High streets across the UK are struggling with an epidemic of stealing. What’s behind this sudden crime wave and can anything be done to stop it?

A man leaves a north London branch of Aldi carrying two bags of groceries that he did not pay for. He hadn’t planned to steal, but after becoming exasperated with the slowness of staff attending to the various glitches and alarms of the self-checkout system, and assuming it would go unnoticed, decides to just walk out the door.

He crosses the road and heads towards home. It’s a busy part of town and this kind of thing happens all the time. He doubts anyone in the store even noticed. But a voice calls after him, a security guard has given chase. The man, slightly panicked, doubles down and quickens his pace, pretending not to hear, but the guard keeps shouting, pleading for him to stop. In an attempt to lose his pursuer, the man ducks into a newsagent. The security guard enters, finds the man pretending to browse the fountain pens, and challenges him. “Sir, you didn’t pay for that shopping.”

Senior adviser who worked for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown says there is an ‘urgent imperative’ for a new government to address wealth inequality in Britain

A key New Labour adviser who worked for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in Downing Street says there is an “overwhelming economic and ethical case” for Keir Starmer’s party to impose higher taxes on wealth if it wins the general election.

Writing in the Observer Patrick Diamond, professor of public policy at Queen Mary University of London, and his colleague Colm Murphy, a lecturer in British politics, say a Labour government will need to look at radical ways to raise money, not least because the plans for higher economic growth that the party is relying on may never materialise.

A family of four can pay £176 to see the latest immersive experience – one of many that is putting a strain on families hit by the cost of living crisis

As half-term drew to a close in England, families short on inspiration might have been grateful to learn of a new day out: on Friday, the Paddington Bear Experience opened its doors in London, promising a “unique and fun-filled interactive experience” spanning more than 2,400 sq metres (26,000 sq ft) and including themed rooms, character interactions – and marmalade sandwiches.

But the experience comes at a cost: with weekend ticket prices of £49 for adults and £39 for children, a family of four can expect to pay £176 for the 70-minute event – and a lot more should they wish to peruse the books, games and toys available to buy in Mr Gruber’s antiques shop afterwards.

The number of retailers offering special prices for members has soared. We asks if the price cuts are as good as they seem

Whether you are buying clothes, garden furniture or groceries this summer, it is hard to avoid getting caught up in the loyalty card fever sweeping the high street.

Do you want to pay the “member price” of £15.99 for some on-trend denim Bermuda shorts (or “jorts”) at H&M, or stump up £21.99?

The 500kg Microlino is part of a new set challenging the ever-increasing domination of huge cars

Driving through central London in a tiny Microlino electric car, barely visible between the hulking SUVs, it’s surprising to be the focus of so much attention. “Yes, Lego car!” shouts a scaffolder.

Made by Micro, the family-owned Swiss company behind the mini-micro kick scooters, and modelled on the bubble cars that had a brief heyday in the 1950s, the two-seater is only 2.5 metres long – marginally smaller than a Smart car. The most unusual feature is its one and only door (there is also a rear hatch for accessing the boot), which is at the front. The windscreen and bonnet swing open to let you in.

Ofgem’s price cap is likely to yo-yo over the next year – here’s how you could beat it by up to 12%

Households struggling with near-£1,700-a-year gas and electricity bills that look set to seesaw over the coming months may want to consider a fixed-rate deal that could save them 12%, or £150, next winter.

Last week, the regulator, Ofgem, announced the price cap that governs what most UK households pay will fall from an average of £1,690 a year to £1,568 on 1 July.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

ShinyHunters stole information including bank and credit card numbers, as well as staff HR details

Hackers are attempting to sell confidential information including the bank and credit card numbers of millions of Santander customers to the highest bidder.

ShinyHunters posted an advert on a hacker forum for the data, which it says also includes staff HR details, with an asking price of $2m (£1.6m). It is the same organisation that claims to have hacked Ticketmaster.

Rate more than doubles to 1.3% in May and average property price rises to £264,249, Nationwide says

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UK house prices returned to growth in May amid signs of market “resilience” after two months of falls, according to a building society.

The average property price in Britain rose 0.4% month on month to £264,249, after a similar-sized fall of 0.4% in April, Nationwide said.

