HMV's Boss Made Redundant: Sky Sources

HMV: The Stores To Close

Updated: 10:42am UK, Thursday 07 February 2013

The 66 stores identified for closure are:

Ashton-under-Lyne, Ballymena, Barnsley, Bayswater, Belfast Boucher Road, Belfast Forestside, Bexleyheath, Birkenhead, Birmingham Fort, Blackburn, Boston, Bournemouth Castlepoint, Bracknell, Burton-upon-Trent, Camberley, Chesterfield, Coleraine, Craigavon, Croydon Centrale, Derry, Dumfries, Durham, Edinburgh Fort, Edinburgh Gyle Centre, Edinburgh Ocean, Edinburgh Princes Street, Edinburgh St James, Falkirk, Fulham, Glasgow – Fort, Glasgow – Silverburn, Glasgow Braehead, Huddersfield, Kirkcaldy, Leamington Spa, Leeds White Rose, Lisburn, Loughborough, Luton, Manchester 90, Moorgate, Newry, Newtonabbey, Orpington, Rochdale, Scunthorpe, South Shields, Speke Park, St Albans, St Helens, Stockton-on-Tees, Tamworth, Teesside, Telford, Trocadero, Wakefield, Walsall, Walton-on-Thames, Wandsworth, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wood Green, Workington, Wrexham.

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Lloyds Eyes Branches Float Amid Co-op Doubts

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Millions of high street bank customers face further uncertainty amid growing concern that a takeover of more than 630 branches by the Co-operative Group will be abandoned.

I have learnt that Lloyds Banking Group, which is 41%-owned by UK taxpayers, is stepping up plans for a flotation of the branches despite having agreed an £800m sale to the Co-op last year.

The move has been triggered by doubts about the ability of the two sides to complete the deal, according to people familiar with the discussions between the two banks.

One insider said this week that the Co-op was in active talks with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) about a string of issues related to the deal, one of which was about the capital position of its banking division.

"There has been no change in the tone of the discussions with the regulator," a person close to the talks said.

Codenamed Project Verde, the 632-branch network has to be sold in return for the state aid required to rescue Lloyds at the height of the 2008 banking crisis.

If the deal does collapse, it would be the second-such abandonment following Santander UK's withdrawal from a deal to acquire more than 300 branches from Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) late last year.

People close to Lloyds insisted that its preferred option remained the deal with the Co-op but conceded that it was accelerating preparations for a demerger of the Verde business onto the public markets.

In a statement on Friday, a Lloyds spokesman said: "We are continuing negotiations with Co-op and are making good progress in creating a stand-alone challenger bank. We expect to have a separate TSB branded bank on the UK high street from the summer."

The Co-op is likely to provide an update on the Verde talks when it announces annual results at the end of March.

A collapse of the deal would be an embarrassment to George Osborne, the Chancellor, who has hailed the takeover by the Co-op as an important step towards fostering greater competition in Britain's high street banking market.

The Verde network has well over three million customers and a market share that would alone make it Britain's seventh-biggest bank.

Growing pressure on UK lenders to bolster their capital positions from the new Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England has, however, placed greater focus on the structure of the Verde deal, according to people close to it.

The Co-op declined to comment.

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EU Leaders Agree Historic Budget Deal

EU Budget: A Classic Compromise

Updated: 6:21pm UK, Friday 08 February 2013

Accounting sleight of hand has been used to secure the approval of member states, while the EU institutions grumble on the sidelines.

Germany hailed a "good and important" deal, for Spain it was "good news", while Italy declared the deal to be "satisfactory".

For David Cameron the negotiations, which see the budget reduced for the first time in 56 years, were a "success" but must not be "oversold".

So smiles all round, because few "red lines" were crossed.

That made it an extremely difficult task for European Council president Herman van Rompuy.

He had to make convincing cuts to the EU's seven year budget ceiling, while protecting rebates, the common agricultural policy, structural and cohesion funds (designed to give a helping hand to struggling regions) and try to boost projects aimed at plumping growth.

The negotiators were left with little wiggle room - so a programme called "Connecting Europe" got it in the neck.

That is a 50bn euro project designed to finance large-scale infrastructure projects across the union from motorways to digital highways. Its grant was slashed by a quarter.

That, together with a cut to plans to kickstart investment in poorer areas of the EU, was met with howls of outrage from the European Parliament which, under the Lisbon treaty revision, can now reject the package and send it back to the Council.

The Parliament's president Martin Schulz said the gap between the commitment ceiling (the money which can be promised to fund future projects) and the payment figure (the EU's actual credit card limit) is too high.

He warns there is a blocking majority - but as MEPs will vote on the financial framework in a secret ballot, will they really want to start the whole process again with elections looming in 2014?

But this is where the two limits help: budget hawks (UK, the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany) can say they have kept actual spending down, while the countries arguing for more financial assistance can say they limited the hit on spending commitments.

A win-win for many member states; although not in the eyes of many those in the Commission or the Parliament, who see cuts to growth and infrastructure projects as an attack on the EU's core purpose.

The political issue for David Cameron is that he appears to have made good on his promise to achieve at least real-terms freeze.

But that of course does not necessarily translate into a better deal for the British taxpayer, who will still have to fork out more cash as the EU expands east, with poorer countries needing more financial assistance.

At the post deal news conference, he said the net contributions will rise, but by less than had been feared.

This is not because we are generous to a fault. The argument runs that by putting more cash in their pockets of Europe's poorest, it benefits everyone in the single market.

But for the 27 leaders, this constitutes a box ticked. No messy annual budget rollovers and an end to the protracted negotiations which have tied up the so-called sherpas and their number crunchers for months.

It frees them up to concentrate on the even thornier issue of rescuing the single currency.

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Mark Carney Defends Bank Governor Pay Package

The next governor of the Bank of England has been forced to defend his pay and perks package under questioning from MPs.

Mark Carney - the head of Canada's central bank - insisted his more than £800,000-a-year settlement was "equivalent" to that of the current boss, Sir Mervyn King.

He was speaking at his first hearing before the Treasury Select Committee before replacing Sir Mervyn on July 1 following his retirement.

