Churchill’s grandson and Serco chief named new chair of Smith & Nephew February 17, 2023 The grandson of Sir Winston Churchill and chief executive of Serco has been unveiled as the new chair of 167-year-old medical tech firm Smith & Nephew. Rupert Soames will assume the position at the London-listed company following the retirement of Roberto Quarta, the firm announced. He will take the reins in late September, after joining [...]
NatWest quarter profits almost triple to £1.3bn as higher interest rates offset bad loan provision February 17, 2023 NatWest recorded bumper profits in the final quarter of last year as the boost from higher interest rates outweighed funds set aside to cope with bad loans. Profits at the bank increased to £1.3bn in the final quarter, in line with market expectations and doubling compared to last year. This brought yearly profits to £3.6bn, [...]
UK retail sales’ sluggish new year start as cash-strapped Brits go online to nab deals February 17, 2023 UK retail sales remained muted in January following December’s fall, with fuel sales spiking and prices continuing to plummet. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released the figures which showed retail sales volumes increased by just half a per cent last month. This comes after it dipped by 1.2 per cent in December, despite the [...]
Liz Truss: Former PM urges nations to ‘learn lessons of Russian aggression and stand up to China’ February 17, 2023 Liz Truss has urged democratic nations to stand up to China and learn the lessons of not taking earlier and tougher action against Russia. Speaking in Japan in her first public speech since her resignation as prime minister, Ms Truss called on the international community to agree a co-ordinated package of defence, economic and political [...]
Strikes: RMT workers to stage another walkout over pay, jobs and conditions February 17, 2023 Rail workers are to stage a series of fresh strikes in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. Members of the Rail, Martine and Transport union (RMT) will walk out on March 16, 18 and 30, and April 1, at 14 train operators. The union’s members at Network Rail will strike on March 16 and will [...]
Weekend weather warning: Storm Otto to bring high winds, rain, and travel disruption to parts of the UK February 17, 2023 Storm Otto is set to cause disruption to parts of Scotland and north-east England as it moves across the UK on Friday. The storm, the first to be named this winter, has been labelled Otto by the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and is expected to bring disruption to travellers across northern areas of the UK. [...]
The congestion charge has saved us from the tyranny of highways February 17, 2023 The congestion charge covers jsut 1.3 per cent of Greater London, but has led to a 30 per cent reduction in congestion, as well as a revenue stream for public transport.
Shell’s court case for oil spills in Nigeria exposes our failure to deal with supply chain abuses February 17, 2023 Earlier this month, more than 11,000 Nigerian residents filed a claim at the High Court in London. Their fight was with Shell, the oil giant. But the case is also a significant test of the how far responsibility for multinationals reaches.
ChatGPT might’ve broken the internet – and it could also own anything you create with it February 17, 2023 You could even get sued for defamation for information created by ChatGPT.
UK military risks NATO downgrade, security think tank warns February 16, 2023 Britain risks no longer being NATO’s top military power in Europe, a think tank report has warned, in the midst of growing security issues. The French military has more troops, jets and ships than the UK, despite spending £13bn less on defence, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) found. France boasts 203,250 personnel compared [...]