Watchdog opens first stage of merger process to examine whether deal would lead to less competition

• Business live – latest updates

The UK competition regulator has launched an inquiry into the £2.9bn takeover of Virgin Money by the rival lender Nationwide Building Society.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had opened the first stage of its merger process to look at whether the deal – one of the largest transactions in the banking sector since the 2008 financial crisis – would lead to substantial lessening of competition.

From a historic Grade II-listed Welsh farmhouse to newbuild London flats with shared allotment beds

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The business groups’ big ideas, from payroll savings schemes to making big tech compensate for fraud on its platforms

Business interest groups are jostling for influence over political parties’ priorities before the 4 July election. Here are some of the big ideas being touted by the UK’s largest industry bodies in their own manifestos.

Blame the gig economy or just sheer laziness, but fewer of us stopping for lunch in the working day can surely only be a bad thing

A long time ago, when I worked in an office, we used to take lunch quite seriously. This meant getting up from our desks, walking on our legs, and eating with another human being for the purposes of chat. Sometimes this even happened outside, or at a restaurant. It seems absurd now. Who has the time to hang out in the middle of the day or drop $20 on a sandwich when you could be sitting at your desk, staring at the internet, grazing leftovers from a plastic container from home? (Or, if you’re already at home, let’s be honest, taking a nap.)

If this killjoy reflex is a side-effect of age – for most people, time becomes less their own as they get older – it is also, it seems, a sign of the times. Two recent pieces of research in the US indicate that, over the past four or five years, Americans have been spending less money at lunchtime – 3.3% less, according to a payments app, Square – and also moving around less in the middle of the day.

Its fraud team couldn’t resolve the matter and I’m running out of money

I’ve banked with Nationwide building society for more than 30 years without a problem – until last week when it blocked my debit card without explanation.

I’ve spoken to four members of its fraud team. They have been helpful and kind but their suggestions have, sadly, not resolved the matter. I am running out of money and have had to cancel a Sainsbury’s food delivery because I can’t pay for it and will soon be out of food.

Group wants big tech social media firms to pay up to £40m a year to reimburse customers after years of shouldering cost of fraud

A leading City lobby group is calling on the next government to bring in scams legislation that forces big tech and social media companies to cough up up to £40m a year to reimburse customers and fight fraud on their platforms.

The demand came in a ‘financial services manifesto’ released by UK Finance, which represents banks, payments companies and other financial firms.

Security incident at pension scheme being taken ‘extremely seriously’, but broadcaster says there is no evidence of a ransomware attack

The BBC has launched an investigation after the details of more than 25,000 current and former employees were exposed in a data breach.

The corporation’s pension scheme wrote to members on Wednesday to say their details had been stolen in a data security incident that it was taking “extremely seriously”.

Shoppers at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Lidl and Aldi have all swung to Labour from Conservative since 2019

The election may not yet be in the bag for Labour, but research suggests it is in the shopping basket.

The party’s voters now make up the majority of customers at all leading supermarkets apart from Waitrose, according to the latest polling from retail research firm GlobalData.

Although fraudsters gave one of its account numbers, it was totally uninterested as I was not its customer

I am the treasurer of a small charity, and recently received an email that appeared to come from the chair asking me to send a £780 payment to a supplier.

I immediately realised that it was a scam – it wasn’t written in his style, and, when I looked closely, it hadn’t come from his email address. I replied asking what it was for, and then kept the dialogue going.

Widening government-run scheme would counter mistrust among householders, says consumer group

The next government should force all tradespeople who install home heat pumps, solar panels and insulation to sign up to a mandatory accreditation scheme to counter mistrust in the industry, a leading consumer group is demanding.

A report from Which? found that households face “significant anxiety” in choosing tradespeople to fit low-carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps, and insulation after “press stories about poor work and rogue traders”.

Attendees at Coalition for Ticket Fairness dinner stump up thousands for fighting fund – because they know their time might be up

• Revealed: how touts drew up secret plans to sabotage Labour’s ticket reforms

“You’ve sold concert tickets, you’ve sold sports tickets, you’ve sold football tickets, you’ve sold theatre tickets … You’ve made money or you wouldn’t be in this room.”

