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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Friday newspaper round-up: Power cuts, US debt ceiling, Weir Group

(Sharecast News) - The risk of power cuts to factories and homes this winter has increased, the National Grid warned, as the business secretary prepared for a crunch meeting with industry bosses concerned the energy crisis may force them to scale back production. The price of gas and electricity has soared in recent weeks, leading to the collapse of multiple energy suppliers and prompting warnings of higher costs for consumers, factory shutdowns and increased pollution as plants switch to dirtier but cheaper fuels. - Guardian The US Senate has approved a deal to extend the government's borrowing authority into December. The compromise between Republican and Democratic leaders would temporarily avert an unprecedented federal default that experts say would have devastated the economy. With a 50-48 vote, senators agreed to increase the borrowing limit by $480bn, sufficient to prevent the US government from defaulting by keeping debt payments up until 3 December. - Guardian

Ireland has been forced to abandon its low tax business model in the face of pressure from Joe Biden, putting the country's status as a haven for global companies at risk. The sacrosanct 12.5pc tax rate has been the cornerstone of the Irish economy for almost two decades, and helped attract some of the world's biggest corporations, such as Facebook and Google, to set up their European headquarters in the country. - Telegraph

Checkout.com, one of Europe's most valuable private companies, had a 73 per cent rise in UK and European sales last year as it benefited from the boom in online shopping. The payment processor, which was valued at $15 billion in a January funding round, recorded revenues of $252.7 million last year in its UK business, up from $146.4 million in 2019. - The Times

The mining equipment supplier Weir Group expects its profit to be trimmed by up to £40 million as the result of a cyberattack, it said in an update. The FTSE250 company said that many of its systems had to be shut down, disrupting orders into next year. - The Times

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Wednesday newspaper round-up: Global defence bank, KPMG, Frasers Group
(Sharecast News) - John Healey is in talks with the Canadian government about joining a new global defence bank intended to help allies rearm to counter mounting security threats, just weeks after Rachel Reeves rejected the move. The chancellor is understood to be actively considering a bid to join the proposed Canada-led defence, security and resilience bank (DSRB), which proponents say could help the UK fund defence projects at lower cost, before planned talks with his Canadian counterpart this week. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Red Sea islands, BoE bond selling, energy imports
(Sharecast News) - Yemen's Houthi militants have seized two strategic islands in the Red Sea, reinforcing the Iran-backed group's ability to control a key shipping route, as concerns mount that the world is facing a new oil supply crisis. The seizure of the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish is the latest in the militant group's swift advance across Yemen's Red Sea coast, after the capture of the port of Mokha and Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: hospitality businesses, rail passengers, Battersea Power Station
(Sharecast News) - Hundreds of UK hospitality businesses, backed by celebrity chefs including Angela Hartnett and Heston Blumenthal, have asked Andy Burnham to lay out plans to lower VAT for the sector, urging him to make good on his previous pledge. More than 800 businesses have written an open letter to the prime minister as part of the #VATsTheProblem campaign, to warn that without a "fairer tax burden for hospitality", there will be more closures and job losses, and fewer opportunities for young people. - Guardian
Friday newspaper round-up: Energy bills, triple lock, ONS data crisis
(Sharecast News) - Consumers will pay higher energy bills unless the UK government speeds up work on a vast programme of upgrades to the electricity grid to enable the switch to renewables, the public spending watchdog has warned. The National Audit Office (NAO) said that without faster action the extra costs associated with managing the ageing power network, which are ultimately passed on to the public, could reach £7.8bn a year by 2030. - Guardian

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