Economic News
Sleepy Suffolk lane suffers UK's slowest broadband
Residents of a quiet semi-rural Suffolk lane are suffering the slowest broadband speeds in the UK, according to recent speed test data collected by a price comparison service.
Sports Direct and Primark named and shamed for underpaying staff
Sports Direct and Primark are among a list of companies that have been named and shamed for paying staff less than the minimum wage, with the government dishing out £1. 3m of fines and ordering £1. 7m to be paid to 16,000 underpaid workers.
IMF says China's banks need more capital after credit boom
The International Monetary Fund has urged China’s banks to raise more capital to protect against risks caused by a credit boom.
45,000 Catalan separatists protest against EU in Brussels
Thousands of Catalan separatists have taken to the streets of Brussels to protest against the perceived lack of action from the EU in relation to the region’s independence movement.
Bitcoin surges past $16,500 despite news of $60m heist
Digital currency Bitcoin continued its upwards trajectory, hitting a new record high above $16,500, despite a major hack which saw millions of dollars worth of the digital currency stolen on Thursday.
Friday preview: Non-farm payrolls in focus, Berkeley reports interims
For traders this week is rather back-end loaded, with the US non-farm payrolls providing an early climax on the first Friday of every month, with UK industrial production and trade data providing some early action.
Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital causes controversy
Countries from all over the world have rushed to criticise US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which has further raised tensions in the already-strained wider Middle East.
Economists upbeat despite weak reading on German November IP data
Economists are largely brushing off a weak reading on German industry, pointing to robust survey results to back up their case.
Weekly US jobless claims dip, secondary filings move further below 2.0m
Initial jobless claims dipped last week alongside a moderate drop in those filed for a second time, a positive signal for the pace of job growth.
North Korea says war is unavoidable after US military drills
North Korea said war with the US is "an established fact", blaming the South Korean and US military exercises that are set to run until Friday.
China November FX reserve data may herald wider yuan trading band
China's foreign exchange reserves were little changed last month, extending a spell of stability which some economists believe might encourage Beijing to take further 'baby steps' towards full-blown FX liberalisation such as widening the trading band for the yuan.
Brexit: Ireland considers changes as May attempts to salvage border deal
Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he is willing to consider changes to the post-Brexit border deal which was vetoed by the Northern Ireland's DUP on Monday.
House prices continue to rise faster than other surveys suggest, Halifax reckons
House prices are continuing to surge higher, according to research by Halifax that runs contrary to most other surveys of the housing market.