Latest news with #CASS
Economy ME
18 hours ago
- Science
- Economy ME
Could life exist underground on Mars or Enceladus? NYUAD study says yes
A groundbreaking study from NYU Abu Dhabi has revealed that cosmic rays — high-energy particles from space — could provide the energy needed to support life beneath the surfaces of planets and moons in our solar system. The research, published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, challenges long-standing beliefs that life requires sunlight or geothermal heat to survive. Led by Dimitra Atri , principal investigator of the Space Exploration Laboratory at NYUAD's Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS), the study shows that cosmic rays may not only be harmless in certain subsurface environments, but could actively fuel microscopic life. The process, known as radiolysis, occurs when cosmic rays interact with water or ice underground, breaking water molecules and releasing electrons. Enceladus (Saturn's moon) – NASA Read: MBRU scientists publish first Arab Pangenome Reference in major genomic breakthrough Energy source for microorganisms Some Earth bacteria use these electrons as an energy source, much like plants rely on sunlight. Using advanced computer simulations, the team examined how much energy radiolysis could generate on Mars and on the icy moons Enceladus (Saturn) and Europa (Jupiter). Enceladus showed the highest potential to support life, followed by Mars and Europa. Research breakthrough 'This discovery changes the way we think about where life might exist,' said Atri. 'Instead of looking only for warm planets with sunlight, we can now consider places that are cold and dark, as long as they have some water beneath the surface and are exposed to cosmic rays. Life might be able to survive in more places than we ever imagined.' Radiolytic Habitable Zone The study introduces the concept of the Radiolytic Habitable Zone — a new way of identifying potentially life-supporting environments not based on proximity to a star, but on the presence of subsurface water and exposure to cosmic radiation. This expands the possibilities for habitable worlds beyond the traditional 'Goldilocks Zone', also known as the habitable zone. It is the region around a star where a planet's temperature is suitable for liquid water to exist on its surface. Redefining future space exploration The findings provide critical direction for future space exploration. Rather than focusing solely on surface conditions, missions may begin targeting underground environments on Mars and icy moons, using instruments designed to detect the chemical energy generated by cosmic radiation. The research opens exciting new frontiers in the search for extraterrestrial life, suggesting that even the darkest, coldest places in the solar system could harbor the necessary conditions for life to survive.
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
New TSB switching offer includes up to £310 in cash and rewards plus prize draw
The top prize includes flights, airport transfers, four-star hotel accommodation in Toronto and Niagara Falls plus meals and tourist excursions. Customers switching to a TSB Spend and Save or Spend and Save Plus current account can now receive a £100 bonus, and £90 in cashback in the first six months of opening, plus a choice of two rewards. This follows closely on from TSB's last switching offer which ended in June. To be eligible, customers must open a Spend and Save or Spend and Save Plus account - through the TSB Mobile Banking app, the TSB website or in branch - using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS). The switch must be complete by September 22, 2025. To receive the £100 switching bonus, customers must log into the TSB Mobile Banking app and make at least five payments using the debit card on their account before September 22, 2025. The £100 bonus will be paid between October 6 and 12, 2025. Up to the first six months, TSB is also offering customers the chance to earn triple cashback of £15 each month when they make at least 20 debit card payments in the calendar month. This means customers can earn a total of £90 and any cashback will be automatically paid in the next calendar month. If customers make 20 debit card payments in February 2026 and meet the conditions for the £100 switching bonus, they can choose a treat in March 2026 with two options. These include: £120 voucher for a hotel of their choice Access to 12 months of activity tickets for hundreds of UK attractions Surina Somal, Everyday Banking Director at TSB, said: 'It's great to be out again offering customers more brilliant reasons to bank with TSB. On top of the many great features and benefits that TSB current accounts already provide, we're always looking for ways to reward new and existing customers - and our latest switching offer and exciting prize draw do just that." Prize Draw The prize draw will run every month until the end of December with at least 28 winners each month. For the first few months (July to October), TSB personal current account customers have the chance to win a city break for two to Toronto and Niagara Falls in Canada or £300 Red Letter Day vouchers. To be eligible, customers must have a TSB current account and opt into the prize draw by completing the prize draw entry form on the TSB website. Customers only have to opt in once to be eligible for the prize draw every month. Customers will need to make five debit card payments in the calendar month for entry to the prize draw in the following month. For example, customers need to make five debit card payments in July to be eligible for the August draw. Customers will also receive additional entries for each additional five debit card payments, up to a maximum of four entries per month. Winners: Toronto and Niagara Falls City Break For the first three prize draws, TSB is giving away nine Canadian city breaks for two to Toronto and Niagara Falls. Winners will be picked at random from all eligible customers each month - in August, September and October. The prize includes: Return flights from London to Toronto, Ontario - with private roundtrip transfers in Canada (Airport-Toronto-Niagara-Airport). 