Financial news

• Pubs in England and Wales allowed to stay open later for VE Day anniversary

  18-04-2025 23:30
  
  Venues to remain open until 1am as PM urges UK to come together to mark 80th anniversary on 8 May Pubs will be allowed to stay open until 1am to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the UK prime minister has announced.The government will allow pubs in England and Wales to close at 1am on 9 May to allow drinkers to continue celebrating into the early hours. Continue reading...
  
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• Reeves to make case for trade deal in first meeting with US treasury secretary

  18-04-2025 20:00
  
  Chancellor will push for deal that protects British car, steel and pharmaceutical industries amid tariff uncertaintyRachel Reeves will fly to Washington next week to meet her American counterpart for the first time, as the British government looks to intensify negotiations over a UK-US trade deal.The chancellor will be in the US from Tuesday to Friday for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund. At the heart of her visit, though, will be talks with the US treasury secretary, Scott
  
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• Regulators approve $35bn merger of Capital One and Discover Financial

  18-04-2025 19:14
  
  Acquisition expected to be completed on 18 May after Federal Reserve and currency comptroller sign off on dealThe pending merger between Capital One and Discover Financial services received approval from several regulators on Friday, bringing the $35bn tie-up closer to completion.The Federal Reserve and the office of the comptroller of the currency (OCC) signed off on the deal, which was first announced in February 2024. Continue reading...
  
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• Green party candidate tries to evict Labour opponent from property

  18-04-2025 19:06
  
  Labour says move is hypocrisy since Greens support ban on no-fault evictions such as one served on Labour candidate and her familyA Green party council candidate is attempting to evict his Labour opponent from a house he owns using a no-fault notice, despite his party supporting a ban on exactly such kinds of eviction.William Pedley, who is standing for the Greens in the Victoria ward of North Northamptonshire council, has served a section 21 notice on his tenant and political rival Kelly Duddri
  
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• The Guardian view on British TV: a drama out of a crisis | Editorial

  18-04-2025 18:22
  
  The hit Netflix show Adolescence has ignited debate about the future of UK television. Public service broadcasting must stand up to the streaming giantsHappy Valley, Top Boy, Doctor Who, Slow Horses, Killing Eve, I Will Destroy You, Fleabag and, most recently, Adolescence – at first glance, it seems perverse to argue that British TV drama is in crisis. But this is the message from leading figures within the industry.Amid headline-grabbing debates about the dangers of toxic o
  
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• Residents of London apartment block left without running water for 12 days

  18-04-2025 18:22 via theguardian.com
  
  Housing association L&Q’s contractor shut off water to flats in Sidcup without warning to repair a pipeResidents of an apartment block owned by London’s largest housing association have spoken of their despair after being left for 12 days without running water during repairs to a leaking supply pipe.Social housing tenants and leaseholders in the block of 12 flats in Sidcup, south-east London, said they were unable to shower or clean for nearly a fortnight when their water was shu
  
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• Dark chocolate Toblerone to be discontinued in UK due to ‘changing tastes’

  18-04-2025 18:13 via theguardian.com
  
  Maker of triangular-shaped almond-and-honey-laced chocolate bar says it has made ‘difficult decision’ to withdraw productMars Delight, Cadbury Dream and Rowntree’s Texan are just some of the once beloved chocolate bars that have been discontinued over the years, and now after almost six decades the dark chocolate Toblerone is joining them in the confectionery graveyard.The triangular-shaped almond-and-honey-laced chocolate bar is a staple of supermarkets and airport duty-free s
  
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• When we’re left hanging on the telephone | Brief letters

  18-04-2025 18:05 via theguardian.com
  
  Bad customer service | Binary answer to the ultimate question | MPs’ mobiles | Crossword goldAnna Tims’ feature on appalling customer service (17 April) omits to mention two of the most common, disingenuous and irritating recorded responses to telephone inquiries, which are “Please hold, your call is very important to us” (it clearly isn’t) and “Your call will be answered shortly” (invariably it won’t be). As for the on-hold music, some honesty cou
  
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• Expert gives 4 reasons 750,000 state pensioners are on the 'wrong pension'

  18-04-2025 17:12 via express.co.uk
  
  Many Brits are either being paid the wrong amount, or are set to get a lower amount than they should, a pension expert has warned.
  
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• Man, 35, builds £15k nest egg tax free with a Cash ISA and ‘feels ready for anything’

  18-04-2025 16:09 via express.co.uk
  
  As global stock markets plunge, one saver feels secure.
  
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• The best pressure washers: eight expert picks for cleaning garden furniture and patios

  18-04-2025 16:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Our expert puts the best power washers through their paces on the toughest – and muckiest – outdoor chores, from grimy paving slabs to dirty decking• How to get your garden ready for summerThe trouble with the great outdoors is that it gets a bit untidy. Your lawnmower might do a good job of keeping your garden in check, but keeping your patio, decking and outdoor furniture spick and span can take hours, especially if you rely on a bucket of soapy water and a scrubbing brush.Tha
  
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• Former DWP assessor says 'PIP claimants with 4 conditions will keep benefit'

  18-04-2025 15:59 via express.co.uk
  
  The DWP is set to introduce new PIP rules in November of next year, but an assessor has revealed who will be safe from the changes.
  
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• HMRC gives £300 a year bonus to people on DWP benefit

  18-04-2025 15:20 via express.co.uk
  
  More than half a million people are in line for cash bonuses from the government.
  
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• State Pension age change for anyone born after 1977

  18-04-2025 14:08 via express.co.uk
  
  The State Pension age is gradually increasing for both men and women.
  
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• Trading212 makes Cash ISA rate change in unwelcome message to customers

  18-04-2025 13:30 via express.co.uk
  
  Market leading Cash ISA platform Trading212 has cut interest rates in an unwelcome message sent to customers.
  
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• HMRC urges people to sign up as Brits can get £1,200 boost

  18-04-2025 12:59 via express.co.uk
  
  The scheme has been expanded making 550,000 more people eligible
  
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• Martin Lewis names top 6 Cash ISAs to open now before rates or limits change

  18-04-2025 12:20 via express.co.uk
  
  Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis says these are six of the best Cash ISAs to open right now.
  
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• Donald Trump has smashed our pensions - now Rachel Reeves plots to grab what’s left

  18-04-2025 10:26 via express.co.uk
  
  Donald Trump has wiped billions off UK pension values. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to finish the job.
  
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• Britain needs houses, and Labour’s bold plan will address that. But it may require more migrants | Polly Toynbee

  18-04-2025 10:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Ministers are ready to be relentless over planning reform. There is a skills gap though – and they must be brave enough to fill itAmid the shock of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) halving its growth forecast last month, one remarkable finding gets too little attention. It predicts housebuilding will rise to its highest level in 40 years, adding 0.2% growth or £6.8bn by 2029-30, potentially rising to more than 0.4% by 2034-35. The government has said that housing scores the
  
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• As Labour frustration grows, could OBR forecasts be cut to once a year?

  18-04-2025 10:00
  Figures in No 10 feel the Office for Budget Responsibility’s twice-yearly reports undermine Rachel Reeves’ plan to scrap the spring statementWhen Labour was riding high in opposition, the Office for Budget Responsibility was a near sacrosanct institution. Its manifesto pledged Labour would “never sideline the OBR for political convenience”.But emerging from a punishing spring statement, inside No 10 the former devotees have turned sceptics. The fiscal rules remain untouch
  
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• Stylish new homes in England for downsizers close to town – in pictures

  18-04-2025 08:00 via theguardian.com
  From Grade I-listed grandeur in Bath to riverside living in London, these are properties worth a look Continue reading...
  
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