The pay deal, which includes a £250,000 housing allowance, was in line with that of the current governor's on a "pay and pension" basis, Mr Carney said.

He added: "I'm moving from one of the least expensive capital cities in the world - Ottawa - to one of the most expensive capital cities in the world."

Mr Carney, who will become the first foreign governor of the Bank of England in its near 320-year history, will be paid the accommodation allowance on top of a £480,000 salary - well above the £305,000 pay level of Sir Mervyn.

But Erith & Thamesmead MP Teresa Pearce questioned whether he was concerned about "resentment" among Bank of England staff, given that their pay has been frozen for two years.

His comments come as the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the UK's interest rate at 0.5% and left its bond purchase programme, known as quantitative easing, on hold.

Inflation in the UK has remained above the 2% target since the financial crisis began in 2007, and raising interest rates would be one way of helping to bring it down.

But this would hit businesses and consumers in an economy that is struggling to recover - UK GDP contracted by 0.3% in the final three months of 2012.

Mr Carney hinted at more quantitative easing when he took over at the Bank.

"Unquestionably when I come to table there will continue to be considerable slack in the UK economy as evidenced by the labour market and more broadly across industry," he said.

"Unquestionably that will be a situation which merits - for a period of time - considerable monetary policy stimulus."

Mr Carney told MPs he was open to reviewing the UK's monetary policy framework, but said the bar to change should be "very high".

"The flexible inflation-targeting framework should remain broadly in place, but details need to be reviewed and could be changed," he said.

A review happens every five years in Canada, he said, and helps those within the government and bank understand the implications of the current policy.

The incoming governor was asked whether he thought nominal GDP - the cash value of national output without adjusting for inflation - should be targeted instead of just inflation.

But he answered: "I am far from convinced of the merits of moving to nominal GDP targeting.

"But it is a valid as part of the debate if one's looking at a framework."

Mr Carney was also asked for his thoughts on the Libor fixing scandal, a day after RBS was fined £390m by regulators for manipulating the rate.

"The behaviour that's been exhibited and confirmed this week particularly around for example Libor is reprehensible and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law in the various jurisdictions that are affected," he said.

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Findus Beef Lasagne Meals 100% Horsemeat

Tests on Findus beef lasagne have revealed that some of the ready meals were made entirely from horsemeat.

Findus analysed 18 of its beef lasagne products and found 11 meals contained between 60% and 100% horsemeat, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said.

There is no evidence to suggest the horsemeat found in the Findus beef lasagne is a food safety risk, the FSA said.

However, the agency has ordered urgent tests on the lasagne for the veterinary drug phenylbutazone. Meat from animals treated with "bute" is not allowed to enter the food chain in Britain as it may pose a risk to human health.

All food companies have been told to test their beef products, with the FSA saying it was "highly likely" that criminal activity was to blame for the contamination.

Consumers who have purchased the ready meals - produced by French food supplier Comigel on behalf of Findus - have been advised by the FSA not to eat them and return them to the shop they were bought from.

Retail giant Tesco and discount chain Aldi have already withdrawn a range of ready meals produced by Comigel over fears they contained contaminated meat.

Findus UK has already started a full recall of its lasagne products. It withdrew its 320g, 360g and 500g lasagne meals from supermarket shelves as a precautionary measure earlier this week.

It came after Comigel alerted Findus and Aldi that their products "do not conform to specification".

It advised them to remove Findus beef lasagne and Aldi's Today's Special frozen beef lasagne and Today's Special frozen spaghetti bolognese.

Shoppers who have bought the product can get a full refund, says Findus

Findus UK apologised to customers "for any inconvenience caused" - and said anyone who bought the affected lasagne products could get a full refund.

A spokesman said: "We understand this is a very sensitive subject for consumers and we would like to reassure you we have reacted immediately. We do not believe this to be a food safety issue.

"We are confident that we have fully resolved this supply chain issue. Fully compliant beef lasagne will be in stores again soon."

Tesco also decided to withdraw its Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese, which is produced at the same Comigel site.

A Tesco spokesman said: "We are aware of the results of the Findus tests and we will of course assist Findus with their recall process.

"Tests on our frozen Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese product are ongoing under our new DNA testing programme. We will inform our customers of the results as soon as possible."

The FSA, Defra and the Department of Health are working with businesses and trade bodies to enforce food safety and assess whether there are significant levels of improperly described meat in a whole series of processed beef products in the UK, including supplies to schools and hospitals.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: "The presence of unauthorised ingredients cannot be tolerated ... the responsibility and for the safety and authenticity of food lies with those who produce it, and who sell or provide it to the final consumer."

Labour has accused ministers of being "asleep on the job" and has called for a police investigation into what it believes is fraud.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said she was "shocked and appalled" by the latest revelations.

She told Sky News: "The time has come for government ministers to pull their heads out of the sand and to take some swift action.

"We have had three weeks of damaging revelations about what is happening in the meat industry ... there is evidence that criminal gangs are involved in this, and frankly I cannot believe that the Government hasn't called in the police to investigate this in the UK.

"I don't see how we get to the bottom of it without getting in specialist teams and working out who is behind this fraud and why it is happening."

People must have confidence that the food they buy is properly labelled, legal and safe to eat, she added.

Anyone who has purchased a Findus beef lasagne can call the firm's UK customer care line on 0800 132584, those in the Republic of Ireland, 1800 800500, or email careline@findus.co.uk for a full refund.

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EU Budget Deal Plan Set At 960bn Euros

European leaders have agreed the broad lines of a deal on a seven-year budget that would fix total EU spending at 960bn (£820bn) euros.

"We feel pretty confident that we have the framework for a deal," one EU official told reporters.

"The deal is not completely finalised, but we feel sure it will be done today."

The breakthrough came after 15 hours of intense negotiations between countries in the bloc.

The agreement is expected to strike a balance between the demands of northern European countries such as Britain and the Netherlands that wanted a belt-tightening EU budget, and countries in the south and east that wanted sustained spending on farming subsidies and much-needed infrastructure.

