0207 727 6959Business and Economics
Sting of austerity provokes worldwide protests
As this week’s spree of furious May Day protests show, global opposition to austerity is mounting. Now, a new book argues the economic slump may be costing lives.
Desperate poverty behind the tragedy of Dhaka
Yesterday rescuers struggled in a terrible race against time to save victims of the worst recorded industrial accident in Bangladesh. Are Western companies to blame?
Minimum wage rate draws fire from teenagers
Young employees will receive a higher hourly minimum wage, ministers announced this month. But under-21s still get less than adult workers: exploitation or a fair reflection of experience?
Foreign billionaires top Britain’s rich list
According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Britain’s thousand wealthiest inhabitants own almost £450 billion between them. Yet among the top ten there is just one native Briton to be found.
Food becomes booty in great Nutella heist
When £14,000 worth of Nutella was pilfered from the back of a German truck this week, the media reacted with hilarity. But food theft may be growing into a serious business.
Britain’s ‘Iron Lady’ prime minister dies
Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of the UK, has died aged 87. Her vision and determination has left an indelible mark in Britain and beyond – for better or for worse.
Digital currency labelled ‘the new gold’
With conventional currencies like the Euro facing life-threatening crises, investors have turned to a radical alternative: the online currency ‘Bitcoin’. Is this the future of money?
Cyprus rescue dubbed: ‘immoral political act’
Fear that savers could lose money kept in other risky European countries followed an EU deal to help Cyprus shut down or restructure failing banks. Should taxpayers foot the bill instead?
Teenager sells app startup for £18 million
Summly, one of the most talked-about apps on the internet, has been sold to Yahoo at an enormous profit. And the person behind this triumph of entrepreneurship is still at school.
‘Aspiration Budget’ reveals Tory vision for UK
The British finance minister has laid out his spending plans for the coming year. There is no retreat from the path of austerity; but what does the budget say about this government’s ideals?
EU tells Cyprus to take cash from bank deposits
For the first time a struggling EU country has been told to take money from its citizens’ savings. To get a €10 billion rescue loan, Cyprus must take €6 billion from its bank deposits.
World population faces ‘feeding frenzy’ crisis
This planet will host nine billion human beings by 2050. Can those extra mouths be fed? There is enough food, says Paul McMahon, but some are taking more than their fair share.
Archbishop condemns government welfare cuts
Government economic policies are being buffeted by a storm of dissent. Now the Church of England has launched an attack on the ‘unacceptable’ impact of benefit cuts. Is austerity immoral?
UK toppled from triple-A rating
International ratings agency Moody’s has downgraded the UK’s AAA credit score. It is bad news for George Osborne and the UK economy: but do these mysterious letters really matter?
THE FUTURE: Humanity goes global
National borders are dissolving, with millions of jobs moving to cheaper parts of the world. Meanwhile computers are taking over roles from finance to law. Is this the birth of Earth Inc?
Horsemeat scandal blamed on mafia conspiracy
As unwanted horse turns up in more and more meals, experts have traced a shady trail back to criminal gangs operating across Europe. Is the entire meat industry corrupt?
Global banks shamed over rate-rigging scandal
Britain’s Royal Bank of Scotland has become the third bank to be slapped with a huge fine for a multi-million pound rate-rigging scandal. What has gone wrong with the banks?
EU police uncover £7 million football fraud
European police have found evidence that organised criminals in 30 countries have fixed as many as 680 football matches worldwide. Has the sport been corrupted by gambling and the mafia?
China launches cyber attack on New York Times
An American newspaper has revealed it was targeted by Chinese hackers after criticising the country’s Premier. Could cyber warfare touch every part of our lives?
Europe joins global race over ‘miracle material’
Light, flexible and super-strong, graphene is set to revolutionise areas as diverse as medicine, electronics and sport. But can it really start a new industrial revolution?
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