London Underground staff in the RMT union have voted to continue with strikes in a dispute over pensions and job cuts, potentially adding to disruption in a summer of industrial action on the transport network. More than 90% of the union’s members on the tube who voted, on a 53% …
Read More »Almost half of adults in Great Britain cut back on food spending – ONS
Almost half the adults in Great Britain are cutting back on the amount of food they buy as the cost of living crisis forces them to trim their weekly supermarket shop, the latest official figures have shown. In stark evidence on the effect of rising inflation on spending patterns, the …
Read More »Fines for nuisance callers could be raised to £17.5m
Nuisance call firms face fines of up to £17.5m and internet users will be able to limit the appearance of pop-up cookie consent boxes under a government overhaul of the UK’s data rules. The financial punishment for cold callers will increase from the current maximum of £500,000 and will be …
Read More »US gas prices rise to a record $5 a gallon but Biden hedges on Saudi Arabia visit
US gasoline prices, a key driver of the highest inflation seen in the US in 40 years, hit a record $5 a gallon on Saturday. There was little to suggest they would drop anytime soon but, also on Saturday, Joe Biden said he had “not yet” decided if he will …
Read More »Apple unveils buy now, pay later feature and redesigned iPhone lock screen
Apple is taking on Klarna and ClearPay with a new “buy now, pay later” feature for iPhones, the company has announced at its worldwide developer conference. The company is also redesigning the iPhone’s lock screen, in the most substantial visual redesign the operating system for iPhones has received since the …
Read More »Sheryl Sandberg steps down as chief operating officer of Facebook parent company Meta
Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook and its parent company Meta, has announced she will step down from her role, ending 14 years in the job that made her one of the most powerful figures in the tech world and saw the company weather a meteoric rise and …
Read More »SEC publishes letter asking Elon Musk to explain late Twitter filing
The US financial watchdog has contacted Elon Musk about the disclosure of his stake in Twitter, asking the Tesla chief executive why he appeared to file a crucial form late. The Securities and Exchange Commission published a letter sent to the world’s richest man in which it asks a series …
Read More »Tether pays out $10bn in withdrawals since start of crypto crash
Tether, the multibillion dollar “stablecoin” that functions as the largest bank in the cryptocurrency economy, has paid out $10bn (£8bn) in withdrawals since the crypto crash started in early May. The pace of withdrawals means the company is effectively dealing with a slow-motion bank run, as depositors seek to move …
Read More »Rishi Sunak faces Tory clamour to act now on cost of living crisis
Tory MPs are piling pressure on Rishi Sunak to take decisive action to deal with the cost of living crisis with measures such as cutting VAT, increasing energy bill support and raising benefits, as inflation is forecast to top 9% on Wednesday. A string of Conservatives from across different wings …
Read More »Looney’s tune on windfall taxes is unpersuasive | Nils Pratley
BP’s best bet for avoiding a windfall tax might be to hide Bernard Looney on an offshore oil platform for a few months. Every time the chief executive ventures on to tax and investment territory, he inflames the politics around the windfall debate. Looney’s memorable remark last November – one …
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