The Trade War Continues

CHINA SEEKING $2.4B IN RETALIATORY SANCTIONS VS U.S.: REUTERS

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) October 21, 2019

I thought Trump said they were ready to do a deal?

Mark Carney Displays "Remarkable" Foresight!

Mark Carney tells the Treasury Select Committee that 'there will be material moves' in the value of the pound in the run up to the October 31 Brexit deadline.

He says those moves could go either way depending on events. 📈📉

— Jack Maidment (@jrmaidment) October 15, 2019

Business Committee Sticking The Knife Into Thomas Cook Board

Business Committee hearing from the CEO, Chair, CFO, audit ctte chair and head of the remuneration committee of Thomas Cook in a sec. 👀 Live on BBC Parliament obvs

— Alex Partridge 🚡 (@alexpartridge87) October 15, 2019

The Board saddled the company with debts that it could not afford.

.@RachelReevesMP @CommonsBEIS chair: "It was not a complex business, the complexity was the debt you saddled the company with... The truth is you failed... these debts caught up with you"

— Paul Kelso (@pkelso) October 15, 2019

Happy 50th Brithday To The 50p Piece

It's been 50 years of the 50p! To celebrate we look back at how things have changed since 1969: https://t.co/eGW7sbgoWG pic.twitter.com/DHOOrzuyi7

— Lloyds Bank News (@LloydsBankNews) October 14, 2019

Hays To Buy All 555 Thomas Cook Stores

Rival buys all 555 Thomas Cook stores https://t.co/Ys6vfULk0H

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 9, 2019

ECB Ignores Risk of No Deal Brexit

ECB'S DE GUINDOS SAYS WE HAVE NOT INCLUDED IN THE BASELINE THE POSSIBILITY OF A NO-DEAL BREXIT, OR EVEN AN ESCALATION OF TRADE TENSIONS, IF THESE DOWNWARD RISKS MATERIALISE, THE GROWTH OUTLOOK WILL DETERIORATE FURTHER - RTRS

— Martin Baccardax (@mdbaccardax) October 9, 2019

Brexit Uncertainty Is Fucking Up The Economy

September UK #PMI surveys indicated the second-largest monthly fall in business activity since the global financial crisis, pointing to a second successive quarterly drop in #GDP 1/ pic.twitter.com/X8Du68hbyU

— Chris Williamson (@WilliamsonChris) October 3, 2019

Thomas Cook Ceases Trading

We are sorry to announce that Thomas Cook has ceased trading with immediate effect.

This account will not be monitored.

Please visit https://t.co/WWiKkzLYQJ for further advice and information.#ThomasCook pic.twitter.com/Nf1X3jn97x

— Thomas Cook (@ThomasCookUK) September 23, 2019

As per the BBC:

"Thomas Cook has collapsed after last-minute negotiations aimed at saving the 178-year-old holiday firm failed.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the tour operator had "ceased trading with immediate effect".

It has also triggered the biggest ever peacetime repatriation, aimed at bringing more than 150,000 British holidaymakers home.

Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook's chief executive, said the firm's collapse was a "matter of profound regret".

Commenting as the company entered compulsory liquidation, Mr Fankhauser also apologised to the firm's "millions of customers, and thousands of employees".

The tour operator's failure puts 22,000 jobs at risk worldwide, including 9,000 in the UK."

My sympathies to those who have lost their jobs.

Lagarde Wins Vote To head ECB - She Was The Only Candidate

WATCH: Christine Lagarde wins crucial vote to lead European Central Bank, paving the way for her to become the first woman to hold the post https://t.co/lQLDdFXFZv pic.twitter.com/q9hZp72Tbm

— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) September 17, 2019

Trump Calls For Negative Interest Rates - #Volfefe

The Federal Reserve should get our interest rates down to ZERO, or less, and we should then start to refinance our debt. INTEREST COST COULD BE BROUGHT WAY DOWN, while at the same time substantially lengthening the term. We have the great currency, power, and balance sheet.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2019

....The USA should always be paying the the lowest rate. No Inflation! It is only the naïveté of Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve that doesn’t allow us to do what other countries are already doing. A once in a lifetime opportunity that we are missing because of “Boneheads.”

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2019

NatWest Site Down

⚠️ Our website is currently unavailable. We're working hard getting it back up and running for you.

Online Banking and our mobile app are still working. Sorry if this is causing you problems - we’ll post an update when we have more information. pic.twitter.com/3wBWnjTyOT

— NatWest (@NatWest_Help) August 28, 2019

Eddie Stobart Suspends Shares and Ditches CEO

The BBC reports that Eddie Stobart has suspended trading of its shares and announced that chief executive Alex Laffey will stand down with immediate effect, as the firm looks into an accounting error.

In a statement, the firm said that it also intended to review the group's current dividend policy.

The transport logistics company revealed a £2m discrepancy in its accounts last month.

Sebastien Desreumaux, currently head of iForce, will take over from Mr Laffey.

A review of its statements by new chief financial officer, Anoop Kangits, found that the 2018 adjusted operating profit figure of £55.3m was overstated by about 4%.

Publication of the firm's financial results for the six months to 31 May 2019 has now been delayed to early September.

The firm added that half year profits were likely to be "significantly lower" than suggested in a recent trading update, and that it is "applying a more prudent approach to revenue recognition".

Ironically the company's largest shareholder is troubled fund manager Neil Woodford, who holds a 22.9% stake.

A Sunk Cost Is a Sunk Cost - H2S To Be Scrapped?

"Just because you spent a lot of money on something, should not mean that you just carry on ploughing more and more money into it"

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says it's possible HS2 rail project could be scrapped, as government review is announcedhttps://t.co/uS6B9WDvuN pic.twitter.com/q6q4tHYQcD

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) August 21, 2019

Stamp Duty Not Being Shifted To Sellers..Apparently!

BBC News - I won't shift stamp duty to sellers, says chancellor https://t.co/QSRMOu8J2p

— Andrew Goodall (@agoodall4) August 19, 2019

We Have Now Entered The Countermeasures Stage of The Trade War

Reuters: #China finance ministry says China must take necessary countermeasures to #US additional tariffs on $300 bln of Chinese goods

— Vincent Lee (@Rover829) August 15, 2019