Blog

Americans tend to overspend during the holiday season.In fact, some borrowers are still paying off debt from last year's purchases.To that point, 28% of shoppers who used credit cards have not paid off the presents they bought for their loved ones last year, according to a holiday spending report by NerdWallet. The site polled more than 1,700 adults in September.  However, this is a slight improvement from 2023, when 31% of credit card users had still not paid off their balances from the year before.More from Personal Finance:Here are the best ways to save money this holiday season2 in 5 cardholders have maxed out a credit card or come closeHoliday shoppers plan to spend moreGrowth in credit card balances has also slowed, according to a separate quarterly credit industry insights report fr...

The UK has unveiled a punchy new climate goal to slash its emissions by 81% by 2035.The government said it is on a mission to "tackle the climate crisis in a way that makes the British people better off" -by investing in clean, home-grown power and cutting ties with volatile fossil fuel markets. Announcing the target at the COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, the prime minister Keir Starmer said: "The race is on for the clean energy jobs of the future, the economy of tomorrow."So far the UK has cut emissions by 50% compared with levels in 1990.The new pledge has gone down well at COP29, where rich, polluting countries like the UK are expected to lead by example among the 200 countries gathered for the talks. Read more:Starmer tells private sector to 'start paying their fair share'The ...

Thirty-five people have been killed and another 43 injured after a motorist drove his car into people exercising at a sports centre in the Chinese city of Zhuhai, police said.A 62-year-old man, identified only by his family name of Fan, was detained at the centre late on Monday. In a statement, police said the vehicle knocked down a "number of" pedestrians. No motive has been given and police said investigations were continuing.It took place on the eve of an annual People's Liberation Army exhibition in the southern Chinese city.Video shared on social media showed emergency services performing CPR on people at the scene, as others were told to leave the area. But searches for the incident on Chinese social media had been heavily censored on Tuesday morning.This breaking news story is being...

Satellite images show that smog in Pakistan can be seen from space, as the country battles record levels of air pollution.Images from NASA Worldview show the east of the country cloaked in a toxic haze, with smog also reaching into India's northern regions and New Dehli. Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab region and home to 14 million people, had an air quality index of more than 400 on Tuesday morning, according to IQAir, which tracks global air quality.Any reading above 300 is considered hazardous - anything between 0 to 50 is considered good.Earlier in November, parts of Lahore had a reading above 1,900, marking a record high. Image: No smog was seen in Punjab region on 10 October 2024. Pic: NASA Worldview IQAir a...

Shell has won its appeal against a climate court ruling that it must sharply reduce its carbon emissions.The oil and gas producer went to the Court of Appeal in the Netherlands following a decision in support of environmental campaign groups in the country, including Friends Of The Earth. That ruling, in 2021, ordered Shell to cut its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels in order to protect Dutch citizens.Money latest: Queue 'for miles' as middle class status symbol goes on sale with 60% offThe emissions curbs included those caused by the use of Shell's products. The judge in the appeal dismissed all the claims against Shell.The company, which exited its dual headquarters structure in The Hague in 2022 to reside only in the UK, had argued that the original district court...

Five more people have been arrested for their suspected involvement in attacks on Israeli football fans in Amsterdam, Dutch police have said.Some 63 suspects had already been arrested after Israeli fans were attacked in the Dutch capital on Thursday following a match between local side Ajax and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the Netherlands would focus all its efforts on bringing the perpetrators to justice."The images and reports for Amsterdam and what we've seen this weekend of antisemitic attacks against Israelis and Jews are nothing short of shocking and reprehensible," he said on Monday.Mr Schoof said police and prosecutors were still piecing together the details of what happened. Explained: What we know about violence in Amsterdam ...