business
Wednesday
17
December
2014
Updated:
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US drivers with 'recall fatigue' drive dangerous cars despite warningsFaulty switches, bad airbags, missing hitches: some car defects are life-threatening, others bewilderingly trivial. Automakers find Americans prefer to ignore all of them
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American Apparel CEO Dov Charney fired: the fall of a merchant of sleazeCharney thought his unsavory act was inseparable from his company’s edgy brand, and so did many others – until now. Few will mourn his departure
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BlackBerry Classic goes back to the old way of doing thingsBlackBerry tries to rekindle the love of its physical keyboard with the new Classic, which is essentially an upgraded Bold from 2011
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Where's the outrage? Congress changes savings accounts and retirement funds, and America sleeps
Analysis Where's the outrage? Congress changes savings accounts and retirement funds, and America sleeps
Charlie Chaplin said that nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles. I’d add that nothing is permanent in this wicked world except banks getting whatever they want, whenever they want, regardless of the risk to their own customers, Tess Vigeland writes -
Some investors still heart big banks, no matter what Elizabeth Warren saysBig banks have been nothing but trouble for years. For a few fund managers, that spells an opportunity to make money
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A high school senior who made $72m? Ways to spot a stock-market hoaxNo one makes $72m in a year with no training. Here’s how Roddy Boyd, the head of the Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation, knew that 17-year-old Mohammed Islam’s story was a hoax
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Bitcoin stalls after hitting record prices in 2013The cryptocurrency has plummeted 50% in price so far this year and experts expect its expansion to slow
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College students are hopeless at estimating their student loansAbout 28% of students with federal student loans said that they had no student debt. To recover its money, the US government garnishes wages, federal tax refunds and social security benefits of those who default
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US court throws out human rights lawsuit against Occidental PetroleumPanel upholds decision to dismiss lawsuit filed by family members of labor union leaders killed in 2004 by brigade of Colombian national army
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Savings accounts are at risk as long as JP Morgan CEO gets everything he wantsThe CEO of America’s biggest bank, JP Morgan, appears to have Washington at his beck and call but is his push to repeal a key financial safeguard a step too far?
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US states vie to lure medical tourists seeking healthcare alongside vacationsAn estimated $15bn in revenue leaves the US yearly as Americans travel abroad for healthcare. US states are revamping cities to attract ‘medical tourists’
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Oil prices sink to lowest level in more than five yearsOil prices are at their lowest since 2009 as nations keep pumping out more gas than buyers need
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$1.1tn US budget deal imperiled by revolt over taxpayer net for risky bank tradesClause buried in 1,600-page spending bill could extend future public bailouts and Democrats rally around senator Elizabeth Warren to oppose plan
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EU regulators bust envelope cartel in time for holiday cardsFive European envelope-makers fined total of $24m for fixing prices at meetings they called ‘mini-golf’
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Wind and solar energy are 'not ready for primetime,' says Exxon analystNorth America, once a sponge that sucked in a significant portion of the world’s oil, will instead be supplying the world with oil and other liquid hydrocarbons by the end of this decade, according to ExxonMobil’s annual long-term energy forecast.
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Elite lawyers turn Supreme Court against consumers to help Big Business like AmazonLawyers at the top dozen law firms have been successful in appearing before the supreme court again and again – and using those relationships to draw millions in fees from big business
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Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries, known for aversion to overweight shoppers, to retireJeffries, CEO of teen apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, created controversy with his preference for ‘cool kids’ as shoppers at his stores
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'Horses need jobs too': New York horse carriage drivers protest proposed banIn top hats and uniforms, horse-and-carriage drivers objected to a bill to take horses off city streets: ‘You can’t pet a fender’
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Delia's, a 1990s teen fashion icon, liquidates stores as stock falls to one pennyDelia’s seeks Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after a billionaire hedge-fund manager tried -- and failed -- to back the company’s turnaround
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Merck takes aim at superbugs in $9.5bn deal to buy CubistDrugmaker to pay $102 a share for US company developing new generations of antibiotics to treat multiresistant bacteria
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McDonald's will let customers build their own burgers for the first timeThe company said it plans to expand the option to 2,000 of its 14,000 US locations by next year, as part of program to boost sliding sales
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'Survivalists' make up growing percentage of US holiday shoppersAmerican retailers face influx of ‘survivalists,’ or low-wage workers, an increasing part of the US buying public with little disposable income
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US dollar surges, leaving euro in the dustRussia’s rouble is struggling, the euro is flirting with another recession, but the US dollar is having a great year. But can it last?
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US jobs report beats forecasts as 321,000 positions added in NovemberUnemployment rate stays at 5.9% and 9 million still out of work as Thanksgiving storms appear not to have hampered figures
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Collapse of oil prices leads world economy into troubleOpec, the oil cartel, believed it could help production. Instead, it ended up hurting itself as well as the Russian rouble, energy stocks, infrastructure development and more
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Shoppers flock to laptops rather than stores for holiday shoppingHeaviest spending day in history as eager US shoppers flock to shop following a ‘Black November’ that stretched out holiday bargain-hunting season
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Billion-dollar Apple iPod antitrust lawsuit gets under way in US courtStatements by the late Steve Jobs central to trial, which sees Apple accused of unfair tactics for digital music dominance
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Black Friday's fizzle: when the consumer shrugsAs Americans struggle with day-to-day expenses, holiday shopping takes a hit
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How restaurants cut corners: embalmed shrimp and headless beerIt’s not just Olive Garden. Many restaurants save costs with a little sleight of hand
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Business and entrepreneurs seize opportunities in rise of veganismWith a growing consumer interest in plant-based healthy eating, vegetarian and vegan options present a chance new business and competitive advantage
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Ruble tumbles after oil hits five-year low, before recovering - business liveAll the breaking business news, as sliding oil price sends Russian currency reeling. But has the Central Bank intervened?