3 nights in Toronto, and 2 nights in Niagara Falls - with luxury (4 star minimum) hotel accommodation, including breakfast, based on sharing a double/twin room. 3-course dinners at popular restaurants in Toronto and Niagara, up to the maximum value of £75 per person, including service charge. A 4-hour Toronto highlights tour, including guided driving tour, Toronto Harbour Cruise, and skip-the-line tickets to attractions. 4-hour Niagara Falls tour, including hotel transfers, expert guide, and admission to all areas. Runners Up: £300 Red Letter Day vouchers For the first three prize draws, TSB is also giving away 75 £300 Red Letter Day vouchers. Each month 25 winners will be picked at random from all eligible customers - in August, September and October. The runner-up prizes can be exchanged for over 5,000 experiences including: Spa breaks Supercar track days Indoor skydiving West End theatre tickets Overnight country escapes Iconic football stadium tours Hot air balloon flights What else you need to know Here's a brief overview of the terms and conditions, full details can be found on the TSB website here. Customers must be 18 or over and live in the UK. Terms and conditions apply. Customers only need to register once to be entered into each monthly draw. There will be three further prize draws in November 2025, December 2025 and January 2026, with prizes to be announced in September 2025. Prize draws will take place by the 20th of each prize draw month. Winners will be notified within 10 days of the draw taking place. Runners up will be notified within 45 days of the draw taking place.
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
NatWest making major change to bank accounts – and thousands will pay £100s more
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NATWEST is shaking up its banking charges, leaving thousands of customers facing higher costs for everyday transactions. The bank is making changes to its business current accounts by increasing fees for cash payments, cheque transactions, and certain online transfers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 NatWest said that the new charges will remain fixed until at least September 2027 Credit: PA From August 30, cash payments into and out of business accounts will see their fees surge from 70p per £100 to 95p per £100. Cheque payments, whether processed by hand or via mobile, will also jump from 70p to 75p per cheque. The bank is also increasing some charges related to its BACS payment system. The BACS system is a UK payment network used by businesses to make electronic bank-to-bank transfers, such as Direct Debits and Direct Credits. The fee for processing each individual payment or instruction, will soon rise from 18p to 21p. The cost to process a file containing multiple payments or instructions will also increase slightly from £5.25 to £5.35. Business bank accounts are used by self-employed individuals, small business owners, charities, and community organisations to manage their finances. A spokesperson for NatWest said: "NatWest is changing the prices of some business banking services. "It's been seven years since day-to-day banking charges have changed for our business customers. "The cost of providing services has gone up so we've had to review our charges." Switch bank accounts for free perks NatWest said that the new charges will remain fixed until at least September 2027. However, not all customers will need to pay them, as eligibility depends on individual circumstances. Businesses and organisations with free banking are not affected by the rising charges right now. This includes new businesses with turnover under £1million, who get free banking for their first two years. Charities and community organisations with turnover under £100,000 are also included, as long as they stay eligible. Established businesses with turnover under £2million are covered too, but only for two years after switching accounts using the Current Account Switching Service. NatWest continues to offer business bank accounts without a monthly fee. Several other banks, including HSBC, Virgin Money, Monzo, and Co-operative Bank, also provide business banking with no monthly fees. However, service charges differ, and not all digital banks allow cash deposits or withdrawals. How do I switch bank accounts? SWITCHING bank accounts is a simple process and can usually be done through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS). Dozens of high street banks and building societies are signed up - there's a full list on CASS' website. Under the switching service, swapping banks should take seven working days. You don't have to remember to move direct debits across when moving, as this is done for you. All you have to do is apply for the new account you