How should George Osborne spend the £1.1bn forex fine? 38 Degrees launches “Nurses vs Bankers” NHS petition November 14, 2014 We had a go at suggesting a few ways George Osborne could spend the £1.1bn windfall from the fine the Financial Conduct Authority slapped on five banks for the parts they played in the forex scandal, and now it's the turn of campaigning organisation 38 Degrees. But where our ideas could have sent us into [...]
Omnishambles as Fifa’s corruption report is branded “erroneous” by lawyer Michael Garcia – the man who conducted the investigation November 13, 2014 If you were spitting feathers this morning over the Fifa report which exonerated Qatar and Russia but put England in the spotlight, you weren't the only one. Lawyer Michael Garcia, who actually conducted the investigation, has issued a statement slamming the report summary published this morning. He claimed the report, written by Fifa ethics judge [...]
Payment systems are about to get a whole lot more transparent November 13, 2014 Payment systems – the back office stuff that allows you to do everything from withdrawing money from a cash machine or paying a bill to receiving your pension or making interbank payments – are about to become a lot more transparent. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) comes into force in April 2015, and has [...]
Fifa: Qatar and Russia bids given thumbs up – but English FA could face further action November 13, 2014 Fifa's investigation into Fifa's handling of Qatar's successful bid to host the World Cup 2022 has been cleared by..er… Fifa. Fifa's ethics committee, headed by Joachim Eckert, acknowledged there had been a “significant lack of transparency” in Qatar's bid. Computers used for Russia's 2018 bid were destroyed. But while there was evidence of some [...]
How long will the poppies be at the the Tower of London? These beautiful pictures show the first Remembrance Day flowers being removed November 12, 2014 The first ceramic poppy was “planted” at the Tower of London on August 5 and the last one entered the ground yesterday to commemorate Remembrace Day; today they started being harvested. The amazing installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, has captured the imagination of more [...]
Here are six things that the £1.1bn forex fine could be spent on “for the wider public good” November 12, 2014 Good news! Thanks to the forex fine announced today the Treasury is getting a £1.1bn boost to its coffers (minus whatever the FCA's enforcement costs come to). And even better news! Chancellor George Osborne has said he will use the money “for the wider public good”. Last time around, the government department used [...]
The Nokia is dead: We look back at the best of the Finnish brand’s phones from the last 30 years November 12, 2014 It's been a long time coming but Microsoft has today killed the Nokia brand. The software giant, which bought the Finnish mobile phone group for around £4.4bn last year, unveiled its low-end Lumia 535 smartphone this morning. Those in the know claim that dropping the name is part of a “lofty” strategy that will enable [...]
Only connect: Social media giant LinkedIn facing class action lawsuit over privacy violation claims November 11, 2014 LinkedIn is facing a class action lawsuit after its premium “reference report” service over claims it has violated individuals' privacy. Four people are bringing the claim, citing various attempts at getting jobs which they argue may have been thwarted by LinkedIn's paid-for reference report service. The legal documents, which were filed last month, [...]
Benefit tourism dealt a blow by European Courts of Justice November 11, 2014 Benefit tourism was dealt a blow today by the European Court of Justice, after it ruled that people could not go to other countries within the trade bloc just to gain state aid. The court today announced a ruling that countries within the EU must be allowed to refuse benefits to those who “exercise [...]
Four charts that show the impact the First and Second World Wars had on the UK’s population November 11, 2014 After the phenomenal poppy display at the Tower of London, the loss of life during the First World War has taken on greater meaning for those remembering the conflict today. Filling the moat around the Tower, each poppy symbolises one of 888, 245 Brits who died during the four years. But those clever types at the [...]
