European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi says Eurozone recovery ‘dampened’ by Brexit uncertainty September 8, 2016 Mario Draghi, chief of the European Central Bank (ECB), said today that the economic recovery in the Eurozone is likely to be dampened – partly because of the UK's Brexit vote. Euro area GDP was up by 0.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter and incoming data points to ongoing growth in the third [...]
Going wireless for the iPhone 7? Here’s our pick of the best Bluetooth headphones of 2016 September 8, 2016 B&O BeoPlay H8 £399, beoplay.com The soft lambskin muffs on the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H8s are the most comfortable things you’ll ever place against your ears. Those luxury materials are matched by the huge sound quality, crisp mids and clear, honeyed bass. It’s the sort of fidelity you’d expect from a pair of wired headphones. [...]
ECB leaves rates unchanged and confirms it will run QE until March 2017 September 8, 2016 The European Central Bank (ECB) has left rates unchanged once again at today's meeting of the general council. The euro rallied on the news, rising 0.69 per cent against the pound to £0.84825, and up 0.44 per cent against the dollar, to $1.1288. The interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility [...]
Labour MP Jonathan Reynolds secures triumph in the all-important Westminster Dog of the Year contest September 8, 2016 You might think it has been a tough year for Labour MPs, but many will no doubt be relieved to find that one of their number has secured an outstanding triumph. Not Sadiq Khan, the Labour politician with the largest popular mandate in the country. But Greater Manchester MP Jonathan Reynolds, whose proud pooches – [...]
Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia ban use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7s September 8, 2016 Three Australian airlines have banned the use of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 on board over fears that they could set fire on board. In a move that could be mirrored by other airlines, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia said that passengers would not be able to operate the phones during flights. The carriers said that [...]
Easyjet boss says Brexit vote had impact on demand September 8, 2016 The boss of budget airline Easyjet said today that Britain's vote to leave the EU in June had a short-term impact on UK consumer demand for holidays after sterling fell against the euro – but appetite for holidays had since normalised. "We took a consumer hit because people think 'oh my God Europe's more expensive', that normalises," Carolyn [...]
Fyffes tucks into its second portion of mushrooms after taking purchases past £100m for the year September 8, 2016 Banana-giant Fyffes announced its second foray into the mushroom market this year after revealing it had purchased Canadian producer All Seasons for CA$59m (£34m). Irish-based importer Fyffes mushroomed its Canadian portfolio in April when it purchased Highline Produce Limited for CA$145m. It funded the purchased through drawing down on new and existing debt. The All Seasons purchase was also [...]
UK sets up new trade group with India to prepare for future deal following Brexit September 8, 2016 Britain has set up a new working group with India to help prepare for possible trade deals after Brexit has completed. The UK can't agree trade deals with other countries until it has formally exited the EU, a process that could take years. However, the government has said that won't stop it from preparing for the [...]
Post Office workers set to strike next week September 8, 2016 Thousands of workers will be carrying out a 24-hour national strike next week due to a dispute about branch closures, jobs and pensions. The strike – planned for 15 September and organised by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) – comes after the Post Office announced it would be closing its pension scheme. Eighty-three per cent of CWU [...]
Nearly three per cent of UK workers have reported they are now on a zero-hours contract September 8, 2016 Almost three per cent of the UK's workforce has reported being employed on a zero-hours contract basis in their main job, according to new figures. Data released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the number of people on zero-hours contracts, which do not guarantee staff a certain number of hours' work, rose by [...]