Leaders will continue negotiating in the expectation that they can sign off on a final agreement later today, the official added.

Sky News Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones, reporting from Brussels, said: "This is the make or break meeting and leaders, including David Cameron, have been given a draft that lays out the budget."

Officials said around 12bn euros (£10.2bn) would be cut from the last proposal, made at a summit in November when agreement eluded leaders, bringing the headline ceiling for spending down to 960bn over the full 2014-2020 budget.

That represents a decrease of around 3% on the last multi-annual budget - the first time a long-term EU spending plan has seen a net reduction.

While vast in headline terms, in annual terms the budget appropriation amounts to around 140bn euros (£120bn), equivalent to just 1% of total EU economic output.

The draft agreed cuts fell mainly on a new fund for cross-border transport, energy and telecoms projects, which was cut by more than 11bn euros (£9.36bn), and on pay and perks for EU officials - a top target for Britain - which were cut by around 1bn euros (£900m), officials said.

As well as the deal needing to be signed off by all EU leaders today, it must be approved by the European Parliament, an obstacle that could prove difficult.

The European Parliament president has said he will not accept excessive cuts.

Ahead of the summit, France and Britain appeared at sharp odds over the headline numbers, with Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden lining up on Britain's side and Italy, Spain, Poland and others allied with France. Germany was left in the middle.

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RBS Hit With £390m Fine For Fixing Libor

Revealed: The Secret Libor Messages

Updated: 3:48pm UK, Wednesday 06 February 2013

Sexual references, free meals and coded discussions were all part of the communications between RBS staff and others as they abused Libor rate-setting - even after they knew investigators were on the trail.

:: August 20, 2007

Yen Trader 4: where's young [Yen Trader 1] thinking of setting it?

Yen Trader 1: where would you like it[,] libor that is[,] same as yesterday is call

Yen Trader 4: haha, glad you clarified ! mixed feelings but mostly I'd like it all lower so the world starts to make a little more sense.

Senior Yen Trader: the whole HF [hedge fund] world will be kissing you instead of calling me if libor move lower

:: December 5, 2007

Yen Trader 2: FYI libors higher again today

Yen Trader 4: 'ucksake. keep ours low if poss. don't understand why needs to go up in yen

Yen Trader 2: no reason dude[,] [Bank C] and [Bank D] went high yest

Yen Trader 4: send the boys round

Yen Manager: pure manipulation going on

:: April 2, 2008

Senior Yen Trader: i am sure some HF [hedge fund] will complain tomorrow

Yen Trader 1: tough

Senior Yen Trader: we will say we lower every tenor ..1m 3m 6m ..we feel rbs name has very good credit ..no problem getting money in

Senior Yen Trader: good way to boost share price!

:: September 15, 2008

Yen Trader 1: can we lower our fixings today please [Primary Submitter]

Primary Submitter: make your mind up[,] haha , yes no probs

Yen Trader 1: im like a whores drawers

:: August 22, 2007

Yen Manager: Hi Mate, where are u calling the 6m and 3s Libor today?

Yen Trader 1: i put in 1.05 and 1.15

Yen Manager: ok cool...is that close to consensus?

Yen Trader 1: i think my 3s are too high[,] 6s will prob be 1.13 too[,] but i wanted high fixes today

Yen Manager: ok cool[,] its all a random variable for us at this stage it is just we have some small fixings

Yen Trader 1: well let me know if you have any preferencves [sic][,] each day

Yen Manager: thx will do

:: December 3, 2007

Yen Manager: for choice we want lower libors...let the [Money Market] guys know pls

Yen Trader 2: sure i am setting today as [Yen Trader 1] and cash guy off [Primary Submitter]

Yen Manager: great set it nice and low

Yen Trader 2: 1.02 in 6m or lower

Yen Manager: yeh lower

Yen Trader 2: 1.01 then cant really go much lower than that

Yen Manager: ok

Yen Trader 2: u care for 1m and 3m too[?] looks to me like fra map pretty flat

Yen Manager: lower generally dude

Yen Trader 2: cool

Yen Manager: within the acceptable bounds

:: February 15, 2007, showing Libor collusion between RBS and UBS

Yen Trader 2: how many people can u get to put this 1m libor low

UBS Yen Trader: well us[,] [Bank E,] and a few others i think

February 21, 2007

Yen Trader 2: what ur guys calling 3s libor[?] we need to get some low fixes

UBS Yen Trader: .64[,] yes will ask for low low high[,] 1m 3m 6m

Yen Trader 2: our guy agrees but reckons it will be 67[,] not good

UBS Yen Trader: no way! …

UBS Yen Trader: […] make sure your boys set low 1m and 3m

Yen Trader 2: will try though [Yen Trader 1/backup Yen LIBOR submitter] wants high 3s and 6s

UBS Yen Trader: we want high 6's too? don't let [Yen Trader 1] keep 3m high to help [Senior Yen Trader][,] i hate that guy

:: May 7, 2008

UBS Yen Trader: Hi [Sterling Cash Trader] if this is you can you pls ask for a low 6m in jpy for the next few days[.] Hope you are ok, was good seeing you last week[.] Cheers [UBS Yen Trader]

Sterling Cash Trader: Hi mate, I mentioned it to our guy on Friday and he seemed to have no problem with it, so fingers crossed.

:: December 4, 2008, showing Swiss Franc Libor manipulative conduct within RBS

Swiss Franc Trader: can u put 6m swiss libor in low pls?

Primary Submitter: NO

Swiss Franc Trader: should have pushed the door harder

Primary Submitter: Whats it worth

Swiss Franc Trader: ive got some sushi rolls from yesterday? …

Primary Submitter: ok low 6m , just for u

Swiss Franc Trader: wooooooohooooooo[,] 0.01%? thatd be awesome

Primary Submitter: 1.33

Swiss Franc Trader: perfect[.] u r a nice man

:: January 30, 2009

Primary Submitter: libors as requested

Swiss Franc Trader: you a top dog

:: May 5, 2009

Swiss Franc Trader: can we get high 3m, low 6m pls!