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Faces of part-time workers: food stamps and multiple low-paid jobsAmerica’s job growth is a polite fiction. The fastest-growing jobs are part-time, low-paid, forcing workers to rely on food banks. We talked to some of the faces behind Black Friday
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Can Vladimir Putin save Saudi Arabia's sheikhs from the glut of oil?In a world swamped with cheap, unsold crude oil, the powerful petroleum cartel needs Vladimir Putin to join it as it considers trimming production
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Gold is at $1200 an ounce. Could a Swiss vote send it even higher?The US isn’t moving to the gold standard any time soon – but in Switzerland, where it reigned as recently as 1996, an immiment vote is raising the future of the shiny metal all over again
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US prosecutors travel to London to quiz traders on market manipulationMove suggests authorities are closer to filing criminal charges in long-running investigation into whether banks have been colluding to move currency rates
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Pie firm faces investigation into size of its slice of marketCompetition and Markets Authority fears Pork Farms’ partial acquisition of Kerry Foods could raise prices or reduce quality
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US Federal Reserve edges closer to first interest rate rise since 2008The Fed believes strong employment and low inflation coupled with a falling oil price allows leeway to hike rate from emergency 0-0.25%
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Fired Walmart worker says she had to choose between a paycheck and a childIn a formal complaint, ex-employee Candis Riggins says the retailer ignored her ER visits and doctors’ warnings before firing her for seeking lighter duties
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Rouble crisis - the Kremlin has a cunning planNils Pratley: Moscow’s moves have stoppped the rouble’s rot in the short term only – the crisis is only just starting
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One in three property sellers cut asking prices, says ZooplaZoopla claims 33% of homes on market have been discounted in sign of cooling market and sellers becoming more realistic
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Kipper Williams on the rouble crisisThe rouble is enduring a rollercoaster ride as fears for the Russian economy grow amid sanctions and a falling oil price
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Rouble surges as Moscow fights back against financial crisis - as it happenedRouble surges 10% as the Central Bank of Russia takes steps to restore financial stability.
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Rouble rise prompts hopes that Russian economic crisis is easingHigher oil prices and Kremlin measures to shore up banks leads to sharp rally in currency ahead of Vladimir Putin’s annual address
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Dixons Carphone cuts 400 jobs despite ‘barnstorming’ performanceJobs to go at head office as newly created retail group says half-year profits rose 30% to £78m
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30,000 people bought crap on Black Friday – literallyThe makers of a humorous card game sold $180,000-worth of actual poo in protest at Black Friday, donating all proceeds to charity
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MySale share price jumps after founders promise to buy £3m in sharesMove by chief executive Carl Jackson comes in response to this week’s profits warning, which hit major shareholders hard
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FTSE rises again after Russian central bank calms nerves, while Shire in deal talkLeading shares edge ahead for second day as rouble recovers and ahead of US Fed meeting
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Government to resume sell-off of its stake in Lloyds Banking GroupAnnouncement takes City by surprise and could reduce shareholding to 20% in run-up to election
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Russia's economic crisis: five key chartsRussia is being buffeted by a perfect storm as the plummeting oil price and western sanctions weaken the rouble and the wider economy
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Lloyds of London insurer Catlin gets £2.5bn takeover bidUS group XL makes approach to snap up Bermuda-based but London listed business
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Rouble collapse triggers Russian spending spree – in picturesThe collapse of the Russian currency has prompted a spending spree by consumers desperate to buy cars and home appliances before prices shoot up ever higher
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George Osborne’s five reasons to be cheerfulThe growth in UK wages is a welcome arrival for a chancellor desperates to create a feelgood factor for the general election
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Russians demand action as rouble continues to fall – video
People in Moscow give their reactions as the rouble spirals into freefall against the dollar and the euro despite the interventions of Russia's central bank
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Bank of England committee remains divided over interest rate riseMinutes from December meeting show two members voting again for increase, saying dip in inflation has clouded Bank’s view
editor's picks
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High school senior who claimed fake $72m fortune releases video apologyMohammed Islam, the now infamous Stuyvesant High School student, says he ‘can’t even speak to his dad’ for the embarrassment he caused his family. ‘Seventeen-year-old boys don’t always tell the truth,’ his lawyer told the Guardian
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Collapse in oil prices: producers howl, consumers cheer, economists fretThe price of oil has fallen by nearly half in just six months, a surprising and steep plunge that has analysts arguing over whether this is a good or bad thing
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US states vie to lure medical tourists seeking healthcare alongside vacationsAn estimated $15bn in revenue leaves the US yearly as Americans travel abroad for healthcare. US states are revamping cities to attract ‘medical tourists’
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Diamonds are forever but here and now coloured gemstones are cutting edgeUS demand underpins record prices achieved for rubies and sapphires by Gemfields and other luxury goods specialists
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Congressional budget welcomes big bank bailouts once more despite White House oppositionSmall budget provision, which repeals part of Dodd-Frank, allows banks to house their riskiest activities alongside the savings accounts of regular Americans