want, and the new bank will tell your existing one you're moving. There are a few things you can do before switching though, including choosing your switch date and transferring any old bank statements to your new account. You should get in touch with your existing bank for any old statements. When switching current accounts, consider what other perks might come with joining a specific bank or building society. Some banks offer 0% overdrafts up to a certain limit, and others might offer better rates on savings accounts. And some banks offer free travel or mobile phone insurance with their current accounts - but these accounts might come with a monthly fee. What other bank account changes are on the way? Santander customers have been left outraged after the bank revealed it will start charging £120 a year for an account it promised would be "free forever". Thousands of small business and self-employed account holders are facing £9.99 monthly charges from October. This comes despite written assurances that their accounts would always remain free of fees. The changes will impact three types of business accounts: 1|2|3 Business Current Accounts, Business Everyday Current Accounts, and Business Current Accounts. The "free forever" promise applied to accounts offered by Abbey and Alliance & Leicester before the 2008 merger with Santander. The bank first attempted to introduce fees for these accounts in 2012 but backed down after customers threatened legal action. However, these accounts were shifted to the Business Everyday account in 2015, which did not include the "free forever" promise. From October 1, these accounts will be closed, and customers will be automatically switched to Santander's new Business Current Account – Classic. Under the new structure, every Business Current Account – Classic will incur a £9.99 monthly fee, regardless of the type of account customers previously held. While some accounts were free, others offered additional benefits with charges as high as £40 per month. The bank is closing its 123 Lite current account, which offers up to 3% cashback on household bills for a £2 monthly fee, on August 21. Customers affected by the closure will be automatically switched to Santander's Everyday Current Account. This account has no monthly fee but does not include cashback benefits. Meanwhile, customers of Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland will soon lose the ability to deposit their cheques at any of the 11,500 Post Office branches nationwide. From December 31 this year, Lloyds Banking Group will withdraw this service for all customers.
San Francisco Chronicle
17-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Cass: Q2 Earnings Snapshot
ST. LOUIS (AP) — ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cass Information Systems Inc. (CASS) on Thursday reported second-quarter earnings of $8.9 million. The St. Louis-based company said it had profit of 66 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted to account for discontinued operations, came to 38 cents per share. The invoice and payment management company posted revenue of $44.4 million in the period.
Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Santander explains why some customers can't get free cash bonus
Santander is giving eligible banking customers £180 for free Santander has explained who will be eligible for a free £180 payment, with certain banking customers set to receive the cash within a 90 day timeframe. The banking giant announced at the end of May it will be giving the bonuses to both new and existing customers who meet certain criteria - and jump through certain hoops. You'll need to switch to a Santander Everyday, Edge, Edge Up, or Private current account, and this will mean closing your existing account and moving everything across via the Current Account Switch Service (CASS). This handy free service seamlessly transfers any remaining balance, direct debits and payees to your new account, all within seven days. New customers must deposit at least £1,500 into their Santander account within 60 days of requesting the switch. This doesn't need to be one massive lump sum, you can spread it across several payments, and newcomers must also establish at least two active household direct debits within the same 60-day window. There is, however, a catch. Some people won't be eligible, as per Santander's website, which states: "Sorry, we can't offer this if you held a current account with Santander on 1 January 2025 or if you've previously received a Santander switcher incentive." Further advice adds: "Already have an eligible Santander account? Don't worry you might still qualify for the incentive if you opened your account after 1 January 2025. We can switch a current account you hold at another bank to your existing Santander current account." Those who are eligible and successfully make the switch will see the free £180 land in their accounts within 90 days. Anthony Warrington, Head of Banking at Santander UK, said: "Summer is fast approaching, and many people will be saving up for the holidays - whether it be for that trip abroad, festival, or day out with the family. "That's why we're pleased to be introducing our new £180 switcher incentive, providing even more value for customers making the move to Santander. It's a simple, straightforward way to get rewarded for switching, while benefitting from our range of popular current accounts - making your money go that little bit further this summer."