Primary Submitter: maybe

Swiss Franc Trader: PPPPLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEEEE

Primary Submitter: ok 41 52

Swiss Franc Trader: perfect perfect

:: May 14, 2009

Swiss Franc Trader: [Primary Submitter] pls can we get super high 3m[,] super low 6m

Swiss Franc Trader: PRETTY PLEASE!

Primary Submitter: 41 & 51

Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that[,] i would lvoe [sic] u forever

Primary Submitter: 41 & 55 then …

Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that i would come over there and make love to you[,] your choice

:: June 26, 2009, :: RBS collusion with interdealer brokers

Interdealer Broker B: Hello mate, [Yen Trader 1]? You all set?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

Interdealer Broker B: Right listen we've had a couple of words with them, you want them lower right?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

Interdealer Broker B: Alright okay, alright listen, we've had a couple words with them. You want them lower, right?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

Interdealer Broker B: Alright okay, alright, no we're okay just confirming it. We've, so far we've spoke to [Bank F]. We've spoke to a couple of people so we'll see where they come in alright. We've spoke, basically one second, basically we spoke to [Bank F], [Bank G], [Bank H], who else did I speak to? [Bank I]. There's a couple of other people that the boys have spoke to but as a team we've basically said we want a bit lower so we'll see where they come in alright?

Yen Trader 1: Cheers.

Interdealer Broker B: Cheers no worries mate.

March 3, 2010, Former Sterling Cash Trader now employed by Interdealer Broker A

Former Sterling Cash Trader: can i pick ur brain?

Primary Submitter: yeah …

Former Sterling Cash Trader: oh[,] we hve a mutual friend who'd love to see it go down, no chance at all?

Primary Submitter: haha [former UBS Yen Trader at Bank C] by chance

Former Sterling Cash Trader: shhh

Primary Submitter: hehehe …

Former Sterling Cash Trader: gotcha, thanks, and, if u cud see ur way to a small drop there might be a steak in it for ya, haha

Primary Submitter: noted ;-)

Former Sterling Cash Trader: 8-)

:: September 19, 2008 RBS Yen Trader engaged in 'wash trades' to compensate brokers

Interdealer Broker B: can you do me a favour … you're not going to get paid any bro for this and we'll send you lunch around for the whole desk. Can you flat…can you switch two years semi at 5 3/4 , 100 yards [meaning 100 billion yen] … between UBS. Just get … take it from UBS, give it back to UBS. He wants to pay some bro. We won't bro you …

Yen Trader 1: Yeah, yeah …

Interdealer Broker B: Yeah. Yeah. 100 yards … actually can you make it 150 and I'll send lunch around for everybody?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

:: November 22, 2010, conduct continues after US investigatrions start

Senior Yen Trader: hey ...you think we be able to convince [Primary Submitter] to change the libor today?

Yen Trader 1: i can try ... at the moment the FED are all over us about libors

Senior Yen Trader: thats for the USD? [$]

Yen Trader 1: ye[]s

Senior Yen Trader: dun think anyone cares the JPY libor

Yen Trader 1: not yet[,] i will walk over ot [sic] them

:: November 24, 2010, reflecting feigned refusal over Bloomberg Chat, immediately followed by agreement in recorded telephone conversation

Senior Yen Trader: was wondering if it suits you guys on hiking up 1bp [base point] on the 6mth Libor in JPY ... it will help our position tremendously

Primary Submitter: how you doing with all the volatilities these days? … to be honest happy with levels we see at the moment

Senior Yen Trader: ok no prob ... wouldn't want to cause any problem ... thanks mate

A telephone conversation commences: Senior Yen Trader: Hello?

Primary Submitter: Morning, [Senior Yen Trader]? Hi, [Primary Submitter].

Senior Yen Trader: Yeah, how are you?

Primary Submitter: I'm pretty good sir. Very Good. We're just not, we're not allowed to have those conversations on [instant messages].

Senior Yen Trader: Oh, sorry about that. I didn't know.

Primary Submitter: (laughter)

Senior Yen Trader: (laughter) Oh because of the, the BBA [British Bankers' Association] thing?

Primary Submitter: Yes, exactly.

Senior Yen Trader: Ah, ok ok.

Primary Submitter: So yeah, leave it with me, and uh, it won't be a problem.

Senior Yen Trader: Ok, great.

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High Street Rescue Plan: Bid To Save Shops

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

High street shops are being given a stark warning - change, or join the growing list of casualties who have collapsed in recent months.

The Government is setting up a national Future High Streets Forum to make sure other retailers do not go the way of HMV, Blockbuster, Jessops and Comet.

Leaders from retail, property and business will try to come up with ways to revitalise town centres, building on work that retail guru Mary Portas has already begun in 27 areas of England.

They will focus on getting the High Street to adapt to meet the changing needs of consumers by offering mentoring.

Local Growth minister Mark Prisk said that involves understanding the biggest threat to retailers.

"We shouldn't underestimate the challenge the online market represents," he said.

"It's a growing part of all our habits as consumers. We must make sure high streets adapt.

Retailers like HMV and Blockbuster have suffered in recent years

"Government has a role in that, at looking to make sure, as we are, that we have strong planning, but also councils have a role, businesses have a role, landlords have a role. We want to bring them all together, drive this forward."

The forum will investigate ways of improving parking, allowing commercial landlords to turn part of their building into residential property to bring more people into town centres, and making sure high streets are given priority when it comes to planning decisions.

It will also look at ways to increase the number of pop-up stores, which is something that Pam Honour, who regularly visits one in central London, welcomes.

She said: "I think it's a lovely idea. It's a nice variety if you go past this street every day, see something different every couple of weeks. Marks & Spencer changes its shop window every two days so why shouldn't a pop up shop do the same?"

Despite more of us turning to the internet to do our shopping, pop-up retailer Sophie Brittain said there was still a place for the high street.

She said: "You still kind of want the aesthetic, the touch, the feel, the smell. In our case we've got soaps and room scents and candles, but when you buy things online you can't know exactly what they're going to be like."

Another pop-up retailer, Nikki Connor, agreed, saying: "I think there's a place for both.