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Burger King will avoid $117m in tax from Tim Hortons merger, activists sayFindings from Americans for Tax Fairness directly contradict Burger King’s earlier insistence that the merger would create ‘no tax benefit’
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CEO pay rises at double the rate of workersThe recession is history if you’re a senior executive. The money is great, the perks are numerous and jobs are plenty in the C-suite universe
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Study of poverty-ridden neighborhoods shows gentrification is not ruining enough of AmericaWhile Americans worry about gentrification, more neighborhoods become poor, report says
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American Airlines to spend $2bn on planes in bid to lure luxury passengersAmerican Airlines and Delta look to lure high-paying passengers with lie-flat beds, updated lounges, Wi-Fi on international flights and new planes
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DJ Rekha: turning 'cab driver music' into a viable businessThe entrepreneur and immigrant is a woman in her 40s in a business that favors young men, but she shrugs it off: ‘Anything with power, guys are there first’
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Hershey considers removing high-fructose corn syrup from products in favor of sugarChocolate maker looking at replacing the high-fructose corn syrup in some of its products with sugar, joining Gatorade and Yoplait
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New York Times veterans announce emotional exits after decades of servicePaper wants to slash 100 editorial jobs in total and will make layoffs if sufficient buyouts aren’t taken up by staff
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Nestlé employs fleet of robots to sell coffee machines in JapanPepper the android is set to rival George Clooney as the face of coffee in 1,000 Japanese stores, thanks to SoftBank
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Infomercial king Tony Robbins wants to tell you what to do with your money. Be very afraidSuzanne McGee: The multimillionaire self-help guru gives investing advice in his new book, but anyone who listened to him in 2010 would be hurting financially now
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Downtown and out? The truth about Tony Hsieh’s $350m Las Vegas projectThe multi-millionaire internet entrepreneur’s outlandish experiment in urban revival is fast becoming an object of ridicule. So what’s really going on in downtown Vegas? Colin Marshall investigates
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Seven of the 30 largest corporations in US paid more to their CEOs than they did in taxes, study findsThis most recent gap between executive pay and taxes is part of an alarming trend reflecting a generous corporate tax code
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Are financial whistleblowers worth it? Study says yes – to the tune of $21.27bnA new study finds that programs and monetary rewards designed to encourage whisteblowers can be a windfall for the government
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Is Uber the worst company in Silicon Valley?Co-founder Travis Kalanick may have apologised for the ‘terrible’ comments from a top Uber executive , but anger swirls at tech firm over allegations of sexism and misogyny
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Georgia debt collectors posed as FBI agents to intimidate victims into making paymentsA ring of scam artists from Georgia face criminal charges for alleged harassment of 6,000 Americans into making payments on debt that sometimes did not exist
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Can LeBron James bring $500m to Cleveland if Michael Jordan couldn't make a dent in Chicago's economy?Cleveland could use a boost. But don’t look to the LeBronomy, which would require every man, woman and child in the city to spend $240 on gear every year
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Who gets the best return on stock-market investments? Not finance professionalsIs financial expertise overrated? A new study from the ‘Yelp of investing’ shows that finance professionals make less money in the stock markets than people in other industries – perhaps because banking experts know it pays to be wary
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Robbed of their futures: how austerity cuts hit young people hardestAs students round the country prepare for a national anti-austerity protest, we look at the way government cost-cutting is targeting the young
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Modern slavery traps 35 million people, from debt bondage to forced laborFive countries including India, China and Russia account for 61% of all slavery, says Australia-based Walk Free Foundation
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Angela Merkel pressures Australia to reveal its greenhouse gas targetsGerman chancellor tells Sydney audience climate change knows no borders and will not stop before the Pacific islands
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Meet the young entrepreneurs shaking up old industriesYoung entrepreneurs aren’t all making clever apps for iPhones. Jon Card talks to three who have scored a success with more traditional business ventures
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Two dozen arrests after workers protest against Walmart treatmentOfficials say 23 men and women were arrested after they blocked traffic at an intersection in Pico Rivera in California
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Condé Nast pays interns $5.8m to settle low-pay lawsuitPublishing giant to pay more than 7,000 interns between $700 and $1,900 after lawsuit said some had been paid less than a dollar an hour
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Tom Bollich: It's easier to grow marijuana than deal with Facebook executives all dayTom Bollich founded Zynga in 2007 and left before it went public. Now he’s reinventing himself as a marijuana entrepreneur, devising sustainable agriculture for the pot industry
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Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz: retail employees have some of the worst pay and benefits of any industryDespite criticism of the coffee giant over tax and fairtrade coffee, Schultz has used his platform to call for social and political change in the US including working to honour veterans
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Do Uber, Lyft and Airbnb encourage discrimination against women and minorities?Uber, Lyft and Airbnb are trying to combat discrimination within their communities. Are they doing enough?
