economy
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Luxembourg tax files: how tiny state rubber-stamped tax avoidance on an industrial scaleLeaked documents show that one of the EU’s smallest states helped multinationals save millions in tax, to the detriment of its neighbours and allies -
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Free banking in the firing line as competition inquiry launchesCompetition and Markets Authority to embark on most detailed analysis of sector for a decade, looking into how banks treat small business and personal customers -
Banking competition review - don’t bet on a major shake-upThe Competition and Markets Authority review is just the latest in a long line of investigations into high street banking | Nils Pratley -
Petrol retailers urged to cut prices in line with falling oil costsDanny Alexander says consumers would be justifiably angry if pump prices are not reduced as much as they should be -
Private landlords to own £1tn of property by 2015Figures show sector worth three-and-a-half times more than 2001, with new pension rules likely to see more money flow in
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Euro hits two year low as ECB tells staff to prepare more measures -- liveRolling coverage and reaction as the ECB holds its monthly press conference, after leaving interest rates unchanged again
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Associated British Foods boss’s pay rises 23% thanks to bonusesRevelation of George Weston’s pay reaching £7.15m comes after company announced 30% surge in Primark profits
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Pfizer unlikely to try AstraZeneca takeover again after tax clampdownUS drugmaker had wanted to use acquisition of AstraZeneca to shift tax base to Britain, a move known as tax inversion
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Sports Direct builds up stake in Debenhams with new put optionMove seen as a way to apply pressure on department store as it considers closer ties with Mike Ashley’s sports chain
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Dairy Crest milk sale seen as good news for British farmersSale of milk business to Müller Wiseman could provide healthier competition in the UK dairy industry, analysts say
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Cheesegrater’s steel bolts break free from buildingInvestigation launched after two bolts fall from London skyscraper but developer insists structural integrity is unaffected
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Derby MP says Rolls-Royce job cuts will have devastating impactDerby and Bristol likely to bear brunt of 2,600 redundancies, dealing a ‘bitter blow to staff behind company’s success’
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Qatari fund bids for Canary Wharf owner SongbirdSovereign wealth fund wants to add banking and finance nexus in Docklands to portfoilo of trophy assets including Harrods and the Shard
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FTSE 100 finishes higher after ECB hints, while Randgold Resources recovers but RSA fallsGold miner pleases market with latest update, as precious metal prices recover some ground
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Kipper Williams on M&SSales of Marks and Spencer’s clothing fallen again, for the 13th consecutive month. But profits are up
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Debenhams shopper dies after falling from escalatorMan pronounced dead at scene after falling three storeys at busy department store in Oxford Street, central London
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Northern England to get new train links to combat economic declineLeeds-Manchester-Sheffield train link by 2025 will add £6.7bn to northern economy and create 30,000 jobs across the north
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UK manufacturing boosted by car factory outputManufacturing output increased by 0.4% over September, according to Office for National Statistics
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Prezzo agrees £304m private equity deal but a number of analysts say reject offerControlling Kaye family set to make £170m if deal to sell to US group TPG goes ahead
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France, Germany and Italy urged to follow Spain’s lead to revive eurozoneEurope’s core countries must unlock growth potential in their economies with rigorous programme of reform, says OECD
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Monty the penguin: John Lewis unveils its Christmas ad – video
John Lewis unveils its latest Chritsmas advert on Thursday centring on the friendship between a young boy and Monty, a CGI-animated penguin
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Cable & Wireless Communications drops 8% on news of $1.85bn Caribbean dealCompany to issue shares to help buy Columbus, giving billionaire John Malone 13%
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FTSE 100 slips ahead of ECB meeting with AstraZeneca down despite improving outlookPharmaceuticals group reports better results after delays to generic competition to Nexium
opinion and analysis
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Kale or fracking? Farmers and corporations fight it out for waterIn California, fracking is taking the water that farmers need – and it’s no anomaly. There is a water conflict looming between industry and agriculture
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Havens like Luxembourg turn ‘tax competition’ into a global race to the bottomAn overhaul of the Grand Duchy’s corporate tax law and administration is required
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Society must call business' bluff on its fixation with profit maximisationWhile the falsehood that fiduciary duty means solely making money for shareholders is being chipped away, many business leaders still cling on to this behaviour
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Ellie Mae O’Hagan: The business lobby is hysterical because this ruling could mean backpay – and will poke holes in the zero-hours contractWhy Unite’s victory on holiday pay really matters
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Owen Jones: First thoughts: A new immigration study shows European migrants have contributed £20bn to the British economy. But how to convince a sceptical public?Statistics alone won’t win the immigration debate
