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Thursday newspaper round-up: Royal Mail, Nato, Netflix tax

(Sharecast News) - Royal Mail has unveiled a solar-powered "postbox of the future" with a built-in barcode reader and a hatch to accept parcels larger than letterbox size. In the "biggest change to postbox design since their introduction more than 175 years ago", the hi-tech pillar box looks as if it is wearing a jaunty beret. The black, chequered lid is in fact solar panels that power the scanner. The postbox's extra-large opening hatch offers a new way for the postal service to cash in on a roaring parcel trade. While letter volumes are in steep decline, Britain is in the grip of a secondhand selling boom as consumers use sites such as Vinted to make extra cash. - Guardian Gordon Brown has called for an "economic coalition of the willing" to respond to Donald Trump's tariffs with coordinated economic policies, including a reduction of interest rates. The former prime minister also said it was a moment for the UK to go even further in renewing ties with the EU, suggesting it should mean "collaboration that is even more extensive than removing post-Brexit trade barriers". - Guardian

Military chiefs at Nato have been warned of global internet blackouts following a string of suspected Russian attacks on subsea cables. Telecoms companies including Vodafone, O2 owner Telefonica and Orange have written to UK, EU and Nato officials warning that a rise in sabotage incidents was putting critical services at risk. - Telegraph

US streaming giants should pay a "Netflix tax" to help pay for more high-quality British TV shows, MPs have urged. In a report published on Thursday, the culture, media and sport committee called on American media giants such as Netflix, Disney, Amazon and Apple to "put their money where their mouth is" by paying a 5pc levy on their UK revenues. The takings would be channelled into a new cultural fund, administered by the British Film Institute (BFI), to support high-end British dramas. - Telegraph

The Bank of England has warned that traders using similar artificial intelligence models to make key decisions risk escalating the impact of market shocks on the financial system. A report by the Bank's financial policy committee said that while AI could be used to increase market efficiency there were also risks as traders could inadvertently "take actions collectively in such a way that reduces stability". - The Times

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Thursday newspaper round-up: Liberty Steel, HSBC, NMC
(Sharecast News) - Liberty Steel has produced nothing at two of its key UK plants since July, in a sign of the deep financial difficulties for Britain's third-biggest steelmaker as it looks for rescue funding. The plants at Rotherham in South Yorkshire and Motherwell in Scotland have not produced any steel for about nine months because of a lack of funds to buy vital materials, with staff on furlough on 85% of their salaries for the duration, according to workers who spoke to the Guardian. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Thames Water, Anglian Water, Telegraph, Greenergy
(Sharecast News) - Two of Britain's biggest water companies, Thames Water and Anglian Water, face more than 50 criminal investigations between them as part of a crackdown on sewage dumping, the government has said. The utilities were subject to the bulk of a record 81 investigations into water companies between last July's general election and March 2025, according to new data. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Post Office, factories, ISAs
(Sharecast News) - Hundreds of former sub-postmasters will reportedly be compensated by the Post Office after it accidentally leaked their names and addresses in June 2024. According to the BBC, the Post Office has confirmed that individual payouts will be capped at £5,000 although higher claims may still be pursued. It comes almost a year after 555 victims of the Horizon IT scandal had their personal details published on a website. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Santander UK, Thames Water, Oxford Quantum Circuits
(Sharecast News) - Santander UK is freezing salaries, slashing bonuses and cutting jobs across its commercial banking arm as part of a wider shake-up that could help make the bank more attractive to potential buyers. The bank began unexpectedly changing bankers' job titles and shuffling staff into new teams earlier this month amid a larger review of the Spanish lender's UK business, where there is mounting frustration over regulations and costs. - Guardian

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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