London mayor Boris Johnson backs paid internships in London at national minimum wage, “if not the London Living Wage” March 5, 2015 London mayor Boris Johnson has backed calls to take action on the scourge of unpaid internships blighting the prospects of young people in the capital. It's understood to be the first time the mayor has outlined his position on the issue, saying he supported paid internships and encouraged businesses employing interns to pay at least [...]
ECB will launch €1 trillion bond buying programme on 9 March March 5, 2015 The European Central Bank (ECB) said it will launch its €1 trillion quantitative easing programme on 9 March, in a bid to ward off a deflation death spiral and kick start economic growth throughout the ailing region. "We will on 9 March 2015 start purchasing euro-dominated public sector securities in the secondary market," ECB governor [...]
New Look adds to regeneration of east end of Oxford Street March 4, 2015 FASHION retailer New Look is to open a flagship store at the east end of Oxford Street, helping to drive further change at the notoriously dowdy end of London’s largest shopping street. Property firm Great Portland Estates said yesterday that it has pre-let a third of its huge 90,500 square feet development at 73-89 Oxford [...]
David Cameron agrees to one TV debate featuring seven party leaders March 4, 2015 David Cameron has put his cards on the table and agreed to just one TV debate that would feature seven party leaders and last 90-minutes. Downing street said this was its final offer after the "chaos" of the negotiating process. Today at Prime Minister's Questions Labour leader Ed Miliband challenged the Prime Minister to take [...]
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg’s 5 best quotes from Mobile World Congress March 4, 2015 Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has been answering audience questions at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. From issues surrounding free speech to what it takes for someone to get hired at Facebook Zuckerberg faced a mix of tough and softball questions. Here are the five best quotes from Zuckerberg's answers: 1. Answering what Facebook looks for [...]
Thousands of City jobs saved as UK wins battle with ECB over clearing houses March 4, 2015 The government has won an important legal challenge to a European Central Bank (ECB) decision, safeguarding thousands of jobs in clearing houses across the City of London. The EU General Court in Luxembourg ruled today that the ECB could not require clearing houses handling significant euro-denominated assets to be based in the Eurozone. “The ECB lacks [...]
Mike Ashley sidesteps MP grilling over USC redundancies March 4, 2015 Mike Ashley is sidestepping a meeting with Scottish MPs who want to grill him over the handling of USC's administration and his retail empire's use of zero-hour contracts. The Scottish Affairs Committee has called Ashley and other executives to appear before them as part of an investigation into how the high street chain collapsed, and [...]
UK sells off £750m stake in Eurostar in boost to George Osborne’s “long-term economic plan” March 3, 2015 The government is set to sell its stake in Eurostar for £757.1m as part of the coalition’s pledge to raise £20bn from asset sales by 2020. A consortium comprising Canadian pension fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec and British fund Hermes Infrastructure will buy the UK’s 40 per cent stake in the rail [...]
Dave King claims a victory in Rangers war with Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley March 3, 2015 South African businessman Dave King yesterday claimed he had recorded a “landslide victory” in his bid to wrest control of Rangers’ boardroom. Rangers has been the subject of an ongoing tug-of-war between former club director King and Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley. King – who owns 14.5 per cent of Rangers’ shares – has called [...]
Mario Draghi calling: Why the ECB’s QE may struggle to reach €1 trillion March 3, 2015 The European Central Bank’s (ECB) version of quantitative easing (QE), which was announced to much fanfare in January, involves the purchase of bonds from both institutions and individuals. ECB president Mario Draghi hopes that the proceeds of these sales will be used to buy other assets or to lend, thereby oiling the wheels of the [...]