"People still like to go to the High Street and they still like to shop online for ease and to make sure that you get the size that you want, so I think there's room for everybody."

A £1m Future High Street X-Fund will be awarded to areas with the best ideas for rejuvenating their town centres. The winners will be announced in March.

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News Corporation Doubles Quarterly Profits

Strong growth in News Corporation's cable networks helped it double net income in the second fiscal quarter of 2012 over the previous year.

The media conglomerate, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, reported earnings on Wednesday for the quarter that ended December 31.

News Corp's media empire includes Fox Broadcasting, The Wall Street Journal and a 39% stake in BSkyB, the parent company of Sky News.

News Corp said revenue rose 5% last quarter to $9.43bn (£6.02bn), above analysts' expectations of $9.28bn (£5.93bn).

Net income reached $2.38bn (£1.52bn), or $1.01 per share. That compares with a net income of $1.06bn (£680m), or $0.42 per share, in the same quarter of 2011.

Earnings per share came in slightly ahead of analysts' projections at $0.44 per share, factoring in one-time costs related to the UK hacking scandal.

Mr Murdoch said the earnings report reflected the company's "strong momentum".

"The strategies we executed against in the quarter continue to bolster News Corporation's competitive position and enhance our ability to benefit from global demand for content, especially sports programming," he said.

The division that operates the company's newspapers and book publishing reported operating income rose to $234m (£149m) from $218m (£139m) in the same period a year ago.

Its cable network division saw revenue jump 18% year-over-year to $945m (£604m).

News Corp is in the process of splitting its publishing and entertainment operations into two separate, publicly traded companies.

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UK Chip Firm ARM Rides Smartphone Wave

British smartphone chip designer ARM has reported a 20% rise in full-year pretax profit, with nearly every smartphone in the world now containing its technology.

ARM Ltd made an annual pretax profit of £276.5m.

It also reported fourth-quarter profit of £80m, on revenue of £164.2m, which was above forecasts of £75.6m on revenue of £152.2m.

The Cambridge-based group licences its technology to chip makers and receives a royalty on each chip shipped in devices, from tech giants such as Apple and Samsung.

Consumers around the world are increasingly using the Internet on mobile devices rather than on PCs that are powered by processors designed by older firms like Intel.

"Five years ago an ARM processor could be found in just over a quarter of devices that you could use to browse the internet," ARM finance director Tim Score said.

ARM Ltd chief executive Warren East

"Last year, in 2012, three-quarters of Internet-connected screens and devices used an ARM processor in the main chip."

Shares in the group rose to a 12-year high after it said it would at least meet analysts' expectations for revenue in 2013.

The newest smartphones and tablets typically contain multiple ARM-based processors and increasingly ARM graphics as well, helping royalties for the quarter rise 19% to $136.8 million, strongly outperforming the market.

The company recognises royalties a quarter in arrears, so the royalty income came on 2.5 billion chips shipped in the third quarter of the year.

Licensing revenue rose 28% to $158m, with 15 licences signed for ARM's latest Cortex-A processors designed for mobile computing, servers and enterprise computing.

ARM said it expected to continue to outperform the wider semi-conductor market in 2013.

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RBS Chief Gives Up £4m Shares In Libor Exit

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

The head of RBS's investment bank will forfeit millions of pounds in past share awards following political pressure for a prominent scalp from the group's involvement in the global Libor-rigging scandal.

I have learnt that John Hourican, who was brought in to rescue the business after the bank was bailed out by British taxpayers in 2008, is to relinquish roughly £4m in share options awarded to him based on past performance.

He will receive a year's salary in lieu of notice, worth around £700,000.

The details of his exit, including the cancellation of his share options, are expected to be announced on Wednesday by RBS.

Mr Hourican will leave the bank at the end of the month, having overseen a massive winding-down of RBS's investment banking operation during the last four-and-a-half years.

His role is effectively being made redundant by a restructuring of the division, and he is leaving despite the fact that both regulators and the bank's board acknowledge that he had no knowledge of, or involvement in, Libor-rigging misdemeanours.

Mr Hourican was asked by the bank's board to forfeit the £4m he is owed in shares in the last few days, according to insiders, and accepted because he is said to have felt it would be in the best interests of RBS.

In addition, he will not receive any form of bonus or share award for 2012.

The bank, which is 82% owned by UK taxpayers, will on Wednesday agree to pay approximately £400m in fines to UK and US regulators.

The majority of the settlement will cross the Atlantic and will be recouped from past RBS bonus pools, as well as payouts for 2012, following a demand from Chancellor George Osborne.

Around £100m of this will be clawed back from hundreds of senior managers across the RBS markets business, as Sky News revealed last week.

RBS is expected to spell out the details of the clawback arrangements on Wednesday.

Regulatory sources said that the Financial Services Authority (FSA) had told RBS that Mr Hourican retains its confidence and will not be prohibited from taking a future role in the banking industry.

Mr Osborne's intervention underlines the acute political sensitivity surrounding such huge fines being paid by a bank majority-owned by taxpayers.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Osborne hinted that the job of Stephen Hester, RBS chief executive, was safe but added: "It is right that those who are responsible - not just those who are directly responsible, but also those who were doing the supervising - must also bear a level of responsibility."

Last week, Sky News revealed the looming row between RBS and the Treasury over Mr Hourican's share awards.

Mr Hourican is understood to have stepped in to protect the role of Peter Nielsen, who heads the markets business and whose job is now thought to be safe.

"He has shown real leadership over this," one ally of Mr Hourican said.

The discussions between RBS and the authorities had not been completed on Tuesday night, but people close to the talks said that the final settlement is likely to include fines totalling roughly £400m.

Between £85m and £90m of the total will go to the FSA, with the remaining sum split between the US Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The settlement will make RBS the third bank to acknowledge that employees committed abuses of the Libor-setting regime, either for personal gain or to project a false impression of their bank's health.

Barclays was fined more than £290m, with UBS, the Swiss bank, hit by penalties of $1.5bn (£958m).

Emails and instant messages sent by RBS traders will also be released by regulators depicting the brazen way in which they attempted to manipulate the crucial inter-bank borrowing rates.

