Business minister Matt Hancock apologises after homophobic retweet October 2, 2014 Business minister Matt Hancock has said he is “incredibly sorry” after retweeting a message including a homophobic slur. Hancock had been engaging in a bit of #NationalPoetryDay fun – aimed at the Labour party – when his enthusiasm appeared to get the better of him. After composing his own gaff-free limerick about “a [...]
City A.M. appoints new editor and executive editor as title marks huge rise in digital reach October 2, 2014 City A.M., London's most popular business newspaper, has today named David Hellier as its new editor. He will work alongside Marc Sidwell, who is appointed executive editor across all of the paper’s platforms. Hellier, 54, has been at City A.M. for eight years. He has been deputy editor for the past six years, including one [...]
ECB leaves interest rates unchanged October 2, 2014 The European Central Bank (ECB) has left its headline interest rate untouched at 0.05 per cent where it has been since early last month. The inaction was widely expected but today Mario Draghi has other big fish to fry. The bank's president is set to clarify the ECB's intentions for the asset-backed security purchasing programme [...]
Ebola outbreak: UK cuts “compromise fight” against epidemic October 2, 2014 Cuts in the amount of aid given to Liberia and Sierra Leone by the UK have “compromised the fight” against the Ebola epidemic, MPs have claimed. Before the outbreak began in West Africa in February, the UK government slashed the health aid it gave to the two countries by nearly a fifth. Now, the [...]
Uber taxi app is no threat to London’s black cab says TfL commissioner October 2, 2014 Uber does not pose an imminent danger to London's iconic black cab. So says Transport for London (TfL) commissioner Sir Peter Hendy. Speaking at the Guardian's transport debate held during the Conservative party conference, Hendy argued the fury directed toward the San Francisco-based company had been largely "misplaced". In fact, Hendy was optimistic that there [...]
Bank of England backs move for greater powers over mortgage lending as it warns over financial instability posed by housing market October 2, 2014 The Bank of England has warned that the UK housing market represents a continued risk to financial stability, backing government calls for greater powers to cap mortgage lending for homes and buy-to-let properties. The BoE's Financial Policy Committee has come out in support of George Osborne's suggestion, which was initially put forward over the summerand reiterated [...]
Here’s how you might benefit from Tory tax cuts October 2, 2014 Well, it's the morning after the night before and policy wonks and media hacks are digesting David Cameron's pledge for a host of tax cuts if the Tories win next year's general election. In a widely praised conference speech, the Prime Minister told his party they would fight the next election on a platform of [...]
2022 Winter Olympics: Only two countries are interested in hosting the event October 2, 2014 There is less than a year to go until the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decide who will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, yet as things stand it is not going to have much to choose from. Oslo has withdrawn from consideration after the Norwegian government rejected financial backing due to the high costs involved, [...]
Quiz: Just how City are you? October 2, 2014 Do you know your put options from your call options? Can you explain an interest rate swap without thinking? Are you more accustomed to quaffing champagne than spending the evening nursing a pint? We all know a Gordon Gekko wannabe – but how much of a City boy/girl are you? Find out how [...]
Do sharks have personalities? Yes, they do October 2, 2014 It sounds like the most terrifying social event on the planet – lots of sharks coming together for a gathering. According to a new study in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, sharks can have gregarious personalities which cause them to assemble no matter what environment they are in. Some sharks, however, politely [...]