Hedge fund manager new to Bank of England MPC severs links with old firm
Gertjan Vlieghe announces he will be bought out of Brevan Howard and maintains there was no conflict of interest despite others’ concerns A hedge fund manager appointed to the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC) has succumbed to pressure about potential conflicts of interest by severing financial links with his former employer. The appointment […]
Portland's bridge-hangers and 'kayaktivists' claim win in Shell protest
In two of the most daring days in the modern environmental movement, Greenpeace activists set social media ablaze and, despite the Fennica’s moving on toward the Arctic, hailed the action as a ‘historic achievement’ They were two of the most daring days of the modern environmentalist movement: Greenpeace protesters, suspended from a bridge above – […]
Supermarkets could stop hiring over-25s to avoid national living wage, say analysts
Credit rating agency Moody’s warns big four may close stores or try to avoid employing people eligible for rise to £9 an hour by 2020 Supermarkets could close stores and try to avoid employing over-25s to cover the cost of implementing a new “national living wage”, the influential credit rating agency Moody’s has warned. Its […]
Fuel cell industry charges forward thanks to big corporate customers
Businesses that want low-carbon, reliable distributed power are turning to fuel cells which, if costs come down, could compete with solar and wind energy for these deep-pocketed customers Unlike solar panels or wind turbines, fuel cells are usually hidden from sight. But a growing number of big companies are relying on these mini power plants […]
Poundland puzzles over how to keep it cheap and in reach
CEO Jim McCarthy has to convince the regulator about the merits of its takeover of rival 99p Stores and expand successfully in a crowded market If you gave Poundland’s chief executive a quid every time he says “amazing value” while accompanying him to a store, your outlay would be considerably more than the £4.72 that […]
A bionic hand in five days: how tech innovation is changing lives
Assistive technology is giving disabled people more control over their lives, but businesses and charities have a long way to go on accessibility and affordability In the UK, more than 11 million people live with a limiting long-term illness, impairment or disability, according to government statistics. More than one in four disabled people, meanwhile, say […]
Tsipras denies 'secret plan' to take Greece out of euro – as it happened
Greek prime minister defends emergency plans for Grexit: Varoufakis may have bad dress sense, but he’s no crook Troika talks begin in Athens to thrash out details of €86bn bailout Athens stock exchange to reopen on Monday Eurozone unemployment stable at 11.1%; Italian youth unemployment at record high of 44.2% Chinese shares suffer worst month […]
Cyber attack hits RBS and NatWest online customers on payday
Banking group says Distributed Denial of Service attack prompted flood of complaints from customers The RBS banking group has revealed it suffered a cyber attack on its online services that left customers struggling to log on for nearly an hour – just as monthly pay cheques were arriving in accounts. The group, which boasts 6.5m […]
Martin Lewis nets £25m after selling Moneysupermarket.com shares
Personal finance journalist Lewis sold 9m shares at £2.80, reducing his stake in the website from 3.1% to 1.5% Martin Lewis, the personal finance journalist, has made £25.2m after selling a large portion of his shares in the price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com. Related: Moneysupermarket.com founder pulls out of £95m share sale Continue reading… Source: The […]
Child free fashion: a new label aims to end exploitation
A foundation is piloting a label to guarantee clothes are child labour free, but when auditing failed to prevent tragedies like Rana Plaza, campaigners doubt its ability to create change Children are ubiquitous in the fashion supply chain: from the cotton farms of Uzbekistan, to the mills of India and the tanneries and factories of […]