Business

Image copyright Getty Images The Labour Party has vowed to close the gender pay gap by 2030 if it wins the election. The difference between men’s and women’s average pay would take another 60 years to close under a Conservative government, the party said. But the Conservative Party said that Labour was “over-promising”. The Tories […]

Image copyright PA Media Image caption Manufacturers and retailers hope interactive toys prove popular Caution among UK shoppers has led to a tough year so far for toy retailers, as parents search for deals and cut back on impulse buys. UK toy sales were down by 8% in the year so far, compared with the

Image copyright AFP Royal Mail has won its legal battle to prevent a postal strike after the High Court backed its application for an injunction. The decision averts the possibility of strikes in the run-up to the general election and Christmas. Last month, 100,000 Royal Mail staff were balloted and voted to take action over

Image copyright Getty Images JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin says Britain’s corporate governance rules are creating “short-termism, inexperience and navel-gazing”. The pub chain boss said the system is “up the spout – and is itself a threat to listed companies – and therefore to the UK economy”. He also said non-executive directors have too much

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Google’s deal with Ascension, a major health firm, has attracted criticism from some Google is to be investigated over how it is accessing US patient data via a major health firm, the Wall Street Journal reports. An office of the US Department of Health and Human Services will examine

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Donald Trump is greeted warmly at the Economic Club of New York By the reckoning of most economists, Donald Trump is engaged in a risky game, as he courts trade fights around the world, undermines the US central bank and runs up the national debt. None of that seems

Image copyright Financial Conduct Authority Image caption It looks nicer on the outside than on the inside, apparently City of London regulators tasked with mucking out the financial stables have been making a “shameful” mess of their own, it has emerged. Financial Conduct Authority staff have been upbraided for leaving their HQ in an “unacceptable”

Image copyright Getty Images UK inflation rose at its lowest pace in almost three years last month as the energy cap kept a lid on the price of electricity, gas and other fuels, according to official statistics. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said consumer prices rose 1.5% in October, against 1.7% in September. Energy

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Students are seeking to have police banned from entering campuses after violent clashes Hong Kong stocks have fallen again as another day of anti-government protests cast a shadow over the city and rattled investors. The Hang Seng index lost 2.2%, outpacing falls across Asia, continuing a downward path since

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The US and China are racing to capitalise on AI “China is betting on AI and investing in AI and deploying AI on a scale no other country is doing,” says Abishur Prakash, a futurist and author of books about the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) on geopolitics. As