Business

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionWorkers react to news that Ford’s engine plant will close in 2020 Workers at the Ford Bridgend site feel angry and betrayed, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said. The company plans ito shut its site in the town in autumn 2020, blaming costs and changing customer demand. […]

Image copyright Getty Images Sir Philip Green has made a last-ditch attempt to save his retail empire from collapse by seeking a less severe rent reduction from landlords of his stores. Earlier this week, a vote on Sir Philip’s rescue deal for Arcadia, which includes Topshop, was postponed after some landlords refused to back it.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Michelle Obama signs copies of her bestselling book at Barnes & Noble in New York City. The boss of UK book retailer Waterstones is being parachuted in to help the turnaround of giant US chain Barnes & Noble. James Daunt’s appointment was announced as part of a takeover of

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Stormy times ahead for the eurozone’s economic powerhouse? Concerns are growing over the strength of Germany’s economy – the largest in the eurozone – following the release of more gloomy official figures. Industrial production in April fell by 1.9% compared with the previous month and exports were 0.5% lower

Image copyright Getty Images The US economy created far fewer jobs than expected last month and wages also rose less than forecast. Some 75,000 jobs were created in May rather than the 185,000 expected by analysts, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. The dollar dropped as markets assumed that the slower-than-expected job growth meant a

Image copyright Amazon/Twitter Image caption Amazon trialled one pop-up kiosk at London’s Paddington station Online giant Amazon is testing out a series of pop-up kiosks in the capital as it experiments with physical shops. The firm has so far conducted a one-day trial in some of London’s main stations and said it planned more going

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mobile payments are growing in popularity – but may not work everywhere More than five million people led a close to cashless lifestyle last year, as debit cards secured their position as the most popular method of payment. Two million more people used cash no more than once a

Image copyright Woodford Investment Management Image caption Neil Woodford apologised to investors earlier this week for suspending his flagship fund The UK’s financial regulator “should have been awake” to problems at Neil Woodford’s investment fund, according to former City Minister Lord Myners. The peer said the Financial Conduct Authority failed to spot “clear warning signs…

Image copyright Getty Images Bank overdraft fees are to undergo a major shake-up, which the UK financial regulator is calling the biggest overhaul for a generation. Banks and building societies will no longer be allowed to charge fixed daily or monthly fees for overdrafts. In addition, there will no longer be higher fees for unplanned

Image copyright Getty Images Public trust in nearly all rail operators has decreased, linked to passenger dissatisfaction over punctuality and reliability. The only rail firm that saw trust improve was Southern. However, it remains the lowest-ranked operator, analysis from Transport Focus suggests. Southern-owner Govia Thameslink said its services were improving. Transport Focus, an independent watchdog,