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Pizza Hut cooks up a new menu and modernised branding to revive salesHighlights include hot-right-now condiment Sriracha and the Skinny Slice line as the industry’s established chains continue to lose market share
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Natalie Nougayrède: Anti-western rhetoric may be loud in Beijing but the Sino-US relationship remains the one to watchAmerica and China will reshape the new world order
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Welcome to Sweden - the most cash-free society on the planetElectronic payment evangelists say largely cash-free economy has cut costs and reduced crime rate
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Grand Canyon staff allege sexually hostile work environment over 15 years13 former and current female employees sign letter to Interior Department alleging discrimination, retaliation and sexually hostile work environment
analysis
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George Monbiot: Taming corporate power: Big business and its lobbyists have taken control of our politics. But there is an alternative: here’s how we can take on the fat catsTaming corporate power: the key political issue of our age
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Study of poverty-ridden neighborhoods shows gentrification is not ruining enough of AmericaWhile Americans worry about gentrification, more neighborhoods become poor, report says
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Oil is crashing and taking some stocks with it – time to go with the flow or bail?In less than six months, crude oil has dropped to $72 per barrel, affecting US energy stocks, the Russian rouble, junk-bond prices – and portfolios
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Collapse of oil prices leads world economy into troubleOpec, the oil cartel, believed it could help production. Instead, it ended up hurting itself as well as the Russian rouble, energy stocks, infrastructure development and more
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Global economy – a year of divergence loomsThe major players in the world economy all have the potential to grow at different speeds while taking divergent paths – policymakers should take note of the risks
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Black Friday's fizzle: when the consumer shrugsAs Americans struggle with day-to-day expenses, holiday shopping takes a hit
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Twitter’s top management sold $50m-worth shares in NovemberSocial media firm’s chief executives dump millions of shares with CEO Dick Costolo shedding almost 50% of his holdings
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Consumer technology gets up close and personalAdvertising will become more tailored to the individual and less in your face as electronics find a home in our clothing
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Economic boost? Sephardic Jews contemplate a return to SpainSpain has offered citizenship to Sephardic Jews, who were expelled from the country in 1492. But is this about welcoming diversity again, or Spain’s attempt to draw new investment into a struggling economy?
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Google to test-fly balloons which transmit internet over AustraliaCompany to team up with Telstra to fly 20 balloons over western Queensland in project designed to help connect remote regions of the world
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William Gibson, sage of the information age, on what comes nextWilliam Gibson is the sage of the information age; a science fiction writer of such eerie perspicacity that he is revered the world over. Lifelong devotee Ned Beauman meets him in Vancouver to talk about his new book and to hear what’s in store for us
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Cement company blows up limestone hill and renders snail extinctMalaysian snail among hundreds of species to become extinct as a result of fishing, logging, mining, agriculture and other activities to satisfy our growing appetite for resources
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US wealth inequality - top 0.1% worth as much as the bottom 90%Not since the Great Depression has wealth inequality in the US been so acute, new in-depth study finds
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Google Nexus 6 phone review roundup: massive, fast and priceyGoogle’s latest smartphone has hit the US and the review are pouring out with both praise and misgivings – but is a 6in screen just too big? By Samuel Gibbs
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Qantas to supersize inflight meals to attract more economy passengersAustralia’s national carrier to increase meal size by 50% and offer boxset TV specials as part of move to secure profits
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How the G20 subsidises exploration for fossil fuel – interactiveGovernments from G20 countries are spending $88bn to find new oil, gas and coal reserves – we have mapped where 10 of them are directing their funds
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The return of the US dollar
Analysis The return of the US dollar
Mohamed El-Erian: The resurgence of the US currency could be the first promising step in steering the world economy away from crisis -
Hackers used luxury hotel Wi-Fi to steal business executive's data, researchers say‘Darkhotel’ hackers targeted senior executives travelling across Japan, China and Russia, using a keylogger to steal logins for Google, Facebook and Yahoo services. By Tom Fox-Brewster
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Can minimum wage be used as an incentive for voting in future elections?While most states saw a drop in voter turnout this midterm elections, three states with minimum wage increases on the ballot saw a spike in voters. The implications for the growing national minimum-wage movement are intriguing
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Financial crisis repeat could force Bank of England to bail out marketsGovernor Mark Carney says central banks could have to step in after business lending shifts away from traditional banks
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Rouble rocked while US jobless rate drops to six-year low – business liveStrong US jobs data suggest the first rate hike is ‘coming soon’
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Diageo swaps Bushmills whiskey for Don Julio tequilaSwap deal with Casa Cuervo grabs drinks multinational a larger share of fast-growing tequila market
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HSBC sets aside $378m for potential forex-rigging finesBank also warns of ‘significant fines’ amid investigations into clients’ tax affairs in France
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Grand Theft Auto Online and Twitch windfall key to Take-Two financialsGames publisher made $22m from video firm’s sale to Amazon, while GTA continues to be a digital earner. By Stuart Dredge
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Retailers: it’s not the tech you use, it’s the way you use itFar from choking the high street, digital technology will bring new life to physical stores – but only if it’s right
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Trevor Timm: Hacking seems to have become a go-to FBI tactic without much public thought or debateThe FBI says to be wary of hackers ... and to let the FBI hack what it wants
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Live Q&A;: How to manage a flexible workforce effectivelyAre you looking for advice on how to manage remote workers effectively in your business? Join our live Q&A from 1-2.30pm on November 6 to talk to our expert panel
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Brent crude oil price drops below $86 in face of rising global supplyGoldman Sachs slashes forecast for 2015 amid growing worries over worldwide economic growth prospects
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Digital revolution presents banks with more change in 10 years than last 200Jill Treanor: banks preparing to reveal third-quarter results are struggling to deal with the internet age, with scrutiny and regulation growing tighter
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Don’t tell Vladimir the price of crude oil is fallingBusiness agenda: BP is issuing caveats about results as oil keeps getting cheaper. If it stays cheap, the consequences could be far-reaching
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WHO: several hundred thousand Ebola vaccine doses expected by mid-2015World Health Organisation says trials could start in west Africa in December, but warns vaccines aren’t ‘magic bullet’
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Katie Allen: Some claim that low wage growth in the UK will sort itself out once productivity is boosted. But there is another, fairer, wayHow giving the lowest-paid a big rise could just solve our productivity puzzle
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Barclays chairman questions impact of large bank fines on public confidenceSir David Walker said that ‘disproportionate’ fines were being levied for activities that were previously acceptable
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Savings accounts are at risk as long as JP Morgan CEO gets everything he wantsThe CEO of America’s biggest bank, JP Morgan, appears to have Washington at his beck and call but is his push to repeal a key financial safeguard a step too far?
