money
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In 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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‘Depression babies’ must not run away from investing in stocks because it is their safest long-term bet, says Patrick O’Shaughnessy, the author of Millennial Money
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Congress needs to get back to work, says the former Maine Republican who has set up Olympia’s List to encourage candidates who can put partisanship behind them
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US midterm elections Businesses eager for 'Green Rush' as two states vote to legalize marijuana
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 -
US midterm elections Monsanto and Hormel against Ben and Jerry: who will win this food fight?
Measure that would force food producers to reveal if they are using genetically modified ingredients is attracting record campaign funds from huge corporations
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US midterm elections Farmers and Silicon Valley techies want to hire immigrants, but find Obama's policies are thwarting progress
Federal inaction over immigration reforms has bred frustration from Silicon Valley to rural New York farms -
US midterm elections Not on the 2014 ballot: food stamps.
18% of US women over 65 live in extreme poverty and US households are becoming more insecure about their food supplies. Why have US voters ignored the problem? The director of a food bank sheds some light on the growing problem of food insecurity -
US midterm elections Do you stand with the billionaires? Or do you stand with the students?
In the months leading up to November’s elections, Democrats and Republicans have made a sport out of introducing legislations just to campaign on -
US midterm elections Obama finds $10.10 is not so easy as four states vote on raising minimum wage
Could ballot initiatives succeed where Congress and protests failed? A worker, a businessman and a lawmaker have their say -
US midterm elections Teachers to lawmakers: We can't be both the problem and the solution
Teachers in Illinois and Pennsylvania, who have resorted to strikes to defend their contracts, call for politicians to back education with deeds not words -
New Lilyhammer and the latest seasons of Downton Abbey and Boardwalk Empire, plus recent releases 22 Jump Street, Under the Skin and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
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From limited licenses to a $2m bond, New York’s medical marijuana law is riddled with barriers for small cannabis growers
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Climate change will be something you can see when you open your refrigerator
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Techsploitation You can see a leash around my neck with my employer
Investigation by The Center for Investigative Reporting documents how exploitation persists – through humiliation, intimidation and legal threats -
Corporations including Walmart and CVS stop accepting Apple-mediated payments and begin work on rival system
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The rise in the number of male vasectomies reflects the ways the economy can drastically change the course of our lives
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The burger chain is facing problems abroad, but nothing as serious as the year-long decline in its huge home market, writes Jennifer Rankin
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Americans forfeit more vacation days according to how much they make, according to an analysis by the US Travel Association
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The Wall Street bonus system – piles of cash decided on in November and distributed in February – encouraged bad short-term behavior. Now it looks like the party’s over
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The internet market for books has become a hotbed of authors and reviewers behaving badly. Suzanne McGee, who cancelled her book-reviewing blog after an attack from a writer, urges a sensible approach
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The Bezos ecommerce behemoth and the Schmidt-Brin-Page juggernaut seem to be on a permanent collision course. But could they, one day, become one? By Barney Durrant
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Amazon’s recruitment of 80,000 temporary workers is a symptom of America’s culture of the low-paid seasonal worker
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U-visas, allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the US if they are crime victims, are in short supply in cities like New York – but widely approved in Oakland and Albuquerque
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Leo Benedictus: Everyone knows about Ebola – which makes it a dream marketing possibility for companies unhindered by sensitivity. Here’s a selection of their varied wares
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Despite 100 funds and more choice than ever, ethical funds are still a tiny part of the market. We look at what’s on offer
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Frito-Lay will launch new flavour chips after company chooses suggestion from New Jersey nurse Meneko Spigner McBeth
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Team health officials say edible cannabis confections can confuse consumers and are ‘naturally attractive to children’
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Silicon Valley is becoming a microcosm of America’s refusal to talk about female-friendly policies, writes Suzanne McGee
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Income inequality Fed chair Janet Yellen says income inequality is un-American
Chair of the US Federal Reserve says increasing inequality runs contrary to American values and undermines mobility -
Technology company’s contactless mobile payments service is now live in America. By Alex Hern
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Healthcare workers worried about Ebola can do little. They’re asking for better equipment and training, but beyond that, workplace laws offer them few protections
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Report comes amid efforts to rein in Airbnb’s runaway success in its biggest market, where its proliferation is leading to safety and quality-of-life concerns
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Union loses guarantees on wages, healthcare and pension but owners are optimistic the Trump Taj Mahal can be saved
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Meet the new iPad, same as the old iPad. Some of the most successful consumer products are ones that keep the same look for their entire lifetimes
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Baker Hughes, a maker of fracking drill bits, has produced them in bright pink to support breast cancer research. Here’s how to tell if your company is a philanthropic hypocrite
highlights
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Mike Bell says his company is ‘making a very big bet on wearables’ but isn’t impressed by existing smartwatches
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When it comes to the tech industry, trusting in karma won’t get you anywhere. It’s time to be proactive and challenge outdated working practices, says Sarah Wood
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Line between devices and cloud services fades as online storage allows users to switch without losing data
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Jessica Valenti: At the going rate, we won’t see workplace gender justice for another 81 years. Perhaps it’s time to tip the scales
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Social media company says it has appealed to higher court to invalidate ‘sweeping warrants’ issued by global governments for information on its users
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You tell us: Are you, like Obama, ‘madder than hell’ about the VA? Or do you like being thanked for your service? We want to hear the truth about Veterans Day
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Oliver Burkeman: Israel v Palestine. Republican v Democrat. Even pro-choice v pro-life. The key to keeping your enemies close, a new study says, is to feel the love. (Hint: money helps)
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You’ll need a relevant background, whether in chemistry or something culinary, and a sweet tooth wouldn’t go amiss either
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Suzanne McGee: Extra pounds translate to a more difficult financial life for overweight women – but the difference for discrimination can be as little as 13lbs
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The number of people in the super-rich club has doubled in the last five years. Why – and what should we do about it?
