Financial news

• Concerts ruined by selfish people using their phones | Letters

  27-05-2024 17:53
  
  Bren Pointer says the American pianist Keith Jarrett was right to disallow photography during his performances. Plus letters from Barry and Joy Norman, Meirion Bowen and Joan LewisYour editorial about mobile phones in concert halls reminded me of the very strong stance taken by Keith Jarrett, the American jazz and classical pianist, who insisted that no photography was allowed during any of his performances (The Guardian view on phones in concert halls: what engages some enrages others, 19 May).
  
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• The annoyance of noisy heat pumps at 2am | Letters

  27-05-2024 17:52
  
  Martyn Taylor points to the irritating sound of heat pumps starting and stopping. Plus a letter from John Lovelock who reckons they will be prohibitively expensive to install in older propertiesJillian Ambrose’s interesting articles on heat pump myths (Do heat pumps work at freezing temperatures? 22 May) have not yet mentioned the noise that a single heat pump can generate, and the implication once large swathes of communities start using them.We stayed at a new-build property in Suffolk l
  
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• Very little achieved on rail reforms in Great Britain in past six years, say MPs

  27-05-2024 15:46
  
  Poor performance across network as delays and cancellations continue, says public accounts committeeThe government has “achieved very little” in reforms to Great Britain’s railways six years after identifying the need for big changes to improve the situation for passengers and taxpayers, according to an influential parliamentary committee.MPs on the cross-party public accounts committee said the Department for Transport has not paid enough attention to the needs of passengers o
  
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• Post Office scandal: Police to deploy 80 detectives for criminal inquiry

  27-05-2024 15:42
  
  Exclusive: Investigation will dig into potential perjury offences and perverting the course of justice by senior leaders and FujitsuPolice are planning to deploy 80 detectives for their criminal inquiry into the Post Office scandal, the Guardian has learned, but victims will face a long wait to discover if charges will follow.The investigation will examine potential offences of perjury, and perverting the course of justice by Post Office senior leaders as well as the tech company Fujitsu. Contin
  
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• Scarlett Johansson’s OpenAI clash is just the start of legal wrangles over artificial intelligence

  27-05-2024 15:33
  
  Hollywood star’s claim ChatGPT update used an imitation of her voice highlights tensions over rapidly accelerating technologyWhen OpenAI’s new voice assistant said it was “doing fantastic” in a launch demo this month, Scarlett Johansson was not.The Hollywood star said she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief” that the updated version of ChatGPT, which can listen to spoken prompts and respond verbally, had a voice “eerily similar” to hers. Continu
  
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• Plug-in hybrid cars ‘costing £500 a year more to refuel than lab tests suggest’

  27-05-2024 15:30
  
  Analysis of real-world data suggests annual cost of fuelling PHEVs is nearly double manufacturers’ claimsDrivers of bestselling plug-in hybrid cars pay £500 a year more on fuel for their cars than manufacturers’ figures suggest, according to analysis of real-world data, largely because owners tend to charge them less frequently than expected.Laboratory tests of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) suggest that fuel should cost £560 a year, but real-life data suggests
  
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• 'I'm a pensions expert - here's why the lifetime allowance may not be reinstated'

  27-05-2024 13:00 via express.co.uk
  
  EXCLUSIVE: The expert warned such a change would have ramifications for the economy.
  
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• The US attempt to ban TikTok is an attack on ideas and hope | Dominic Andre

  27-05-2024 12:15
  
  A TikTok ban threatens to destroy millions of jobs and silence diverse voices. It would change the world for the worseI’m a TikTok creator. I’ve used TikTok to build a multimillion dollar business, focused on sharing interesting things I’ve learned in life and throughout my years in college. TikTok allowed me to create a community and help further my goal of educating the public. I always feared that one day, it would be threatened. And now, it’s happening.Why does the US
  
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• Bills warning as Britons told to be on lookout for these totally 'avoidable' costs

  27-05-2024 12:00 via express.co.uk
  
  The cost of home maintenance has risen by 3.5 percent in the last year alone.
  
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• Senior UK politicians call for greater scrutiny of potential Shein IPO

  27-05-2024 11:44
  
  Concerns London listing of retailer facing forced labour allegations goes ahead while parliament is dissolvedSenior politicians, including three parliamentary committee chairs, have called for more scrutiny of Shein as the fast-fashion retailer founded in China sets its sights on a London stock market listing.Shein is reportedly in talks to float on the London Stock Exchange after an attempt to float in New York faced regulatory hurdles. Continue reading...
  
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• Estate agents struggling to sell properties most in the three UK cities

  27-05-2024 11:00 via express.co.uk
  
  The difficulty in finding buyers is particularly acute in areas where high prices combined with high interest rates appear to have made it difficult for people to afford a first home.
  