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Two states vote today on legalizing marijuana. Prepare for the 'Green Rush'One of the hottest issues in the midterm elections is lighting up – a joint – and the innovation shown by pot-related businesses could teach Silicon Valley a lesson
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Polly Toynbee: A living wage is the kind of policy people expect from Labour, but is Ed Miliband letting it slip away?Scandalously low pay should not be the new normal
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The spectre over HSBCThe ‘significant items’ line in the HSBC profit and loss account will remain significant for some time yet
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Hugh Muir: Notebook: I’ve seen the amiable businessman up close. From Virgin Atlantic to Galactic, he’s proved the value of media accessibilityComing your way: non-stop Richard Branson
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Regulators’ insistence that banks hold more capital and a tax inquiry in France will also hit shareholder returnsBusiness as usual for HSBC as fines and provisions hit earnings hard
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Memo to George Osborne: austerity has failedRichard Seymour: The Tories and their Lib Dem allies might have hoped to go into 2015 with the recession fading and enough voters feeling wealthier. It’s not looking that way
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Zoe Williams: When rich people burn huge sums of money on fun, it wakes us up to the excesses of the free marketRichard Branson’s space tourism shows what today’s obscene inequality looks like
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Larry Elliott: The insistence by the Vatican that markets must be underpinned by morality is not a new oneAs the Berlin Wall fell, checks on capitalism crumbled
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People power is not enough: it’s the regulator’s job to punish businessesBusiness leader: Consumers can vote with their feet on shopping trips, but rectifying sytematic wrongdoing is a task for the authorities
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Will Hutton: The prime minister’s claims about taxation were wrong on every single economic and moral groundDavid Cameron’s tax credo is incoherent, immoral and economically illiterate
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All hail the women in power behind the cameras at the BBC, C4 and morePeter Preston: Why the agonising over female newsreaders when women are powering towards equality in TV’s top jobs?
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William Keegan: Farage is crazy enough to urge withdrawal from Europe, as are too many Tories, and the prime minister is running scaredCameron will pay the EU its billions; Ukip will cost him much more
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Andrew Brown: To stand up to Sports Direct against the exploitation of zero-hours workers requires a rare courageIn praise of … Zahera Gabriel-Abraham
Luxembourg tax files
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Luxembourg tax files
Analysis Luxembourg tax files
Enabling avoidance on an industrial scale
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Six simple steps for businesses to manage water risks and opportunitiesBusinesses should not be complacent about water risks; mapping risks and identifying priority areas for action are key to effective water management
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New pension rules give businesses £480bn to invest sustainablyAutomatic enrolment could create pension pots of around £480bn; for businesses it’s a huge chance to ‘green’ global capital
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Nissan called on to withdraw dangerous car model from Indian marketCar assessment body NCAP calls on Nissan to withdraw the Datsun Go after it was awarded zero stars for tests of its most basic safety features
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Are seaweed snacks the future as the tide turns on meat consumption?From seaweed burgers to craft beer, a number of start-ups recognise protein potential of seaweed as growing demand for meat puts increasing pressure on resources
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Why metals should be recycled, not minedExtractive companies need to recast themselves as resource stewards and embrace the circular economy by investing in recycling, not mining
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How to scale up circular economy thinking in the business world - live chatJoin the experts for an online discussion on Friday 7 November exploring how to move companies towards circular economy thinking
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Small and medium-sized businesses can lead the agenda on sustainable growthSMEs are already the bedrock of most domestic economies. With the right tools and support, they could well become the foundation of sustainable economic growth too
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An economic system that supports people and planet is still possibleNo new vision arose from the ashes after the financial crisis exposed the failings of today’s economic system, but while the task is daunting it’s still within reach
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GMO labeling is put to a close vote in another series of statesCompanies are pumping money into trying to defeat ballot measures on GMO labeling on Tuesday. Much hangs on the outcome
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Ebola's catastrophic consequences on Sierra Leone’s small-scale mining sectorThe impacts of Ebola have already contributed to the collapse of London mining, but the disease is also having a devastating impact on Sierra Leone’s informal mining sector
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Mars tries to share benefits of business without parting with profitsThe food and drinks giant is working with Oxford University to share benefits with cocoa farmers in Africa. But without directly sharing ownership, is it just a cynical move?
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The feminist T-shirt scandal exposes an entire system of exploitationWith allegations of low worker wages and poor conditions for the Mauritius women who made the The Fawcett Society feminist T-shirt, is the scandal a lesson in the perils of ‘commodity feminism’?