One of the outstanding issues on Tuesday night was whether RBS would be able to avoid criminal charges as part of the settlement, for which the DoJ has been pressing.

Settlements with other banks will follow in the coming months.

RBS and the FSA declined to comment. Mr Hourican could not be reached.

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Liberty Global Buys Virgin Media

Virgin Media has confirmed it will merge with Liberty Global, as it reports a hike in profit in 2012.

The cash and stock deal - which Liberty said is worth $16bn (£10.3bn) - is subject to approval by shareholders.

The US cable group said the agreement will create "the world's leading broadband communications company" with 25 million customers in 14 countries.

It comes as Virgin Media, which s listed in New York, but has a secondary listing in London, said its operating income for the year to the end of December was £699m - up from £540m in 2011.

The company - in which Sir Richard Branson owns a 3% stake - also said its cable customers were up by 88,700 over the last year.

Liberty Global is chaired by billionaire media mogul John Malone, and already has a strong presence in Europe.

Mr Malone has said previously he would like to enter the UK market and had looked into buying Virgin Media before.

Following news of the merger, Liberty Global's president and chief executive, Mike Fries, said: "Virgin Media will add significant scale and a first-class management team in Europe's largest and most dynamic media and communications market.

"After the deal, roughly 80% of Liberty Global's revenue will come from just five attractive and strong countries - the UK, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands."

And Virgin Media's boss Neil Berkett added: "Virgin Media and Liberty Global have a shared ambition, focus on operational excellence and commitment to driving shareholder value.

"The combined company will be able to grow faster and deliver enhanced returns by capitalising on the exciting opportunities that the digital revolution presents, both in the UK and across Europe."

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Average Household Water Bill To Rise By 3.5%

The average household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales is set to increase by 3.5%.

The average cost of a water and sewerage bill will rise to £388.

Customers in the South East face the biggest rise of  £23 a year.

The South West is close behind with a £22 increase, while families in Yorkshire will pay around £12 more a year.

Customers' bills are helping to pay for a £25bn investment programme to improve the water supply. 

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Barclays Ups Its Mis-Selling Funds By £1bn

Barclays is to increase the funds put aside for mis-selling to consumers and businesses by another £1bn, taking the its total to £2.6bn.

The confirmation of the figure comes after Sky City Editor Mark Kleinman revealed the additional set aside last night.

Kleinman said: "The fund for mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) has gone up by £600m and for the interest rate swaps by £400m."

Barclays is also ultimately likely to have to set aside money for potential Libor-related litigation, following its £290m in fines last summer for manipulating the interbank borrowing rate.

The announcement comes just a week before the bank's new chief executive, Antony Jenkins, unveils a blueprint for rebuilding Barclays' reputation.

Mr Jenkins and Sir David Walker, Barclays' chairman, are due to appear before the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards.

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BP Profit Hit By Gulf Of Mexico Settlement

BP has set aside a further $4.1bn (£2.6bn) to cover costs relating to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, as it reported a fall in profit.

It takes the total cost of the explosion at the company's Deepwater Horizon rig in April 2010 to $42.2bn (£26.8bn).

Earlier this month, BP agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter over its role in the incident - which resulted in the deaths of 11 workers - and pay $4.5bn (£2.9bn) in a record criminal settlement.

A trial in the US is expected to begin later this month.

The oil giant said its underlying replacement cost profit fell 18% to $17.6bn (£11.1bn) last year.

In the fourth quarter, BP's profit was $3.9bn (£2.5bn) - a fall of more than 20% when compared to the same period in 2011.

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Exclusive: Barclays Finance Chief Lucas Quits

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

The group finance director of Barclays is to step down amid an ongoing probe by British regulators into a controversial £7bn capital-raising that allowed the bank to avoid the Government's clutches in 2008.

I can exclusively reveal that Chris Lucas, who has been Barclays' finance director for almost six years, will retire later this year.

The bank will announce Mr Lucas's decision to leave in a statement to the stock market on Monday. Headhunters have been appointed to identify his successor.

It was unclear on Sunday whether Mr Lucas will receive any form of payoff, although insiders described this as "extremely unlikely".

Including bonuses and deferred share awards, Mr Lucas earned almost £4m in each of the last two years.

He was one of several executives who waived an annual bonus for 2012 because of Barclays' involvement in the Libor scandal but may still be in line for an award under the bank's long-term incentive plan for last year.

The news of his retirement will come at an awkward time for Barclays and its chief executive Antony Jenkins, who is attempting to rehabilitate the bank's reputation in the aftermath of a series of scandals.

Barclays has been under investigation for several months by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Financial Services Authority (FSA) for various disclosure issues related to its 2008 fundraisings.

Last week, the Financial Times reported that one of the angles being probed by the authorities was whether Barclays lent the money to Qatari investors which was then used to acquire Barclays shares.

Such an action would be illegal because it would have presented a potentially false impression of Barclays' financial health and attractiveness to outside investors.

There is no suggestion that Mr Lucas or any of the three others under investigation - Richard Boath, a senior investment banker who still works at the bank; Roger Jenkins, the former head of Barclays' lucrative tax-structuring operations; and John Varley, Barclays' former chief executive - are guilty of any wrongdoing, and insiders stressed that Mr Lucas's retirement was unconnected to the inquiries.

The individuals are being investigated by the FSA, while the SFO is looking at the bank.

In July last year, Barclays said in a statement: "The FSA is investigating the sufficiency of disclosure in relation to fees payable under certain commercial agreements and whether these may have related to Barclays capital raisings in June and November 2008. Barclays considers that it satisfied its disclosure obligations and confirms that it will co-operate fully with the FSA's investigation."

A series of share placings and fundraisings in 2008 allowed the bank to raise capital privately and avoid having to take money from the British taxpayer. That enabled Barclays to retain control of its strategy and the ability to continue paying big bonuses in a way which eluded both Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland.

As Barclays' finance director, Mr Lucas has been an architect of the bank's strategy during the last six years.

His earlier career included a long stint at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accountancy firm, where for five years he was the partner responsible for auditing Barclays.