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The red light on Cameron’s dashboard won’t go out until he helps with repairsBusiness leader: the PM has taken an us-and-them approach to problems in the world economy. But the UK is a key participant in the system
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Federal Reserve put financial system at risk, Senate report findsConsultants shrug at lack of ‘smoking gun’
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The Guardian view on the foreign exchange scandal: banks busted, againEditorial: Three countries have caught five institutions with their hands in the till. Banking is rotten to the core, but flattering pre-crisis ideas about its role have proved remarkably hard to shift
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For America’s poor, it’s clear a two-party system is no longer enoughFarai Chideya: The midterms have only confirmed what many believe: in this system, not voting is almost akin to conscientious objection
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Calm down, financial markets: the message on UK and US growth is goodTrevor Williams: The US has stopped printing money, and both countries seem likely soon to be back in step with modest, gradual interest rate rises
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The Fed has quietly ended its stimulus. Now the hard work really beginsHeidi 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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Do Democrats want to fix inequality? Or just complain about it?Alexis Goldstein: If progressives think they’ve got any chance at midterm victory, it’s time to focus on dramatic solutions for young and minority voters – before it’s too late
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The biggest sales job in the US: Obama and Ben Bernanke try to convince America the economy is good
Analysis The biggest sales job in the US: Obama and Ben Bernanke try to convince America the economy is good
‘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? -
Gary Younge: One Federal Reserve employee’s refusal to play along with a rigged financial game has made her a true modern dissidentCarmen Segarra, the whistleblower of Wall Street
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Financial markets seem to be in a world of their ownMohamed El-Erian: Why are investors ignoring disappointing growth and global geopolitical tensions?
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Do fast-food strikes actually work?
Analysis Do fast-food strikes actually work?
Evidence shows that the fast-food strikes are working not just to increase wages, but to reinvent unions and bolster long-dwindling membership -
It's time to raise the minimum wage. If Congress would rather suck up to the Koch brothers, we'll raise it anywaySarah Jaffe: As long as politicians see billionaires as their base, they won’t vote for $10 an hour. So workers have taken matters into their own hands
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Russia and economic warfare: RIP the free market new world order
Larry Elliott: Russia faces damaging economic sanctions from the US and EU, but this also brings down the final curtain on capitalism's apparent victory in 1989
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US government helpless as tax-avoiding firms head for the exit
Business leader: The controversial 'inversion' deal Burger King is attempting even has the approval of Warren Buffett, America's best-loved investor
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Ana Marie Cox: But if the goal of his second term was broad, lasting policy changes, it’s disappointing to everyone except liberal fundraisersObama's plan to get out the vote by mocking the GOP totally works … on Republican voters, not Democrats
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Australia should not follow the American path to inequalityJoseph Stiglitz: Tony Abbott's reverence for the US economic reforms ignores the fact that they haven't worked for most Americans
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Does the creation of 288,000 new jobs in June and a jobless rate of 6.1% mean we can expect a change in the Fed's policy stance?
US unemployment falls to 6.1% - and should keep on falling
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'Horses need jobs too': New York horse carriage drivers protest proposed banIn top hats and uniforms, horse-and-carriage drivers objected to a bill to take horses off city streets: ‘You can’t pet a fender’
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DJ Rekha: turning 'cab driver music' into a viable businessThe entrepreneur and immigrant is a woman in her 40s in a business that favors young men, but she shrugs it off: ‘Anything with power, guys are there first’
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Ferguson business owners say business is down 50% as they rebuildA week after riots and unrest in Ferguson, small business owners with destroyed property find themselves at the center of the city’s attempts to move on
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Meet the people behind your Thanksgiving traditionsFrom the turkeys on our tables to the parades on our TVs, here are the people who work behind the scenes to bring us Thanksgiving
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Small businesses find online recruiting has pitfalls as well as positivesOver 1,000 new online recruiting sites have popped up in recent years. No wonder some business owners like to go low-tech
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Meet the new breed of Obama-friendly CEO: the 'boardroom liberal'Like Mark Zuckerberg, these new CEOs tend to be socially aware and willing to write big checks for welfare programs. But don’t look to them to end elitism
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Navid Khonsari, immigrant entrepreneur, revisits his roots in video game about the 1979 Iranian RevolutionNavid Khonsari is going back to his Iranian roots to produce a new video game, 1979 Revolution
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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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Tough luck for aspiring weed magnates as New York imposes strict marijuana-selling lawsFrom limited licenses to a $2m bond, New York’s medical marijuana law is riddled with barriers for small cannabis growers
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When Intel or General Mills come knocking: lessons on when it's time to sell your startupWhen a big firm comes knocking, should entrepreneurs sell? A few life lessons in how to react when Intel, Coca-Cola or other giants take an interest
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Beginner's guide to social media for businesses
Date: Wednesday 14 January 2015 | Times: 10am-4pm
Price: £249 | Capacity: 16 -
The top reasons why small businesses fail, and what you can do about itDavid Mellor: We’re often told how to achieve success in the business world, but defensive strategies are important too. David Mellor shares his golden rules for making sure your enterprise survives
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iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows: which is right for small business?