The voice of Scot Tobias, one of America’s most successful ticket “brokers”, boomed out from the stage. After an hour of drinking and networking, his impassioned pitch was met with cheers by the room full of touts gathered in a subterranean events space in central London.

Exclusive: Footage shows private event, attended by representatives of firms including StubHub and Viagogo, where £73,000 was raised for political lobbying

• ‘No one needs their name near this’: the secret plot by touts to undermine Labour’s reforms

Some of the most powerful ticket touts in the UK have discussed a secret plan to try to scupper a Labour crackdown on the industry via a lobbying campaign, footage filmed by the Guardian reveals.

Touts and representatives of major resale websites such as Viagogo and StubHub gathered at a private event this month organised by the US-based lobby group the Coalition for Ticket Fairness (CTF), which outlined a plan to target MPs.

We look at whether the Conservative pledge for a ‘triple lock plus’ can really be paid for by cracking down on tax avoidance

The Conservatives have announced plans to boost pensioners’ income with a “triple lock plus”. It is a pitch to a group who, according to many polls, are the most likely to support the Tories, and is seen as a measure designed to shore up the party’s core vote.

From jobbing workers to familiar names, legions of entertainers are working well into their 70s and 80s. Why? Our writer uncovers an alarming story of shrinking budgets, axed royalties, misguided mortgages and paltry pensions

‘The budgets were fantastic,” says Alexei Sayle, remembering making shows with the BBC in the 1980s and 90s. “We’d always go over budget and they’d just say, ‘Oh well.’ Since then, there’s been a rerouting of funds away from the talent. It doesn’t affect the superstars but it certainly affects the foot soldiers. It’s a lot harder to make a living now.”

At the age of 71, the comedian, writer and actor is still working. He feels “the drive” to create and perform, rather than financial pressure, but does notice major changes. “If you made your money in the 70s and 80s, you’ve got a better chance of being well off,” he says. Terms then were “much fairer”, with artists benefiting from residuals rather than just one-off payments.

The house in Winnetka, Illinois still features the staircase which Macaulay Culkin rode down on a sledge, but the swinging paint cans have since been removed

Cinema fans – and burglars – alert: the home made famous by 1990 film Home Alone is on the market, with a sale price of $5.25m (£4.1m).

The five bedroom, six bathroom mansion at 671 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka, Illinois forms the key setting for the bulk of Chris Columbus’s festive hit, as 10-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) fends off the break-in efforts of villains played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, after his parents inadvertently leave him unattended over the holidays.

Super-rich have left country to avoid being subjected to UK taxes on overseas income, conference hears

A London-based billionaire non-dom left the UK for good on the day that the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, announced the scrapping of the 225-year-old tax scheme in the spring budget, his tax adviser has revealed.

“We did have one billionaire client who literally on the day of the budget, 6 March, got on his private jet with his wife, with his children, with the private tutor, and flew to one of his other 17 houses in the world – and said ‘I’m not coming back’,” said John Barnett, a partner at the law firm Burges Salmon, which specialises in advising the super-rich on how to legally reduce their tax bills.

With cowboy builders on the rise, is it worth trying an online platform instead? Our correspondents suggest there may be pitfalls

Cowboy builders are a proliferating scourge which can drain a householder’s savings. In response, online platforms have sprung up which list “vetted” traders in response to a postcode search. But how reliable are they?

In March, I reported how AF of Brighton was left with part of her roof missing after hiring a trader to repair a leak. To ensure that she was not scammed a second time, she sought a roofer to repair the damage on Checkatrade, which promises “guaranteed” traders, “rigorous checks” and “recommendations you can rely on”.

Water watchdog decision on bills in England and Wales delayed until after election, as Thames crisis looms

Ofwat is poised to refuse most water companies’ requests to ratchet up consumer bills, with some getting as little as half of what they have asked for, the Guardian has learned.

The decision from the water watchdog for England and Wales, Ofwat, has been formally delayed until 11 July because of the general election. Its verdict, known as a draft determination, comes amid a growing crisis in the water sector.