The FSA continues to have confidence in Mr Lucas's ability to do his job.

Mr Lucas's departure later this year will complete a clean sweep of Barclays' top management following its £290m fine for manipulating the interbank borrowing rate Libor last June.

Marcus Agius, the former chairman, was replaced by the City grandee Sir David Walker, while Bob Diamond, chief executive, was effectively forced out by regulators, with Mr Jenkins appointed as his successor. Jerry del Missier had only been chief operating officer for a few days when he also resigned over the Libor scandal.

It is unclear whether Barclays has already drawn up a list of either internal or external potential successors to Mr Lucas although one person close to the bank said it was possible that a replacement would be announced imminently.

Last week Mr Jenkins waived his 2012 bonus days after Sky News revealed that Sir John Sunderland, the chairman of Barclays' remuneration committee, had signalled to investors that the board wanted to award him a significant payout.

Mr Jenkins and Sir David will appear before the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards on Tuesday, when they are likely to be quizzed about the status of the probes into the 2008 capital-raisings, the bank's culture and the protracted mis-selling episodes which are blighting the balance sheets of the major UK banks.

Mr Jenkins will then present his strategy for Barclays alongside the bank's annual results on February 12.

Last month he told employees that they would have to abide by a strict new ethical code of conduct if they wanted a future at the company.

:: Barclays confirmed the two departures at 7am on Monday.

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Triple-Dip Recession May Be Dodged - Report

Britain is set to avoid the feared 'triple-dip' recession, according to a new survey.

Business confidence has now strengthened to the highest level since the second quarter of 2011, the ICAEW/Grant Thornton Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) report has suggested.

The BCM survey suggests GDP will expand by 0.4% in the first quarter of the year, after the 0.3% contraction in the last quarter of 2012.

ICAEW chief executive Michael Izza said: "There was a risk that, combined with the traditional January blues, the bad weather and some high profile retail collapses, talk of a triple-dip recession could become self-fulfilling.

"These results show that we are set to avoid a third period of technical recession, but no one should be complacent.

"There is only one way out of our economic malaise, and that's to increase our economic output. Such a task isn't going to be easy, or indeed quick."

Firms have seen a 1% increase in staff in the last year and plan to increase headcount by another 1.5% over the next 12 months.

One in 10 firms say the availability of management skills is a greater challenge than a year ago, suggesting that companies may struggle to recruit the right people to lead the recovery.

However, although business confidence appears to be widespread, it is most optimistic in Wales and the South East.

The report added that the construction sector, which has been hit hard in recent reporting periods, has renewed confidence along with IT and telecommunications.

Grant Thornton LLP chief executive Scott Barnes said: "Export growth rose slightly this quarter as the global economy picked up.

"This is coupled with an improvement in both profit and turnover growth, which companies expect to increase in the year ahead.

"Despite a rise in confidence though, companies' modest plans for capital investment are a worry as this is crucial to a strong and sustained recovery."

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Osborne Threatens To Break Up Banks

Britain's biggest banks will face "complete separation" if they flout new rules to ring-fence risky operations from savers' deposits, the Chancellor will announce today.

The new legislation will give the Government and a new banking watchdog powers to "electrify the ring-fence" if banks fail to split high street branch operations from the dealing floor.

Launching the Banking Reform Bill today, George Osborne will tell traders that there will be no more "too big to fail".

It comes after the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, which was set up in the wake of the Libor rate-rigging scandal, called for a reserve power for full separation if banks did not implement reforms.

The Bill proposes different bosses for High St and Investment banks

Sky City Editor Mark Kleinman first revealed details of Mr Osborne creating special powers for regulators to break up individual banks if they flout the ring-fencing rules.

Mr Osborne had warned the Commission, against "unpicking the consensus" over reform proposals in the Bill in November, but appears to have heeded their warnings that loopholes could easily develop.

Sir John Vickers, who chaired the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB), has also said he "would not resist" a complete break up of banks if so-called ring-fencing fails to achieve its desired effect.

But the announcement will put the Chancellor on a collision course with the banks, which claim the legislation will damage London's attractiveness as a global financial centre.

Anthony Browne, chief executive of the British Bankers' Association, said: "This will create uncertainty for investors, making it more difficult for banks to raise capital, which will ultimately mean that banks will have less money to lend to businesses."

He said moving away from the universal model of banking undermined banks' ability to provide all the services businesses need.

But Mr Osborne is expected to say: "When the RBS failed, my predecessor Alastair Darling felt he had no option but to bail the entire thing out. Not just RBS on the high street, but the trading positions in Asia, the mortgage books in sub-prime America, the property punts in Dubai.

"I want to make sure that the next time a Chancellor faces that decision they have a choice. To keep the bank branches going, the cash machines operating, while letting the investment arm fail."

Under the Bill investment and high street banks will also have different bosses and a new watchdog will be set up.

Customers will also be empowered and be given the right to switch banks to another provider within a week, under sweeping reforms.

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RBS Told To Pay Libor Fine From Bonus Pot

Chancellor George Osborne wants any fine paid by the Royal Bank of Scotland over the Libor scandal to come out of its bankers' bonuses.

RBS, which is majority-owned by the taxpayer, is expected to agree a fine of £400-500m next week with US and British authorities.

It is accused of attempting to rig benchmark interest rates.

Sky's City Editor Mark Kleinman said: "A Treasury source has told Sky News that the money that the US regulators will fine RBS will have to come out of the bank's bonus pot.

Sky's Mark Kleinman said the demand is politically important

"It's very important politically, I think, for the Chancellor to be able to say that the taxpayer is not bearing the financial cost of misconduct by bankers who work for a company that is majority-owned by the taxpayer.

"The Treasury is obviously playing hardball on this, and we'll find out exactly how much RBS is going to be paying in fines in the coming days."

The Treasury expects the fines to be paid not just from the bonus pot for 2012 - likely to be around £250m - but money from future years' bonus pots as well.

RBS - which is 81% owned by taxpayers - is also looking to claw back up to £100m from pay deals previously awarded to executives in its investment bank.