Guy Clapperton discusses the strengths and weaknesses of four different brands of smartphone
• More content on smarter working -
How to find your perfect business idea
Many people dream of starting their own business, but how can you find an idea that will be successful?
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Craft whiskey distillers in Brooklyn? Yes, with a side of chocolateDaniel Preston and Vince Oleson have created a craft distillery in Brooklyn that also produces chocolate. Now they have to get everyone’s attention
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Small business by the numbers: from minimum wage to sacrificing your sex lifeAs Guardian US launches its small business coverage, we start with the basics: Small businesses are the engine of the US economy. Here are some surprising facts that illuminate how important they are
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Launching your home business with a bangIt’s important to attention grab from day one. Christopher Goodfellow looks at how small businesses can sell themselves online
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Employee benefits – do you have any right to keep them?In many cases, employers can withdraw ‘non-contractual’ benefits, but there are limited options available to you
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For foreign tech entrepreneurs, getting a visa to work in the US is a struggleSpanish-born Iñaki Berenguer, working on his second startup, warns: ‘In five, 10 years, the US will not be the leader any more’
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Want a loan for your business? The loan officer is checking your Facebook and Twitter commentsAs small businesses continue to have trouble attracting attention from big banks, many have turned to online alternative lenders who charge higher fees – and subject companies to a social-media smell test
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I want to reapply for a job – but there’s bad blood with the companyWork advice: I was previously offered a job but mishandled the negotiations and the offer was withdrawn. Is it worth applying again?
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The $8000 course on "how to commit" and other expenses of online datingThe $2bn online dating industry has given rise to a spectrum of secondary businesses: Lisa Hoehn helps you find love one profile at a time
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'I'm not on the menu': restaurant workers speak out against harassmentAdvocates say by abolishing tipped minimum wage, US could help reduce sexual harassment in the food industry
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The Finnish 'rye-volution' begins in New York, without wheat or yeast
Simo Kuusisto is winning over health-conscious Americans with Nordic bread, while learning they can be more 'vocal with demand than their wallets'
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A Moroccan entrepreneur brings argan oil to America by way of women's co-opsKhadija Fajry, an immigrant to both France and the US, likens nascent cosmetic industry to a goldrush in which she offers 'the real thing'
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Fonio: the grain that would defeat quinoa as king among foodiesA Senegalese restaurateur and former Iron Chef contestant wants to bring the West African grain to American consumers
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Blood-suckers in Brooklyn: how the old world medicine of leeches survivesA community long on tradition and sceptical of hospitals’ high cost keeps leech therapy alive, despite health controversy
global edge
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Blue Apron: teaching career workers how to cook dinnerMatt 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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Made in America: why American Giant didn't want to build factories in ChinaThree years into its existence, American Giant is sticking to US production and predicting that its retail-store rivals are under “dire, dire threat”
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Inside Spotify's redesignDon’t forget: Data are people, too, says Spotify’s vice-president of design and user experience
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Zipcar co-founder: 'Entrepreneurs should build the world they want to see'Robin Chase, a founder of Zipcar, talks about the 'sharing economy' and why men struggle to bond with women at work
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Netflix chief product officer: 'a separate, distinct channel for each customer'
Binge-watching is 'a natural way to consume the story' says Neil Hunt, who outlines how Netflix develops personalised shows and the company's stance on net neutrality
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Sam Adams founder: Beer is more than just 'cold, fizzy and in a can'Jim Koch, one of America's best known brewers, on everything from micro-brewing to micro-lending to being a bridesmaid
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Dominique Ansel: 'I don’t want the cronut to kill our creativity'The chef behind New York’s most craved pastry talks about growing up poor, staying creative and running a business
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Patagonia's new CEO: 'You should build a product that lasts'We need to end the trends of fast fashion and throwing away products, says Patagonia's new CEO
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What venture capitalists want: the driven, the nimble and the openMaha Ibrahim talks about what VCs look for when investing, the mistake of being stealthy, and connecting entrepreneurs
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Gilt CEO: 'Networking just feels so unauthentic to me'Michelle Peluso talks about the noon shopping frenzy and treating relationships as goals, rather than means
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LearnVest CEO: 'Financial literacy is a fundamental human right'LearnVest founder and CEO Alexa von Tobel talks about her new book Financially Fearless and reasons why not having a financial plan is a plan, just a really bad one
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Warby Parker and Harry's co-founder: 'I give a shave about the community'Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider talk about launching a startup, glasses, razors and the importance of a social mission
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Hailo: the taxi app that gets people off the streetsJay Bregman's mission is to make hailing a cab as easy as sending a text. He wants 'people who can't even see the box'
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J Hilburn co-founder: 'There should be healthy tension in a company'
Veeral Rathod talks about startup culture, business school, and why entrepreneurs should be organised, not structured
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Kate Spade CEO: 'I use LinkedIn to get to know talent'The man charged with reinventing Kate Spade talks about networking, the future of branding, and advice from Jack Welch
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Americans' wealth shrinks as middle-class takes a hit from falling home pricesAmericans rely on their houses as their primary source of wealth, so falling home prices have hurt the net worth of middle-class Americans
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US dollar surges, leaving euro in the dustRussia’s rouble is struggling, the euro is flirting with another recession, but the US dollar is having a great year. But can it last?