Southern Water – 91% to £915

Thames Water – 59% to £749

Hafren Dyfrdwy – 56% to £676

Severn Trent – 50% to £657

Wessex Water – 50% to £822

Yorkshire Water – 46% to £682

Dŵr Cymru – 43% to £702

United Utilities – 38% to £666

South East Water – 35% £330

Pennon – 33% to £644

Portsmouth Water – 31% to £157

SES – 30% to £315

Anglian Water – 29% to £682

Northumbrian Water and Essex & Suffolk Water – 26% to £530

Affinity Water – 25% to £294

South Staffs & Cambridge Water – 24% to £221
Source: Consumer Council for Water
Data note: The figures are estimates which include forecasts for inflation of 2% a year up to 2030 to requests from water companies submitted to Ofwat.

Our survey shows that buying ingredients separately for the meal kits offered by the leading suppliers can save up to 74%,

Consumers who subscribe to “recipe box” delivery services can save up to 74% of the cost of the meals by buying the ingredients separately in the supermarket, research by the Observer has found.

Analysis of the contents and prices of some of the most popular meal kits shows that buying the individual ingredients is far cheaper – even if you have to get whole bottles of sauce or packets of rice.

Whether you are taking the DIY route or employing someone more skilled, there are ways to save money

• DIY tips: low-cost ways to give your home an upgrade

Whether you are DIYing it all yourself or getting tradespeople in, there are ways to cut some of the costs associated with sprucing up your home.

It was hit by an uninsured driver after they bought it to accommodate a wheelchair for my disabled mother

My parents’ car was hit by an uninsured driver. They were taken to hospital but suffered no serious injuries. The repair was being organised by their insurer, Saga, but four months later they are still waiting for the return of their damaged vehicle. This is causing significant hardship since my mother is disabled and the car, a Volkswagen T-Roc, was recently purchased to accommodate her specialist wheelchair.

Saga initially insisted they were only entitled to a compact courtesy car because it had erroneously recorded that my father was at fault for the accident. I complained to Saga’s head office but received no reply. Four days after the collision, Saga told my father that its chosen garage had refused the repair job, and that he should find another garage. My sister rang the garage in question, which claimed it had not turned down the job, and that it was waiting for the car to be brought in.

Countryside semis are strongest-performing property type, with average price up 22% over five years

Rural areas have trumped towns and cities in house price growth over the past five years, with a semi in the countryside the top-performing property type, according to data for Great Britain.

The figures, issued by the mortgage lender Nationwide, showed that average house prices in predominantly rural areas rose by 22% over the period, compared with 17% in predominantly urban areas.

Attempts by cultural organisations to increase social diversity instead echo the Victorians’ demonisation of the ‘lower orders’

Imagine the scene. It’s a small organisation within the creative industry – an arts centre, perhaps, or a theatre group. Around a table sit people trying to craft a job ad for a senior management role. All recognise the need for increasing diversity, to encourage applications from social groups unrepresented within the organisation.

“One group often left out,” says one of the discussants, “is the working class.” “True,” says another. “But I think many working-class people are not actually working. They may be unemployed or claiming benefits.” “Or they may have been forced into a life of crime,” observes the first. “Or perhaps they are part of the underclass.” So, they craft a line to incorporate those distinct experiences: “We welcome and encourage applications from individuals who identify as working-class, benefit class, criminal class and/or underclass.” “Perfect,” everyone agrees.

With a little imagination and a bit of work, rooms can be transformed without blowing the budget

With summer fast approaching, it is the perfect time to put on your old paint-splattered shirt and do some DIY, giving your living spaces a new lease of life.

We have gathered advice from experts on how to elevate your home’s interiors without breaking the bank.

Billionaire developer jokes he in fact spends no time at penthouse with record-breaking £175m asking price

The billionaire British property developer Nick Candy has said he only spends about 20 days a year in his £175m penthouse flat at One Hyde Park in London.

Candy, 51, who developed the “superluxe” Knightsbridge apartment building overlooking the royal park and acquired one of the flats for himself, said it irritated him that he was paying service charges of up to £161,000 a year (or £3,000 a week) when he was rarely there. The development has a private cinema, 21-metre lap pool, as well as sauna, gym, golf simulator, wine cellar, valet service and room service from the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel next door.

Learn the right way to haggle, take a load of small change … and get in early

Car boot sales are a great place for bargain hunters hoping to save money on everything from clothes to antiques. Larger, well-established sales tend to attract a wider variety of sellers and items, increasing your chances of finding a deal.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

We analyse a key point of contention in the general election campaign: the government’s record on pay, housing, energy and food bills

It is a simple question – and it will be at the heart of the general election campaign. After 14 years of Conservative government, people are asking: am I any better off?