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After years of protecting their country, many veterans grapple with the frustrating job hunt at home
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Work advice: I’ve been offered training to become an accountant, but I hate the industry and want to get out. I have a family to support
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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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Heathrow and Gatwick test Cobalt laser technology that can obtain ‘fingerprint’ of materials including solids and powders
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A spokesman insists axing the Christmas stocking-filler isn’t a publicity stunt – but Amazon has already sold out and social media has sprung into action, writes Leo Benedictus
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Taylor Swift’s new album is the latest holdout from the streaming music service, and Spotify isn’t happy. By Alex Hern
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A tale of two New York Cities I was rich, my brother was down and out
It is the city of dreams and cinema cliches, but also of poverty, soaring rents and inequality. The divide between rich and poor has never been greater, as John Freeman discovered when his brother Tim moved into a homeless shelter a few blocks from his smart apartment -
Singer will produce clothing, footwear and accessories to be sold in fashion chain’s shops and websites around the world
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Work advice: I’m looking for another job, but in the meantime I’m not sure whether I should sign off sick as I doubt I’ll ever come back
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Silicon Valley is becoming a microcosm of America’s refusal to talk about female-friendly policies, writes Suzanne McGee
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Retailer lost nearly $1bn during the first half of the fiscal year and has already closed 96 stores since February
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The race for governor between Dan Molloy and Tom Foley has been dominated by jibes about tax avoidance and corruption, writes Edward Helmore
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Former CEO of Liz Claiborne says violence issues brought to light by the NFL extend into offices and employers need to support staff with investment and outreach
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Domestic violence comes on not like a tsunami but as steady waves, says Kit Gruelle, survivor and advocate featured in HBO’s new documentary
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Financial abuse often goes hand in hand with physical and emotional abuse, experts say, leaving women to take desperate measures to survive
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Demanding higher wages and better benefits, Walmart workers protest outside Alice Walton’s home resulting in 26 arrests
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In the new wave of protests in Ferguson, Missouri, protesters are focusing on the root issues of discrimination, including a lack of jobs and constant police fines
analysis
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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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Denton is a small Texan town with a world-class music scene, including homegrown bands like Midlake and Neon Indian. But a shadow hangs over its future as a creative hub as it votes on whether to ban fracking within city limits
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Rep Luis Gutiérrez: The reincarnation of the do-nothing Congress is going to do just that: nothing. But the American president needs to protect 5-8m undocumented Americans – now.
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A Swedish hacker has discovered software vulnerability in Apple’s desktop operating system, while a separate researcher has discovered iPhone malware. By Alex Hern
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As consumer habits change, the top chains are losing the battle for market share, but technology can help to keep shoppers happy
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Charity leader Kathy Evans argues that the sector devalues itself when tries to put a price on what it does
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The US stock market gets all the attention and all the talking heads. But the bond market is where the real fortunes are made and where the action is
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The stock market keeps hitting record highs. But be cautious: things are probably going to change
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Jack Ma saw the value of his wealth increase by $22.3bn in 2014, up to $25.9bn, to rank 49th in Bloomberg list topped by Bill Gates
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Little incentive for big banks to change the way they are organised, with size and complexity driving pay
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With full oil exploration returning in areas threatened by Isis such as Iraq and Kurdistan, a veteran oil worker talks to Rupert Neate about the risks
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Heidi Moore: The Federal Reserve has spent six years and over $3tn buying up bonds to save the economy. Now it has to figure out how to sell it all back without creating a panic
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Feral cats pose a significant threat to the environment. Could putting them to work save their image?