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Oil and gold price plunge does not signal a global recession, experts sayIn a rare phenomenon, the prices of completely unrelated commodities are falling. Is another global recession coming? Not quite
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China opens its stock markets to the west, but caution is in orderChina takes a historic step in its embrace of western-style capitalism – just as its economy is slowing. ‘If even John Paulson can get hosed in China, what hope does the individual investor have?’ ask experts. Caveat emptor
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Americans, with record consumer debt of $3.2 trillion, are taking out more credit card and auto loansThe 28-29 October meeting of the Federal Reserve board of governors gave the economy a clean bill of healthy, but noted market concern about Ebola
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Infomercial king Tony Robbins wants to tell you what to do with your money. Be very afraidSuzanne McGee: The multimillionaire self-help guru gives investing advice in his new book, but anyone who listened to him in 2010 would be hurting financially now
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Federal Reserve put financial system at risk, Senate report findsConsultants shrug at lack of ‘smoking gun’
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Who gets the best return on stock-market investments? Not finance professionalsIs financial expertise overrated? A new study from the ‘Yelp of investing’ shows that finance professionals make less money in the stock markets than people in other industries – perhaps because banking experts know it pays to be wary
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Bill Gross reportedly earns $290m bonus even as investors withdrew billions from Pimco fundsFormer fund manager Bill Gross ‘received $290m in 2013’ but Pimco says figures in Bloomberg report ‘are not correct’
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What the stock market can teach you about your own personalityMoney brings out the insecurity in everyone. But here’s the good news: you can defeat it
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Can the stock market save millennials?‘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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How to invest in an exuberant stock market without being taken for a foolThe stock market keeps hitting record highs. But be cautious: things are probably going to change
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Why you should care about bonds even if everyone is talking about stocksThe 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 moral person's guide to investing in Ebola stocksEbola is a growing crisis, and companies are profiting by producing safety gear and pharmaceuticals. But if you buy their stocks, are you a good person or a bad one, asks Olga Oksman
global view
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Tim Berners-Lee: we need more MPs who know how to codeThe inventor of the world wide web calls for more politicians who understand how computers work
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Hedge fund donations help Tories raise twice as much as LabourConservatives received £6.8m in donations between July and September, Labour £3.2m, Lib Dems £2.7m and Ukip £98,000
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Archbishop of York attacks income inequality; eurozone data adds to gloom - business liveRolling business and financial news, as Dr John Sentamu says that income inequality is a stain on our consciences and must be tackled
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Angry Canary Islanders brace for an unwanted guest - the oil industryMadrid and Repsol have pushed through deepwater drilling and fracking licences to recover a hoped-for 2.2bn barrels of oil despite massive local opposition
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Beaten, abused and afraid: the plight of Hong Kong’s sex workersThe murders of two sex workers have shocked the former colony – but exploitation is rife
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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
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Dalai Lama enlightens and enraptures contemplative scientists in BostonJames Kingsland: Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, was given a rapturous reception by mindfulness researchers, but tactfully avoided the controversial question of applications in the military
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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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Paying the price of war: Britain makes good on historic debtsDebts from bonds issued in 1927 by Winston Churchill going back to the South Sea Bubble, Napoleonic and Crimean wars
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Bank of Japan to inject 80 trillion yen into its economyJapanese policymakers announce plan to increase stimulus through expansion of its quantitative easing programme
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Health check finds 24 EU banks ailing – but the UK’s pass musterDespite clean bill of health, Lloyds Banking Group will face scrutiny when it outlines plans to cut up to 9,000 jobs
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Move over JR Ewing: oil discovered near Gatwick airportDiscovery of an estimated 20m barrels of oil raises prospects for a home counties version of Southfork Ranch
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Raising UK interest rates ‘simply isn’t cricket’, says Bank’s chief economistAndy Haldane deploys batting statistics to explain why he favours a delay in raising interest rates in the near future
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US lags Canada and UK in pay and wages for fast-food workersBurger King’s plans to merge with Tim Hortons show how the stark differences of how workers are treated in the US, UK and Canada
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Pie firm faces investigation into size of its slice of marketCompetition and Markets Authority fears Pork Farms’ partial acquisition of Kerry Foods could raise prices or reduce quality
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Rouble crisis - the Kremlin has a cunning planNils Pratley: Moscow’s moves have stoppped the rouble’s rot in the short term only – the crisis is only just starting
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One in three property sellers cut asking prices, says ZooplaZoopla claims 33% of homes on market have been discounted in sign of cooling market and sellers becoming more realistic
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Kipper Williams on the rouble crisisThe rouble is enduring a rollercoaster ride as fears for the Russian economy grow amid sanctions and a falling oil price
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Rouble surges as Moscow fights back against financial crisis - as it happenedRouble surges 10% as the Central Bank of Russia takes steps to restore financial stability.
