Financial news

• Footage shows US forces seizing fifth Venezuela-linked oil tanker – video

  09-01-2026 17:57 via theguardian.com
  A video posted online by the US homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, shows what she says is the US Coast Guard boarding and seizing the tanker Olina in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea on 9 January. On Friday the US said it had seized another tanker that tried to break a naval blockade aimed at preventing oil from departing Venezuela, the fifth ship apprehended in recent weeksUS in process of seizing fifth tanker in effort to control Venezuelan oil Continue reading...
  
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• High costs, falling returns: what could go wrong for Trump’s Venezuela oil gamble?

  09-01-2026 17:00 via theguardian.com
  US faces big challenges in trying to unlock ‘tremendous wealth’ from Venezuela’s long-neglected oil industryDonald Trump has laid claim to billions of dollars’ worth of Venezuelan crude this week, which at a stroke has handed the world’s biggest consumer of oil up to 50m barrels – but his ambitions are far greater.The White House said Venezuela would be “turning over” the nearly $3bn (£2.3bn) of crude stranded in tankers and storage facilitie
  
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• The trouble with friendlords: the pitfalls of renting from a mate

  09-01-2026 16:00
  Amid an affordable housing crisis, renting a room from a friend can seem like the perfect solution. But without clear rules, it can lead to power imbalances, feuds and even unfair evictions …When Rachel needed a place to live, Maya was only too happy to offer her spare room. What are friends for?Rachel had recently returned to her home town to start afresh, having been made redundant. Maya, a childhood friend, owned her three-bedroom home, having been helped to buy it by her parents.
  
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• Robots that can do laundry and more, plus unrolling laptops: the standout tech from CES 2026

  09-01-2026 15:30 via theguardian.com
  Robot vacuums that can climb stairs and device for BlackBerry lovers also on display at annual Las Vegas tech showThis year will be filled with robots that can fold your laundry, pick up objects and climb stairs, fridges that you can command to open by voice, laptops with screens that can follow you around the room on motorised hinges and the reimagining of the BlackBerry phone.Those are the predictions from the annual CES tech show in Las Vegas that took place this week. The sprawling event aim
  
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• Iran hit by internet blackout as protests over economic conditions continue – video

  09-01-2026 13:27 via theguardian.com
  A nationwide internet blackout was reported in Iran on Thursday as demonstrations over worsening economic conditions spread and showed no signs of abating. While it was unclear what caused the blackout, which was first reported by the internet freedom monitor NetBlocks, Iranian authorities have shut down the internet in response to protests in the pastIran plunged into internet blackout as protests over economy spread nationwide Continue reading...
  
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• The best exercise bikes for home workouts, spin and getting sweaty, tested

  09-01-2026 11:00
  Our fitness expert clocked up his indoor miles to put the best exercise bikes, including simple spin machines and gym-quality models, to the test• The best treadmills for your home, testedCycling has the potential to benefit your health in myriad ways, whether it’s the mood-boosting properties of inhaling fresh air, the social element of riding with friends or the simple act of improving cardiovascular fitness with every pedal stroke.The UK weather doesn’t always play ball, thou
  
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• Homes for sale in England with soaring ceilings – in pictures

  09-01-2026 08:00
  From a penthouse flat in London to a Georgian house in Sheffield Continue reading...
  
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• Why is Trump interested in Greenland? Look to the thawing Arctic ice | Gaby Hinsliff

  09-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Forecasts suggest that global heating could create a shortcut from Asia to North America, and new routes for trading, shipping – and attackAnother week, another freak weather phenomenon you’ve probably never heard of. If it’s not the “weather bomb” of extreme wind and snow that Britain is hunkering down for as I write, it’s reports in the Guardian of reindeer in the Arctic struggling with the opposite problem: unnaturally warm weather leading to more rain that
  
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• WASPI campaign update affecting 'every MP' as key emails go out

  09-01-2026 02:03 via express.co.uk
  The Ombudsman previously recommended the WASPI women get up to £3,000 each
  
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• Treasury has ‘limited grasp’ of concerns over booming shadow banking sector, peers say

  09-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Report says officials seem unprepared for potential risks that unregulated industry poses to UK financial stabilityThe UK Treasury has a “limited grasp” of concerns linked to the booming shadow banking sector and may not be prepared for risks the unregulated industry poses to financial stability, peers have said.While a lack of data makes it hard to say whether the $16tn (£12tn) non-bank financial sector could bring the wider financial system to its knees, officials do not seem
  
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• DWP PIP claimants may be 'pushed into debt or poverty' as service branded 'poor'

  09-01-2026 01:01 via express.co.uk
  The Department for Work and Pensions has been warned over "unacceptably poor service levels".
  
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