Several Cabinet ministers and influential backbenchers have rallied behind Tracey Crouch since she quit the Government last week on a point of principle over delays to betting reforms.
Ms Crouch wants to cut the maximum stake from 100 every 20 seconds to 2, and was furious when, in his Budget, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced reforms to the law would be postponed for six months until October 2019.
The delay in slashing the stake on fixed-odds bett…
Read the full article at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-6352871/ANDREW-PIERCE-Tom-Watson-hedges-bets-gambling-row-Tracey-Crouch-resigns.html
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President Xi and African leaders at the FOCAC summit in Beijing, September 2018
Africa is facing a looming debt crisis, say leading development economists.
“Almost 40% of sub-Saharan African countries are in danger of slipping into a major debt crisis” according to the Overseas Development Institute, ahead of a major conference on debt being held in London this week.
And the relationship between African nations and China is often seen as a significant part of the problem.
Its critics say that major infrastructure project…
Read the full article at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45916060
- Slowing demand for mortgages is weighing on the banking industrys revenue.
- Westpac expects housing credit growth to ease to 4% next year.
- CEO Brian Hartzer says this is putting additional pressure on banks to focus on costs.
Westpac, announcing a flat profit result of $8 billion over the full year, says slowing demand for housing credit is eating into banking industry revenue.
This is putting additional pressure on banks to focus on costs at a time when they have to maintain investment in operations, particularly technology, risk mitigation and restructuring.
All the major banks are facing challenges, says CEO Brian Hartzer.
Thats no surprise given the public attention thats been on banks and some of the issue…
Read the full article at: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/westpac-house-prices-bank-costs-2018-11
A senior Church of England bishop today launched a blistering attack on the governments delay in introducing limits on fixed-odds betting terminals.
In an online article for the Observer, the bishop of St Albans said the new 2 limit on stakes down from 100 should be introduced at the earliest possible opportunity if more people addicted to the terminals (FOBTs) were not to take their lives in desperation.
Dr Alan Smith, who leads for the church on the issue, was speaking out after the sports minister, Tracey Crouch, resigned in protest at the governments decision, announced in the budget, to push the introduction of the new 2 limit back from April next year to the following October.
Accusing bookmakers and football clubs sponsored by…
Read the full article at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/04/bishop-attacks-delay-fixed-odds-betting-cap
Have the flames creeping around Marks & Spencer abated or are they close to consuming the stalwart of the high street?
During the summer, the chains chairman, Archie Norman, said the business was on a burning platform and that its future depended on whether it was able to change and develop.
This week will bring an indication of what the future holds for the company. On Wednesday, it will release its half-year results, giving some idea of whether the turnaround plan is bearing fruit.
The expectations are not positive, however, with speculation that the chain is going to present a subdued report of its recent performance.
It has been a difficult year for M&S. In May, the company announced a sharp fall in annual profits as a result of poo…
Read the full article at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/04/marks-spencer-feeling-heat-strategic-update-restructuring
CASH-strapped Australians are lying to their partners about the true cost of a holiday before they set off.
While getting away for a much-needed break can help relieve stress, it also can add tension when costs quickly accumulate.
Some people are being dishonest to get their partner on-board, but this tactic could escalate into bigger relationship problems once the trip ends and the holiday glow wears off.
How to get a price drop on holiday and entertainment costs
Easy ways to reduce your Christmas spending
New research from travel website Wotif has revealed 42 per cent of people have lied to their partners about borrowing money to fund their holiday adventures.
And with the peak Christmas holiday season just seven weeks away, many holiday-ma…
Read the full article at: https://www.news.com.au/finance/avoid-a-postholiday-debt-hangover/news-story/9e4982ff317acbecc286834c6cc7bcab
DESPAIR: A rice farmer in Ayutthayas Bang Sai district takes a break from her routine work in the fields. Like most other farmers, she is in a financial predicament due to farm debts. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)
The farm sector has been a driving engine behind the countrys economic growth, but at the same time, debt among farmers keeps rising.
The main farm product is rice. Last year, the value of rice traded was 174.5 billion baht, which is around 12.89% of all farming product.
So, rice farmers should be wealthy as a consequence.
But the uncertainties in farming — unmerciful weather, droughts and floods, fluctuating prices and rising costs — enslave rice farmers to debts.
The government has offered help, …
Read the full article at: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/special-reports/1569802/finding-ways-to-beat-farm-debt