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Rouble rise prompts hopes that Russian economic crisis is easingHigher oil prices and Kremlin measures to shore up banks leads to sharp rally in currency ahead of Vladimir Putin’s annual address
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Dixons Carphone cuts 400 jobs despite ‘barnstorming’ performanceJobs to go at head office as newly created retail group says half-year profits rose 30% to £78m
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30,000 people bought crap on Black Friday – literallyThe makers of a humorous card game sold $180,000-worth of actual poo in protest at Black Friday, donating all proceeds to charity
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MySale share price jumps after founders promise to buy £3m in sharesMove by chief executive Carl Jackson comes in response to this week’s profits warning, which hit major shareholders hard
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FTSE rises again after Russian central bank calms nerves, while Shire in deal talkLeading shares edge ahead for second day as rouble recovers and ahead of US Fed meeting
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Government to resume sell-off of its stake in Lloyds Banking GroupAnnouncement takes City by surprise and could reduce shareholding to 20% in run-up to election
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Russia's economic crisis: five key chartsRussia is being buffeted by a perfect storm as the plummeting oil price and western sanctions weaken the rouble and the wider economy
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Lloyds of London insurer Catlin gets £2.5bn takeover bidUS group XL makes approach to snap up Bermuda-based but London listed business
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Rouble collapse triggers Russian spending spree – in picturesThe collapse of the Russian currency has prompted a spending spree by consumers desperate to buy cars and home appliances before prices shoot up ever higher
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George Osborne’s five reasons to be cheerfulThe growth in UK wages is a welcome arrival for a chancellor desperates to create a feelgood factor for the general election
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Russians demand action as rouble continues to fall – video
People in Moscow give their reactions as the rouble spirals into freefall against the dollar and the euro despite the interventions of Russia's central bank
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Bank of England committee remains divided over interest rate riseMinutes from December meeting show two members voting again for increase, saying dip in inflation has clouded Bank’s view
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Babcock dips as it pays £140m for MoD maintenance businessCompany says deal will add contracts worth around £2bn over next ten years
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FTSE falters on Russia, Greek and Fed worries but Abramovich's Evraz ralliesRussian steelmaker bucks trend after positive recommendation from Deutsche Bank
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American Apparel appoints female CEO after dismissing Dov CharneyRetail veteran announced as chief executive of clothing firm after dismissal of founder Dov Charney is confirmed
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Toxic chemicals found in majority of holiday decorationsA new study tested seasonal products from retailers Walmart, Target and CVS. Two-thirds contained substances linked to birth defects, learning disabilities and other health problems
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Farmerline: using mobile phones to help farmers in GhanaMany small-scale farmer in Ghana lack information about farming techniques and market prices. One company is helping to change that
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Why does palm oil still dominate the supermarket shelves?There are few viable alternatives to palm oil. Despite concerns about its sustainability, it is still cost effective and a major income source for developing countries
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Technology is ready for synthetic foods. Are you?The technology that can be applied to create artificial foods and food ingredients has rapidly outstripped consumer interest
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Lessons from Finland: building a co-operative economyFinland’s co-operative enterprises are a dominant force in the nation’s economy because they make membership meaningful, finds Ed Mayo
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New technology using bacteria from dung helps coffee farmers to purify waterOrganic biodigesters provide pure water, biogas and fertiliser, but costing the benefit for farmers is a complex ask. Oliver Balch reports on a pilot project in Nicaragua
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Does power lead to corruption?Scientific research shows that, whatever an individual’s personality type, power leads to antisocial decisions – and testosterone plays an important part too.
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How the fashion industry can empower women in South AsiaNew ethical fashion brands and high street favourites develop schemes to improve the lives of the women on which the industry depends
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Top 10 ideas for a thriving sharing economySharing economy review author and Love Home Swap founder Debbie Wosskow gives her top ten recommendations for a thriving peer-to-peer economy
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Buyers’ training: teaching children to be good consumersFinancial literacy, included in the National Curriculum for the first time, is predicted to change spending and saving behaviour
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Moral compass not quarterly figures must dominate in businessNobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Scilla Elworthy says rethinking the definiton of success encourages businesspeople to devote their skills to the good of the planet
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Investing in nature: what governments can learn from ComorosUnion of Comoros integrates recommendations from the World Parks Congress in Sydney into its development plans
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Responsible businesses need to shout louder about their societal valueCommunicating effectively about sustainability will change perceptions and encourage other companies to do more
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Eight unbelievable solutions to future water shortagesFrom growing glaciers to making rain with lasers, what are the innovative technologies that could help us tackle the global water crisis?
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Natura joins B Corps: will other big business embrace sustainability certification?Brazil’s largest cosmetics company, Natura, is now B Corp certified
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New map shows Unilever’s global smallholder farmer footprintThe new map highlights smallholder farmers across Unilever’s supply network and shows what level of support the company is providing
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European Commission to decide fate of circular economy packageMember states have urged commissioners to “carefully analyse” the upsides of a more circular economy while green groups fear the anti-competitiveness line is winning the day
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Will new EU food labelling rules change your purchasing decisions on palm oil?
Poll: will seeing palm oil in a product's ingredients list change your decision to buy it?
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EU labelling changes force industry action on palm oilA new law is predicted to benefit the sustainable palm oil industry, but the question is whether consumers will care, writes Tim Smedley
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How construction industry can address LGBT discriminationDiversity in boardrooms allows for more challenge and therefore better thinking – why shouldn’t this apply in a building site?
David Cameron: Red lights are flashing on the global economy