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The impact of quantitative easing was blunted by unconventional monetary policies and conservative fiscal policies
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When a Facebook user dies, there are two options: delete the account or memorialise it. How can people plan for their digital legacy? By Jack Schofield
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Shrimp sold in America is regularly mislabelled by origin, fishing method, or species
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Women in academia are judged on their appearance. Feminine means frivolous, and those considered scruffy are subject to sexist assumptions
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The film-maker and the comedian have begun shooting Emperor’s New Clothes, which aims to explore how social inequalities contributed to the financial crisis
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Letters: John Lydon proclaims that Brand preaches revolution from ‘a mansion’. So too did EP Thompson, Christopher Hill and Eric Hobsbawm
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Heydon Prowse: If you’re 18-35 and agree the system isn’t fit for purpose, make it work for you by doing what the 65+ demographic does: vote
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Report claims iTunes downloads have fallen by 13%-14% as Apple mulls its next move in streaming music. By Stuart Dredge
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The AI investor says that humanity risks ‘summoning a demon’ and calls for more regulatory oversight. By Samuel Gibbs
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Daisy Buchanan: Perceptions are far from the truth. Women can have children and be good bosses
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As the 300,000 nuclear shelters in Switzerland become less likely to be used for their initial purpose, the authorities in Geneva have decided to use them for a different sort of crisis
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Robert Skidelsky: While the creditor-debtor conflict has always been the stuff of politics, that relationship embodies no iron law of morality
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Paula Cocozza: Phthalates are found in numerous items around the home, and even in food packaging. So it’s a little worrying that they are being linked to, among other things, a decrease in libido in women
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Corporate donations have never been more popular, but some companies still struggle to align philanthropy with social responsibility
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Tech companies are trying to outdo each other with their wacky workplaces and staff benefits. Michael Hogan looks at some of the quirkier offerings
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What Thomas Piketty has shown us, is that since 1980, it is only the rich and the very rich who have benefited from growth, writes Roger Farmer
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Larry Elliott: Upbeat figures on growth, unemployment and inflation are cancelled out by what’s happening to real wage growth, productivity and real interest rates
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Matt Salzberg, co-founder of Blue Apron, talks about the joys of cooking even when no one seems to have the time any more
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Observer editorial: society needs this debate about women’s fertility to be much wider
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Software that you can buy to become fluent in Klingon, Dothraki, and other science fiction languages
Once marginalised and ridiculed for their nerdy pursuits, the inventors of ‘conlangs’ are coming out – and linguistic enthusiasts are joining them, writes Jessica Glenza -
Technology companies may offer generous maternity benefits, but do women workers get an incentive not to have children?
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‘Work through your most fertile years and when you can’t have kids anymore, use the eggs we froze for you as a perk’
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Could ballot initiatives succeed where Congress and protests failed? A worker, a businessman and a lawmaker have their say
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Former CEO of Liz Claiborne says violence issues brought to light by the NFL extend into offices and employers need to support staff with investment and outreach
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Silicon Valley is becoming a microcosm of America’s refusal to talk about female-friendly policies, writes Suzanne McGee
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There are $26bn in auto loans. It’s not as big as the housing bubble, but it’s a growing disconnect, writes Chris Arnade
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‘There is a lot of revisionism out there,’ the former Fed chair said Wednesday. But as he and others protect their legacy, are they trying to make the economy look better than it is?
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Why is Preet Bharara, the 'scourge of Wall Street', taking a friendly tone towards mortgage bankers?
Preet Bharara, the prosecutor with a legendary record of convicting insider trading cases, says people should lay off Wall Street for the crisis -
The government gave AIG a $180bn bailout. The company’s former CEO is suing, claiming that the bailout robbed him of the value of his shares. Chris Arnade shares what he learned about this breed of audacity during his years on Wall Street
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Soda giants pledged to market bottled water, diet drinks and push for smaller sizes. Are they just what’s good for business?