After his wife died in childbirth, Aaron Horsey found he did not have automatic right to paternity leave

A father who was left without the right to parental leave after his wife died in childbirth has won a change to the law in England, Wales and Scotland on the last day of this parliament.

Aaron Horsey found himself battling bureaucracy as well as grief after his wife, Bernadette, 31, died while giving birth to their son, Tim, at Royal Derby hospital in 2022.

Drop from £1,690 driven by fall in wholesale gas prices but household bills still substantially higher than three years ago

• Business live – latest updates

The energy price cap in Great Britain will fall 7% to the equivalent of £1,568 a year this summer after a drop in wholesale gas prices.

Set by the energy regulator Ofgem, the cap reflects the average annual dual-fuel bill for 29m households and takes effect from July until the end of September.

From a beachfront property to a country house in gardens designed by a Chelsea flower show winner

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Unite union says workers are being ‘fleeced’ by supermarket’s changes to pension contribution rules

Almost 1,000 workers at two Morrisons warehouses will strike for the next three days over a cut in company contributions to their pensions which they say is worth up to £10m a year.

The warehouse stock controllers, cooks, canteen staff, and administrators at the sites in Gadbrook, Cheshire, and Wakefield, West Yorkshire, who earn between £12 and £13 an hour, say they will lose out by an average of £500 a year each from the company’s plan to reduce how much it puts into their pension pot while forcing workers to pay more.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Inquiry follows concern over rising treatment costs and could cap prescription fees or break up pet-care chains

The UK competition regulator has launched a formal investigation into the £2bn veterinary market, over concerns that pet owners could be overpaying for medicines and are not always aware of the best treatment options available.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Thursday it was pushing ahead with a review of the sector in a move that could result in prescription fees being capped and leading pet-care chains being forced to break up.

Charity says tech problems and poor customer service mean millions in Great Britain missing out on promised benefits

The number of gas and electricity smart meters that are not working properly is likely to be higher than government figures suggest – possibly 20% to 30% of the total – according to research from Citizens Advice.

The charity said millions of households were missing out on the promised benefits from smart meters due to “problems with technology” and poor supplier customer service.

Earlier this month the Federal Reserve hit the pause button on interest rate hikes, providing a window of opportunity for savers to take advantage of elevated returns on deposit accounts.

At its meeting on May 1, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decided to keep the federal funds rate unchanged at a range of 5.25% to 5.5%. This follows a string of 10 consecutive rate increases dating back to March 2022 in an effort to cool inflation. Here's what to know about the Fed's rate pause, and what it means for your savings.

What the Fed's rate pause means for you

While mortgage rates and loan payments have risen sharply as a result of the Fed's actions, savers have been big beneficiaries. Banks and credit unions have been forced to raise yields on savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CDs) to attract and retain deposits.

The FOMC meets approximately every six weeks to assess economic conditions and determine if adjustments to the federal funds rate are warranted. The Fed signaled this is likely the peak for rates on savings vehicles like high-yield accounts and CDs.

Tips for savers

Here are ways savers can take advantage of current interest rates and maximize returns on their savings:

• Shop around for the highest rates from online bank and credit unions. Rates can vary widely, so it pays to compare.

• Consider building a CD ladder by buying CDs of different maturity terms like 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, etc. This allows you to capitalize on rising rates.

• Look into money market accounts, which often have slightly higher yields than standard savings accounts.

• Evaluate annual percentage yields (APYs) rather than just stated interest rates to understand the actual return factoring in compounding interest.

With this rate pause, now is an ideal time for savers to lock in attractive yields on their deposits before rates inevitably start trending lower again.

The deal won approval of 89% of voting shareholders, lining up Richard Branson for a £724m windfall from sale

Virgin Money shareholders have voted in favour of a £2.9bn takeover by rival lender Nationwide Building Society, helping clear the path for the biggest UK banking deal since the financial crisis.

Just over 89% of voting shareholders said yes to the deal at a general meeting on Wednesday, while nearly 11% rejected the move. The resolution required at least 75% backing to pass.