Financial news

• Employers should contribute to universities | Letters

  22-02-2026 18:55 via theguardian.com
  Johnny Rich proposes a sustainable funding model for higher education. Plus letters from Henry Malt and David GleaveOn the subject of student debts (Student debt is a generational injustice. Why are we squeezing graduates harder than the super-rich?, 16 February), Gaby Hinsliff writes: “If the government has better options, then let’s hear them sooner rather than later.” Any better option must address the problem that the courses that universities offer – brilliant t
  
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• Tories would scrap ‘debt trap’ of high interest student loans, says Kemi Badenoch

  22-02-2026 18:46 via theguardian.com
  Education secretary Bridget Phillipson suggests priority is grants for poorer students rather than cutting interestKemi Badenoch has said the Conservatives would scrap the “unfair debt trap” of high interest rates on student loans, piling pressure on Labour ministers to tackle the growing outrage over the high costs.The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, admitted the system of plan 2 loans had “problems” but suggested the government’s priority would be mainten
  
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• The Guardian view on the funding crisis at the National Gallery: the public should not pay the price | Editorial

  22-02-2026 18:25 via theguardian.com
  Financial difficulties at one of the UK’s most prestigious institutions are a sign of the times. But maintaining free access to great art must be a priority“The National Gallery is doing a great job isn’t it?” David Hockney reflected in 2024. “Everything in the collection is good, every single picture is good.” Judging by recent performance, the artist would seem to be right. The gallery’s blockbuster Van Gogh exhibition closed in January last year after
  
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• Lamborghini pulls plug on plans to launch all-electric supercar

  22-02-2026 16:03 via theguardian.com
  Company will shift focus to hybrids, citing drop-off in EV demand among sports car lovers who ‘miss the noise’The Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini has abandoned plans to make all-electric vehicles, and will instead focus on making plug-in hybrid cars, after a drop-off in demand for EVs among its wealthy clientele.Lamborghini unveiled its first all-electric concept car, the Lanzador, in 2023, but it is no longer planning to put it into production. Continue reading...
  
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• The world order we’re leaving behind may be replaced by no order at all | Eduardo Porter

  22-02-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  In the world being ushered in by Trump, power will prevail over cooperation. We will come to rue having taken this pathThe Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, inspired a wave of enthusiastic nodding among the cosmopolitan crowd gathered in Davos last month when he took to the podium and proclaimed that the world order underwritten by the United States, which prevailed in the west throughout the postwar era, was over.The organizing principle that emerged from the ashes of the second world war,
  
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• Readers reply: what would be the most socially useful way to spend a billion dollars?

  22-02-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts• This week’s question: what would happen to the world if computer said yes?I’ve always thought it would be good to acquire an old warehouse in every town throughout the land and convert it into low-rent community workspaces for artists, local charities and small businesses getting off the ground. A kind
  
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• ‘Beyond worried’: the families waiting to hear how Send overhaul will change their lives

  22-02-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Already struggling to get help, families with children with special needs are concerned changes could make things worseAt the age of 12, May Race’s son Joseph spends almost all of his time in his bedroom, too anxious, burnt out and – she says – traumatised even to join his parents and older brother downstairs most days. Joseph no longer leaves the house at all.He is autistic and has dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). His autism is of a type known as p
  
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• ‘We want to rebuild trust’: fired CDC workers form group to combat Trump’s war on science

  22-02-2026 14:00 via theguardian.com
  Former employees stepped up to create the National Public Health Coalition to advocate for public health after Trump’s cuts to the agencyAbby Tighe thought she had landed her forever job. She joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in December 2023, managing a national youth substance abuse prevention program. The project focused on rural communities, and Tighe, whose family is from Appalachia, was proud to be using her public health training to support often-overlooked
  
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• Trump’s trade war risks undermining his hopes of hefty US interest rate cuts | Graeme Wearden

  22-02-2026 12:58 via theguardian.com
  Upping tariffs may have lifted the president’s mood but it is a headache for the Federal Reserve and its next chairDonald Trump and Denis Healey don’t have much in common. One of the greatest prime ministers Britain never had shares little of his famous hinterland with what some historians see as one of the worst occupants of the White House.But Trump would be well advised to remember Healey’s first law of holes – when you’re in one, stop digging Continue reading...
  
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• China overtakes US as Germany’s top trading partner

  22-02-2026 11:51 via theguardian.com
  Friedrich Merz to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing, with goods worth €251bn traded between two countries in 2025China has overtaken the US as Germany’s top trading partner, figures have shown, as the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, prepares for his first visit to Beijing since taking office.Merz will head to China on Tuesday and will be welcomed with military honours on Wednesday in Beijing by the prime minister, Li Qiang, before later meeting the president, Xi Jinping, for talks over dinner, h
  
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• Romance fraud: warning over scam that turns victims into insurance cheats

  22-02-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Insurers say cases of scammers manipulating people into staging crashes and filing bogus claims are under-reportedRomance fraud typically evokes images of people being tricked out of their life savings by partners they meet on dating sites, but some scammers use a different tactic: recruiting unsuspecting victims into fake insurance claims.The scam involves a fraudster convincing their partner, or a person they are dating, either to say they have witnessed a car accident, or to take out an insur
  
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• DVSA explains key step everyone should do before starting driving lessons

  22-02-2026 06:30 via express.co.uk
  The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency has issued fresh advice
  
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• ‘I’m an investment expert - this pension loophole could add £220k to your pot this year'

  22-02-2026 06:06 via express.co.uk
  Doing so is desirable for earners in the top brackets of tax as the entire £220k is subject to tax relief.
  
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• Nationwide warns 'we'll block your card' over messages going out to customers

  22-02-2026 05:47 via express.co.uk
  A customer reported getting text messages and phone calls from Nationwide
  
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• Lloyds explains 30-day rule over £50 bonus payments for customers

  22-02-2026 05:44 via express.co.uk
  You can get several payments through the Lloyds scheme
  
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• Follow this 12pm rule to 'naturally warm' your home over the rest of the winter

  22-02-2026 05:40 via express.co.uk
  People have been encouraged to stay active even while it's chilly
  
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• Ofgem issues 'top tips' to reduce energy bills

  22-02-2026 04:30 via express.co.uk
  Ofgem highlighted simple steps that can cut bills
  
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• British Gas says find important 'off button' in case of emergency

  22-02-2026 03:17 via express.co.uk
  British Gas experts explain how to locate and test your stopcock before frozen pipes or leaks strike this winter
  
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• Expert warns 'don't forget' as simple mistake could cost saves thousands

  22-02-2026 02:00 via express.co.uk
  Antonia Medlicott warns savers don't 'make the same mistake' as many missed out last year
  
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