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• Revealed: how ‘convenient’ recipe boxes really measure up on price

  27-05-2024 10:00
  
  Our survey shows that buying ingredients separately for the meal kits offered by the leading suppliers can save up to 74%,Consumers who subscribe to “recipe box” delivery services can save up to 74% of the cost of the meals by buying the ingredients separately in the supermarket, research by the Observer has found.Analysis of the contents and prices of some of the most popular meal kits shows that buying the individual ingredients is far cheaper – even if you have to get whole
  
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• DWP benefits warning to pensioners on low incomes over 'huge postcode lottery'

  27-05-2024 10:00 via express.co.uk
  
  One factor is creating an additional barrier for older people to claim the benefits they may "badly" need, Age UK said.
  
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• Disposable income surges and hits highest level since cost-of-living crisis started

  27-05-2024 09:00 via express.co.uk
  
  The amount of money available after paying essential bills and taxes is up 15.7 percent in a year to an average of £239 a week.
  
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• Insurer Saga has taken four months to repair my parents’ car

  27-05-2024 08:00
  
  It was hit by an uninsured driver after they bought it to accommodate a wheelchair for my disabled motherMy parents’ car was hit by an uninsured driver. They were taken to hospital but suffered no serious injuries. The repair was being organised by their insurer, Saga, but four months later they are still waiting for the return of their damaged vehicle. This is causing significant hardship since my mother is disabled and the car, a Volkswagen T-Roc, was recently purchased to accommodate he
  
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• From paint testers to wardrobe hacks: 12 home DIY dos and don’ts

  27-05-2024 08:00
  
  Whether you are taking the DIY route or employing someone more skilled, there are ways to save moneyDIY tips: low-cost ways to give your home an upgradeWhether you are DIYing it all yourself or getting tradespeople in, there are ways to cut some of the costs associated with sprucing up your home. Continue reading...
  
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• Faking it: counterfeit luxury fashion in south-east Asia – a photo essay

  27-05-2024 08:00
  
  As counterfeit fashion gets cool, the photographers Miguel Hahn and Jan-Christoph Hartung investigate the prevalence of luxury labels in south-east Asia, where high-end fashion blends with traditional and modern clothingIn some countries in south-east Asia, including Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, a distinctive street style has emerged, characterised by counterfeit luxury fashion. Here, many people sport counterfeits of labels such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada.Bangkok, Thailand Conti
  
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• Ditch brightly coloured plastic, anti-waste researchers tell firms

  27-05-2024 08:00
  
  Studies find red, blue and green plastic decomposes into microplastic particles faster than plainer coloursRetailers are being urged to stop making everyday products such as drinks bottles, outdoor furniture and toys out of brightly coloured plastic after researchers found it degrades into microplastics faster than plainer colours.Red, blue and green plastic became “very brittle and fragmented”, while black, white and silver samples were “largely unaffected” over a three-
  
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• Exchange-Traded Funds - how they work, products that are invested in and how to start

  27-05-2024 07:00 via express.co.uk
  
  MoneyMagpie.com is running a free event for those keen to get advice on Exchange-Traded Funds.
  
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• ‘Deeply concerning’: Vampire’s Wife closure shows battle faced by independent British fashion brands

  27-05-2024 07:00
  
  Collapse of Matchesfashion platform is major factor in implosion across the supply chain, say industry insidersBy midday last Friday, a large queue had formed in Mayfair, London, as shoppers lined up for one last shot at getting their hands on one of the Vampire’s Wife’s signature and highly coveted Falconetti dresses, once called “the dress of the decade” by Vogue.Earlier in the week, the London-based brand, founded in 2014 by the former model Susie Cave and whose design
  
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• WASPI campaigners set out plans to secure DWP compensation after General Election

  27-05-2024 06:00 via express.co.uk
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Many of the current MPs had backed their cause with some calling for payouts of £10,000 or more.
  
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• Accountant shares easy steps to give your finances a 'refresh' and 'ditch debt'

  27-05-2024 04:17 via express.co.uk
  
  A money expert is on a mission to help people save money by breaking it down into manageable 'bitesize' chunks.
  
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• House price growth in rural areas outstrips towns in Great Britain

  27-05-2024 01:01
  
  Countryside semis are strongest-performing property type, with average price up 22% over five yearsRural areas have trumped towns and cities in house price growth over the past five years, with a semi in the countryside the top-performing property type, according to data for Great Britain.The figures, issued by the mortgage lender Nationwide, showed that average house prices in predominantly rural areas rose by 22% over the period, compared with 17% in predominantly urban areas. Continue reading
  
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