom | Paul Fleckney

  20-08-2019 10:00
  In between teenage japes, a tedious job gave me time to process life-changing events, both happy and sadThis is a long shot, but did you by any chance rent Titanic on VHS around September 1998? Yes? Was it from a branch of Blockbuster somewhere in suburban north Kent? Yes? Amazing! We have so much in common. Because I spent several weeks of that summer folding and packing the display cases for those videotapes, and shoving them in the back of a lorry. Related: Packing Christmas cards knocked the
  
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• Firms cash in when a delayed or cancelled flight means you’re not on time for a booked hire car

  20-08-2019 08:00
  Firms cash in when a delayed or cancelled flight means you’re not on time for a booked hire carIf you have booked a hire car for your summer holiday, beware. Although rental firms know full well that flights are subject to delays and cancellations, some are profiting extortionately from passengers who arrive later or earlier than expected.The sorry tales below suggest that, as with flight tickets, it can be best to avoid third-party brokers and book directly through the hire company so you
  
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