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Tuesday newspaper round-up: BNPL, Unilever, oil prices

(Sharecast News) - The Trades Union Congress has accused the Tory government of promoting a "greed is good" culture among bankers, who it said would be able to "cash in on unlimited bonuses" after a cap on payouts was lifted on Tuesday. The TUC said that while ministers had repeatedly called for pay restraint for most workers, they had been "silent over excess in the City". - Guardian The City regulator has taken action after finding that customers of two leading buy now, pay later providers were "at risk of harm" because of potentially unfair and unclear small print. The US-based online payments group PayPal and the TV shopping channel QVC have changed the terms of their contracts after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) expressed "concern" over the impact to customers. - Guardian

Unilever is freezing its chief executive's salary until 2026 as it tries to calm frustration among shareholders unhappy with the performance of the company which owns Marmite and Ben & Jerry's. Hein Schumacher, who took over from Alan Jope in July, will not get any increase to his fixed pay packet of €1.85m (£1.62m) in 2024 or 2025, Unilever said. - Telegraph

MPs have accused Britain's biggest high street banks of seeking "to do as little as they can get away with" on raising savings rates for customers. The Commons' Treasury select committee stepped up its pressure after quarterly trading reports from banks over the past week and amid continued scrutiny from the financial regulator over their practices. - The Times

Oil prices could surge to a record high of more than $150 a barrel if the Israel-Gaza war escalates into a regional conflict, the World Bank has warned. Brent crude, the global benchmark price, rose from less than $85 a barrel before Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel to exceed $93 a barrel on October 18, amid fears that escalation could result in supply disruption. Prices have receded slightly since and yesterday Brent was 1.7 per cent lower at $86.49. - The Times

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Monday newspaper round-up: Coal power plant, Deloitte, RBS scandal
(Sharecast News) - Britain's only remaining coal power plant at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire will generate electricity for the last time on Monday after powering the UK for 57 years. The power plant will come to the end of its life in line with the government's world-leading policy to phase out coal power which was first signalled almost a decade ago. - Guardian
Friday newspaper round-up: Gambling ads, road building schemes, public sector pensions
(Sharecast News) - Ministers have been urged to intervene to stop football clubs from setting their own rules on curbing gambling advertising, after research showed Premier League fans were bombarded with nearly 30,000 gambling messages on a single weekend. Clubs in the top flight have so far avoided compulsory restrictions on gambling sponsorship, instead addressing public concern through voluntary measures such as a ban on front-of-shirt logos, starting in 2026. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: JLR, electric cars, Royal Mail
(Sharecast News) - Rachel Reeves is pushing for the UK's tax and spending watchdog to upgrade its national growth forecasts to reflect the economic boost Labour says can be achieved from its blitz of planning reforms. In a development that could open up additional spending headroom for the chancellor before next month's budget, the Treasury has held talks with the Office for Budget Responsibility to try to persuade its officials that unblocking the planning system could drive up growth. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Visa, Caroline Ellison, Brookfield
(Sharecast News) - Business leaders have warned that the government's plans for a major global investment summit are in danger of falling flat, amid growing frustrations over high costs of involvement and its timing two weeks before the budget. As a central plank in Labour's proposals to drive up investment in Britain, the party pledged in the general election campaign to host the summit within the first 100 days of winning power to show that the UK would be "open for business" under a new government. - 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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