The bank's remuneration committee, which is chaired by Penny Hughes, a non-executive director, is assessing plans for a "flat tax" on the pay packets of hundreds of directors and managing directors in its markets business.

The idea would involve about 15% of prior-year pay awards to the relevant individuals being clawed back, netting a total of as much as £100m.

"George Osborne is sending out a clear signal: 'You're paying for this, not us'," said Sky's Glen Oglaza.

"What the Treasury are saying is there won't be bonuses paid this year, but actually your bonuses are going to be clawed back not just this year but probably next year and the year after as well."

Barclays was fined £300m last year for its role in the scandal.

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George Osborne Backs Bank Break-Up Powers

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Misbehaving banks could be forcibly broken up, George Osborne is expected to warn the industry, in a move that will pave the way for a further fundamental shake-up of Britain's banking sector.

I understand that the Chancellor is preparing to back a call by the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards for regulators to have powers to split so-called universal banks such as Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) into their separate retail and investment banking components.

An announcement by Mr Osborne, which could come as soon as next week, will lay the foundations for arguably the most radical overhaul ever of British banking.

It would potentially go much further than a plan currently passing through legislation for a ring-fence to artificially separate retail and investment banks but allow both to exist within the same corporate entity.

A senior Treasury source has told me that Mr Osborne and Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, agreed in recent weeks that the Government should back the Parliamentary Commission's blueprint for 'electrifying' the ring-fence. Mr Cable is also expected to publicly support the move next week.

The news will delight Andrew Tyrie, Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission, which was set up last summer by Mr Osborne and David Cameron in the wake of Barclays' £290m fine for rigging Libor benchmark interest rates.

The Chancellor is expected to outline his views in the same week that RBS settles with regulators for its role in the Libor scandal.

RBS, which is 82%-owned by the taxpayer, is likely to pay more than £400m in fines and is fighting to avoid a criminal prosecution by the US Department of Justice.

In the last few days, the industry's reputation has again been dragged through the mire with the City regulator ruling there had been widespread mis-selling of products designed to help small businesses manage the financial impact of sharp rises in interest rates.

"The Coalition is totally joined-up on this," one source said.

The precise detail of how Mr Osborne would want the new reserve powers to operate was unclear on Saturday.

However, he is likely to back the judgement of Mr Tyrie and his colleagues on the commission that the industry regulator should have the ability to identify individual banks which are abusing the ring-fencing framework and pursue – subject to a veto from the Treasury - full separation of that banking group's high street and investment (or "casino", as Mr Cable has dubbed it) divisions.

The Chancellor is also expected to endorse the idea put forward by Mr Tyrie that there should be periodic reviews of the effectiveness of the ring-fence across the banking industry, with the first independent review taking place four years after the new structure is in operation.

Mr Osborne has already set in process far-reaching reforms of bank regulation. The Financial Services Authority, which was created by Gordon Brown in 1997, is to be abolished, and its powers are to be divided between two new bodies: The Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulatory Authority, which will sit within the Bank of England.

In its interim report last month, the Parliamentary Commission warned that banks were likely to attempt to manipulate the ring-fencing system for their own benefit. Mr Tyrie said the current banking reform proposals "fall well short of what is required".

"Over time, the ring-fence will be tested and challenged by the banks. Politicians, too, could succumb to lobbying from banks and others, adding to pressure to put holes in the ring-fence," he said when the report was published in December.

"For the ring-fence to succeed, banks need to be discouraged from gaming the rules. All history tells us they will do this unless incentivised not to. That's why we recommend electrification. The legislation needs to set out a reserve power for separation — the regulator needs to know he can use it. Furthermore, we need periodic reviews of the sector to reassure us that the ring-fence as a whole is working."

The banking industry has lobbied furiously against the electrification move, claiming that the existence of such reserve powers to break them up will deter big City investors from buying their equity and debt.

A powerful City lobbying group, the Association of British Insurers, recently published a report on the investment case for the major UK banks, in which it argued that regulatory uncertainty was among a number of factors preventing investors from being able to commit their money to the industry confident that they would secure a commercial return.

That message will have sting in the tail for Mr Osborne, who is responsible for tens of billions of pounds-worth of taxpayers' investments in Lloyds Banking Group and RBS.

If the investor groups are correct, and the electrification proposal exacerbates that uncertainty, it risks permanently impairing the value of those shareholdings and denting the chances of ever recovering the money injected during the 2008 financial crisis.

Whitehall insiders said that the endorsement of the Parliamentary Commission's report by Sir John Vickers, whose Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) came up with the ring-fencing proposals in 2011, had "tipped the argument in favour of backing Tyrie".

Mr Osborne's move will contain a silver lining for the big banks in that he will not be endorsing the most draconian approach to policing the industry, which would have meant implementing full and immediate separation of each group's retail and investment banking operations.

The Treasury declined to comment on Saturday.

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Google Boss: China Is Prolific Computer Hacker

China operates the most "prolific and sophisticated" computer hacking operation in the world, according to Google chairman Eric Schmidt.

The Chinese are willing to use such underhand technology tactics for industrial espionage that it puts foreign firms at a disadvantage, Mr Schmidt says.

US firms will not retaliate because of tighter laws and a sense of "fair play", he claims.

The Google chief made his views clear in the pages of a book he has written, entitled The New Digital Age, which is out in April.

In it he writes that China is "the world's most active and enthusiastic filterer of information" and "the most sophisticated and prolific" hacker of foreign companies.

Mr Schmidt recently visited North Korea to urge more internet freedom

He continues: "The disparity between American and Chinese firms and their tactics will put both the government and the companies of the United States at a distinct disadvantage" because "the United States will not take the same path of digital corporate espionage, as its laws are much stricter (and better enforced) and because illicit competition violates the American sense of fair play.

"This is a difference in values as much as a legal one."

The book has been co-written with Jared Cohen, the director of Google's 'Ideas' division, and the early drafts have been seen by the Wall Street Journal.

In recent days it has emerged the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News and the New York Times have all had their systems hacked by the Chinese.

Mr Schmidt visited North Korea last month, in an attempt to encourage the regime to allow its citizens greater access to mobile technology and the internet.

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