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Judge rules US Treasury has the right to claim all profits of housing giants as they march towards certain death
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A comparison of public transportation around the world shows it can be prohibitively expensive for people who need it most
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Evidence shows that the fast-food strikes are working not just to increase wages, but to reinvent unions and bolster long-dwindling membership
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Hedge-fund manager Hans Hume, experienced with national debt and Argentina’s default, argues that the country needs to break from past strategies of toxic intransigence
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College costs have risen so much that only the wealthy and indebted can attend. The system doesn't work, writes Chris Arnade
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Forces that caused the world economy to collapse, including income inequality and debt, are again in action, and could drag corporations down in their wake
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A recent survey shows stark and ominous data that the income gap between genders is growing and young people should react
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Michelle Chen: Saddling students with unsustainable debts is only a symptom of the deeper erosion within higher education
global view
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MPs requested system review after inquiry revealed ‘persistent miscalculation’ of money paid out in loans that will not be repaid
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Rolling coverage and reaction as the ECB holds its monthly press conference, after leaving interest rates unchanged again
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Landlords are abandoning people employed on zero-hours contracts. It’s an inevitability that ministers should have predicted, says Hannah Fearn
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Engineering firm says technological advances have improved output and announces veteran finance chief is stepping down
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Ernst & Young will audit Royal Bank of Scotland accounts for the financial year ending December 2016
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Top UK regulator says threat of fines is scaring banks and poses risk of cutting off financial services to emerging economies
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Smartphone shipments in the third quarter place Chinese rising star Xiaomi ‘China’s Apple’ ahead of South Korea’s LG, but behind Samsung and Apple. By Samuel Gibbs
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Share price fall piles pressure on Peter Sands, the London-listed bank’s boss, who will meet investors in Hong Kong next month
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Natwest receives hundreds of complaints daily from vulnerable people who have unexpectedly had money taken from accounts
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Priya Elan: Is it discreet or treacherous to Bcc? Should you vape at work? Don’t ask us – read Debrett’s new guide to the most frequently posed etiquette conundrums to find out
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Thinktank finds 35% of public has low levels of confidence in charities and warns that sector must protect itself from losing trust in the same way as MPs and bankers
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Official data shows the UK economy continuing to recover but do such figures reflect how people actually feel? We look beyond GDP for signs of gross national happiness
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Tom Clark: More than half of recent job growth nationwide reflects workers going it alone, but much ‘self-employment’ is something less benign
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Designer heads rankings based on turnover growth and job creation over the past five years for her fashion label
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Clothing stores and supermarkets perform well but hardware and DIY sector suffers, echoing signs of cooling housing market
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Buyers from Nigeria, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon and Senegal snap up luxury property
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Comment Excuses why network providers don’t block fraudulent mobile phone calls sound more and more implausible
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As a teacher faces financial ruin after his mobile was stolen, a fellow traveller reveals he too is being chased – for a £4,300 bill
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Lords hears of gender imbalance in media groups
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Alex Andreou: Funding cuts, a bourgeois industry, and a glut of middle- and upper-class parts might explain why it’s harder than ever for the non-wealthy to make a career in the theatre
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Crackdown by European regulators likely to increase tensions in Britain over Brussels’ influence over the financial sector
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Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett: When it comes to food and fashion, most of us could buy better. But for many, caring costs too much
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The inventor of the web says data must be owned by its subject, rather than corporations, advertisers, and analysts. By Alex Hern
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Researchers analysed 17 football teams around Europe and the only one that came close to reaching investment grade was Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal
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At the Sibos banking conference, the ex-Microsoft CEO and chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation talked to the Guardian about Ebola and the low chance of a US epidemic
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Nikki van der Gaag: Things have certainly improved for women, but at the top of both industry and government the faces remain stubbornly male
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IMF worried about excessive risk-taking, while World Bank warns of $32.6bn hit to west Africa if Ebola spreads further
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People with direct experiences of mental healthcare react to the Lib Dem leader’s plans to end the ‘outrageous discrimination’ in the treatment of mental health illness in the NHS
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More than 600 readers answered the Guardian's request for stories – and what they depict is a profoundly broken system
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Competition and Markets Authority to embark on most detailed analysis of sector for a decade, looking into how banks treat small business and personal customers
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Danny Alexander says consumers would be justifiably angry if pump prices are not reduced as much as they should be
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Plus ruling means workers could be eligible for backdated holiday pay and where to get the best Christmas toy deals
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Now is the time to act to grab a bargain – or in the case of the most popular toys, to ensure you get anything at all
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As the global luxury goods market experiences a slowdown, two iconic British fashion brands are coping with the pinch in different ways
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Figures 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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Richard Murphy: Executives claim they’re acting in shareholders’ interests, yet aggressive avoidance harms a company and all its stakeholders
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I auto renew with Tesco but after going on to a comparison site I found an £83 cheaper quote ... from Tesco
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Property advice: We want to pay off my mum’s mortgage, let her live in her house and take out a joint mortgage, but want to know more details
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Early Christmas presents for some passengers after supreme court throws out two test cases against Thomson and Jet2
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Insurer says more than 50% of fraudulent motor injury claims are being made by organised gangs
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Minister calls on petrol firms and supermarkets to combat the ‘rocket and feather effect’
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Competition and Markets Authority poised to announce inquiry into £10bn-a-year market for personal and business accounts
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Pace of improvement has eased in recent months as European demand fades, while services companies see growth slip
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Government says it will share information with credit reference agencies from March 2015
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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 contract
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Dream Toys list also predicts strong showing for film tie-ins, including Benny’s Spaceship from Lego Movie
America just took a wrong turn. It's time to take a hard left