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Nicola Sturgeon has fired the starting gun on a new push for Scotland’s independence, unveiling a study she said showed the country would prosper outside the UK — but did not provide a clear timeline on holding another referendum. Following criticism from some Scottish nationalists that she should move faster towards a new vote after

A cashier’s check is a check that’s drawn against the bank’s account rather than yours. It’s written in the bank’s name and is typically signed by a teller. The bank is responsible for paying the check to the payee. You pay the bank back the funds needed to cover the check from your account. There

European shares and US stock futures gained some respite on Tuesday following a severe sell-off in the previous session that plunged Wall Street into a bear market as the prospect of aggressive tightening by central banks rattled global investors. The Stoxx Europe 600 share index added 0.8 per cent in early dealings. Futures contracts tracking

Stalling economic growth has not yet taken the heat out of the UK labour market, according to official data on Tuesday that showed the number of full-time employees at a record high, redundancies at record lows and the number of unfilled jobs at a new record of 1.3mn. The figures, released by the Office for

Smart estate planning will minimize the tax bill that your heirs pay when you die, and a Roth individual retirement account (Roth IRA) is one of the most effective tools for that purpose. Aside from all the other positive characteristics of Roth IRAs, there are two reasons for including one in your estate planning: Key

The UK taxpayer took on the risk of lending to many businesses that may not have needed financial support to survive the Covid crisis, according to an official evaluation of government-backed pandemic loans schemes. Between 38 and 45 per cent of businesses surveyed in the report commissioned by the British Business Bank, which administered some

Your editorial (“The US’s lack of ambition risks losing Latin America”, FT View, June 9) on the Summit of the Americas is right on the mark. At a time when Latin America is hit by the double whammy of the Covid-19 pandemic and a major economic slowdown, Washington has been unable to come up with

As the price of a college education continues to soar, many American families are counting on significant outside help to foot the bill. Consider that the average cost for tuition and fees at an out-of-state public university is, as of 2022, nearly $24,000 per year, according to The College Board. For private schools, tuition and fees average

United Talent Agency has agreed to buy London-based Curtis Brown in a deal that would bring about 100 literary and talent agents under the Hollywood-based agency’s roof. The deal will allow UTA to tap into Curtis Brown’s deep well of literary talent, which includes writers such as The Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood and the estates

Brussels is to launch legal action against the UK as early as Monday, EU officials say, as the two sides edge closer to a possible trade war. The officials said the European Commission would respond immediately to a British bill to rewrite the protocol governing trade with Northern Ireland, a key part of the 2020

Mortgages and Home Equity Loans: An Overview Mortgages and home equity loans are both borrowing methods that require pledging a home as collateral, or backing, for the debt. This means that the lender can seize the home eventually if you don’t keep up with your repayments. While the two loan types share this important similarity,

The yen plunged to a 24-year low of ¥135.19 against the dollar on Monday, with the currency’s slide drawing increasing scrutiny from Japanese authorities wary of its rapid weakening. Following a week of setting fresh 20-year lows, the yen continued its descent as traders bet that the Bank of Japan will remain the only major

The UK economy shrank in April, missing forecasts, as figures revealed the impact of surging prices on household spending and business activity. Gross domestic product fell 0.3 per cent between March and April, data published by the Office for National Statistics showed on Monday, below the 0.1 per cent increase forecast by economists polled by

Economic growth is the increase in the production of goods and services from one period to the next. As such, the value of these goods and services increases, resulting in larger corporate profits. It has a snowball effect, which often leads to higher stock prices and a rise in employment. Companies have more capital to

The head of a landmark review of England’s food system has called for “much bolder” action to address climate change and obesity after government proposals focused on production were attacked by campaign groups. “We’re moving forward but it’s not radical enough,” said Henry Dimbleby, the founder of the Leon restaurant chain who has produced two