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Collaborating for sustainability: what business partnerships work best? - live chatCollaboration is a buzz word in sustainability but what are the successes and challenges of buddying up? Join our panel of experts on the topic, Thursday 6 November, 2 - 3.30pm (GMT)
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Developing nations lose $100bn in tax revenue each year - will G20 reforms help?Global tax reform is on the agenda at the G20 in Brisbane to prevent aggressive tax avoidance, but developing countries are being excluded from decision-making
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8 ways to rethink resources: nappies to benches and food waste to biogasBusinesses are using circular economy thinking to find radical new ways to repurpose waste and save scarce resources
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How business and academia could turn the tide on water scarcityPartnerships between water utilities and academia in Australia and the UK are developing innovative solutions to water scarcity problems
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How one Brazilian slum is blurring the boundary between forest and cityVila Brasilândia, a slum city on the edge of São Paulo, has found unconventional ways to tackle urbanisation, resource scarcity and climate change
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Feds warn plastic bag makers over misleading biodegradable claimThe FTC has warned 15 ‘bio-friendly’ plastic bag companies over deceptive advertising. But will it have any impact?
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World Vegan Day: how businesses can help more carnivores go veganOnly 1% of Brits identify as vegan despite recognition that meat-free diets have a list of health and environmental benefits. How can companies market vegan options better?
video
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Monty the penguin: John Lewis unveils its Christmas ad – video
John Lewis unveils its latest Chritsmas advert on Thursday centring on the friendship between a young boy and Monty, a CGI-animated penguin
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How to build a business: 'Accept all the blame and defer all the praise'
In the debut of the Guardian's Small Business Conversations video series, Wayne Sosin, the owner of Worksman Cycles, compares experiences with Kent Kilroe, owner of bespoke menswear maker Freemans Sporting Club
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Lloyds bank customers react to job losses and branch closures – video
Customers react to Lloyds' announcement of 9,000 job losses and 150 branch closures over the next three years
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Tesco's finances at 'worst point in history', says analyst - video
Financial Analyst Louis Cooper says Tesco's finances have reached their "worst point" in the supermarket's history
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Driver involved in runway death of Total boss was drunk, say Moscow investigators – video
The driver of a snow plough that collided with the aircraft carrying Total CEO boss Christophe de Margerie was drunk, say Russian investigators
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George Osborne: 'Double dose of good economic news' on inflation and pensions - video
Chancellor George Osborne welcomes a 'double dose of good economic news' on inflation and pensions
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Malaysia Airlines announces 6,000 job cuts after MH370 and MH17 disasters – video
Azman Mokhtar, the managing director of Khazanah Nasional, the Malaysian state fund that owns a majority stake in Malaysia Airlines, announces that 6,000 jobs are to be cut
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Russia shuts down four McDonald's restaurants - video
Russia has shut down four McDonald's restaurants in Moscow over alleged sanitary violations
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Didcot power station cooling towers demolished - video
Three cooling towers at the disused Didcot A power Station in Oxfordshire are demolished on Sunday morning
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How does Nando's avoid paying tax in the UK? - video
Behind the simplicity of Nando's menu lies a complex offshore network of money to many major offshore locations
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Bank of England governor: shift from responsible to risky mortgage lending can't happen - video
Mark Carney says draconian measures won't be imposed to cool housing market unless house prices rise by more than 20% over next three years
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ECB introduces negative interest rates - video
The ECB has introduced a negative deposit rate for the first time, in response to a slowdown in inflation
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AstraZeneca: government keeping options open, says Vince Cable – video
Business secretary Vince Cable says the government is monitoring what is happening after AstraZeneca rejects a further takeover bid by US drugs giant Pfizer
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E.ON boss: I am devastated over mis-selling – video
Tony Cocker, chief executive of E.ON, says he is sorry for the mis-selling which led regulator Ofgem to fine the energy company £12m
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Cameron and Miliband at odds over Pfizer's AstraZeneca bid - video
Ed Miliband has accused David Cameron of negotiating with Pfizer over the heads of the board of AstraZeneca.
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Bank of England governor Mark Carney: economy 'has started to head back to normal' - video
The governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, says the UK is 'through the qualifying rounds' in terms of economic recovery, but not yet at the 'prize'
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Pfizer's AstraZeneca takeover bid opposed by unions - video
Trade union leaders voice their opposition to US drugs giant Pfizer's takeover bid for British company AstraZeneca
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AstraZeneca takeover: Pfizer move must 'expand British jobs, investment and science', says David Cameron – video
At prime minister's questions, David Cameron responds to a challenge by the Labour leader, Ed Miliband
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Thomas Piketty: on tour with the 'rock-star economist' - video
Tom Clark meets Thomas Piketty - the world's most in-demand economist - during a whistle-stop tour of London
We know how to eradicate tax abuse. So why aren’t businesses doing it?