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Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, delves into the Spring Statement, assessing its significance and what the Chancellor is doing to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. While the markets seemed indifferent to the Statement, it is becoming clear that the days of a "floating all boats" market are over. With increased volatility, it is now very much a stockpicker's market.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivers his statement, unabridged and with no additional comment. Major initiatives include a 5p/litre cut in fuel duty for 12 months, simplification and relief for energy saving home improvements, a doubling of household support via local authorities, a £3,000 increase in the National Insurance threshold, and a promise to cut the basic rate of income tax from 20p/£ to 19p/£ by the next election; plus reform of training, R&D credits and capital-raising.

The sight of Putin seeking to rally his 'supporters' at Moscow’s Luzhynik Stadium is nothing new: the use of mass charisma as a tool for controlling people goes back millennia, and remains a major challenge for those who believe in individual liberty. This week we look at how the technique, recognised by German sociologist and political economist Max Weber as one of three tools of political domination, is used to inject a subconscious herd mentality into humanity and how, at a personal level, it can be controlled. Accompanying music is 'Russian Dance' by Joey Pecoraro

It's a hat trick. After all those years of waiting in vain for a rate rise after the financial crisis, now the Bank of England has the wind in its sails and has raised rates three times since December. The shift up in the base rate to 0.75% hardly takes rates into the stratosphere but moving from 0.1% to here in four months stands at serious odds with the lower for longer mantra that dominated the past decade and a bit of central bank thinking. It's being done to combat inflation that's now forecast to hit 8% (or maybe higher admits the Bank). The irony is that interest rate rises will do little to tackle imported inflation. So is the Bank making the right moves? Is it right to try to crack down on inflation now, or is it putting the Covid recovery at risk? And what does this mean for savers, borrowers and investors? Tanya Jefferies, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss the rate hike - if you can call a quarter point rise a hike - and how much more of this may be coming down the line. Plus, what are the best shares and funds to stash in your ISA in volatile times, do you have to pay tax on a £20,000 bitcoin profit, and would you swap your device trash for cash at Currys?

You probably can’t meet with the CEO of a company on your watch list, but you have some tools to evaluate them. Motley Fool Senior Analyst John Rotonti talks with fellow analysts Auri Hughes and Alyce Lomax about how to spot great business leaders. We also break into our archives to share a 2012 interview with former Costco CEO Jim Sinegal. Both conversations discuss identifying great corporate leaders, how excellent CEOs balance stakeholder needs, and why company culture is one of the most important competitive advantages. Plus - Want more tips for evaluating a CEO? https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/08/28/esg-investing-how-to-evaluate-a-ceo-using-the-4-cs.aspx

Adam Cox is joined by Katherine Mathieson, Chief Executive at the British Science Association (BSA), to discuss new research for British Science Week which shows scientists are at the top of the list of most trusted people in the country. They look at how the BSA is challenging stereotypes of science and scientists, in addition to how the public can get more involved in science for British Science Week. www.britishscienceassociation.org

Adam Cox is joined by Davies Roberts, Co-Founder of Flare Audio, for World Hearing Day to discuss the issue of sound sensitivity and how prevalent it is within society. Davies discusses what Calmer earbuds are and how they work, and the response the brand has had for the groundbreaking tech. https://www.flareaudio.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Dr Zbigniew, from Algocells, to talk about news research revealing the prevalence of joint pain suffered by the public. They discuss the common joint concerns Dr Zbigniew sees in patients, and how the innovative treatments used by Algocells aims to tackle the 'pain problem' in the UK. https://www.algocells.com/

Imagine if we could look back at past events within our lifetime - that's the theme of the movie 'Reminiscence', where technology enables such experiences; for parents that may provide a helpful way to re-visit memories linked to emotions. Adam Cox explores the use of hypnosis to enable us to re-connect with moments in the life of a child.

Russia's stock market was supposed to open this week. Even if you don't own Russian stocks directly, you may own them through global funds or ETFs. Bill Mann discusses how Russia's market remained closed, the potential for Russia to default on its debt, The one thing every U.S. investor should do if they have exposure to Russian stocks, Chinese stocks suddenly rebounding on comments from the central government. Plus - why he believes the turnaround is a "yellow flag" for investors