This article picked by a teacher with suggested questions is part of the Financial Times free schools access programme. Details/registration here. Specification: AQA Component 1, section 3.1.1.3: The Prime Minister and Cabinet Edexcel Component 2, Section 3.3.2: The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Click to read the articles below and then answer the questions: How will

One of the most enduring mysteries of bitcoin is the identity of its founder, Satoshi Nakamoto. Little is known about him, and his identity has never been fully confirmed. In October 2008, a message signed by Satoshi Nakamoto titled “Bitcoin P2P e-cash paper” announced the creation of the cryptocurrency. For the next two years, Satoshi

Pedestrians pass by a Lululemon store. Scott Mlyn | CNBC Markets are tense, and May’s hot inflation report has only worsened the situation. Last month’s consumer price index rose 8.6% from a year ago, making it the highest increase since December 1981. The reading spurred further worries about a recession and bond yields jumped on

The UK is pushing ahead with plans to deport the first of many asylum seekers to Rwanda on Tuesday, in spite of a flurry of legal challenges and claims that Prince Charles thinks the policy is “appalling”. Home secretary Priti Patel is also preparing to launch an advertising campaign on Facebook and Instagram, warning potential

British unions have warned transport secretary Grant Shapps that his plan to legislate to allow agency workers to provide cover for striking rail workers was impractical and would be fiercely resisted. The RMT union is planning the worst disruption on the railway network in 30 years later this month over wage levels. But Shapps said

Options are financial derivatives that give their holders the right to buy or sell a specific asset at a specific time at a given price (strike price). There are two types of options: calls and puts. Long call options are options that enable the option holder to buy an asset at a pre-determined price. Long

China’s defence minister has strongly pushed back against US accusations of aggression as he sought to present Beijing as a responsible power and western countries as outsiders undermining stability in Asia. China aimed to be “a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a protector of the international order and a provider of

Colleges have traditionally acted as economic shock absorbers in the US. When the economy stalls — or is about to stall — demand for higher education goes up. Adult workers return to school to improve their job prospects. Young people stay in class in the hope their graduation will coincide with renewed economic growth. Past

Private equity firms and hedge funds benefit from several controversial provisions in the current U.S. tax code. Critics call these special tax breaks “loopholes,” while defenders justify them as a fair means of rewarding risk. Here is how private equity and hedge funds are taxed. Key Takeaways Private equity and hedge funds are generally structured

In this article NEWR Delmaine Donson | E+ | Getty Images Company: New Relic (NEWR) Business: New Relic is a software-as-a-service company, delivering a software platform for customers to collect telemetry data and derive insights from that data in a unified front-end application. It offers a suite of products on its open and extensible cloud-based

Andrey, a young car mechanic, was walking through the city of Horlivka in separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine with his friend Elena in late March when they were stopped by a military conscription officer who thrust call-up papers into his hands. Within a week, Andrey, who had no military experience, was on the frontline fighting alongside Russian

The average price of petrol in the US hit $5 a gallon for the first time in history on Saturday, adding further pressure to decades-high inflation that has become politically costly for the Biden administration. The new $5 milestone, reported by the AAA motor club, means US petrol prices have risen by more than two-thirds

A rising wedge is a technical indicator, suggesting a reversal pattern frequently seen in bear markets. This pattern shows up in charts when the price moves upward with pivot highs and lows converging toward a single point known as the apex. When it is accompanied by declining volume, it can signal a trend reversal and

Mathisworks | Digitalvision Vectors | Getty Images For years, hotel operators have under-invested in technology, but persistent labor challenges are forcing a reckoning in the industry. “The labor issue is a big driver for investments in technology,” said Mark Haley, a partner at Prism Hospitality Consulting, which specializes in hospitality technology and marketing. “You can’t

Ares Management is to hand back control of a French drugmaker it seized from the crisis-hit €1bn private equity fund that owns spyware maker NSO Group, paving the way for a sale that could return cash to investors. The US private markets giant has reached a “mutually agreeable resolution” over Laboratoire XO with Berkeley Research