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BusinessSurprisingly strong US jobs figures fuel rate rise bets
The number of roles added to the US economy increased by 162,000 in August, almost triple the 56,000 forecast.
BusinessDeadly Black Sea attacks threaten grain exports and higher food prices
Russian and Ukrainian attacks on each other’s vessels in July killed more crew than during whole war to that month A summer of hostilities in the Black Sea proved deadly for seafarers, as Russia and Ukraine attacked each other’s ships and port infrastructure, preventing vital grain exports and prompting concerns tha the conflict will push global food prices even higher.More crew were killed in the Black Sea in July than during the entirety of the war before that month as the conflict has intensified, making the body of water the most dangerous in the world for commercial shipping. This is despite the conflict between the US and Iran, with vessels still being targeted in the strait of Hormuz, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Continue reading...
BusinessFirmus Energy customers face price increase
Customers in the Ten Towns area will see a 8.98% increase and 12.5% for Greater Belfast.
BusinessUS jobs report smashes forecasts; shares in Falklands oil explorers plunge as Argentina threatens sanctions – business live
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as US economy adds 162,000 new jobs in AugustIt’s official, UK car sales jumped last month.New car registrations rose by 13.7% to 94,236 units in August, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has reported.Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) posted the strongest growth, up 39.8% to account for 14.5% of registrations, while hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) rose 26.3% with 12.7% of the market. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) increased 27.7% to claim 29.8% of overall uptake. Continue reading...
BusinessNigel Farage meeting a 'shadowy foreign donor'? It can only be another establishment stitch-up | Marina Hyde
The only thing more dodgy than Reform’s financial dealings is the egregious lunchtime combination of oysters, Guinness and champagneHow many sarcastic air quotes is too many for quoting Nigel Farage’s suggestion that Reform have been ““““““““hoaxed”””””””” by some undercover investigators into appearing to seek to get round electoral law to bag a £500k donation from a foreigner, as well as commissioning off-the-books polling and failing to identify it to newspapers? I don’t feel eight was too many. I could run to nine. Amazing, really, that it’s been as long as a few weeks since Farage had a crash-out and forced a byelection. All any of us wants is for Nigel to once again resign after a staged shitfit and ask a few thousand members of the public to judge him.For whatever reason, though, the law of our country does not amount to an “ONLY THE PEOPLE OF CLACTON CAN JUDGE ME” tattoo, and so it is that as Reform’s conference gets under way today, the party has been reported to the police for allegedly using foreign money to fund its activities. It’s all based on a covert sting carried out by Verbatim – an investigative group founded by journalists from the non-profit Centre for Climate Reporting – and broadcast last night on Channel 4 News.Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
BusinessPopulism poses serious challenge to independent central banks, Bailey says
Bank of England governor says central bankers must explain decisions or risk being seen as ‘unrepresentative elite’The governor of the Bank of England has said the rise of populist politicians presents a serious challenge to independent central banks.As Nigel Farage’s Reform UK gathered for its annual conference in Birmingham, Andrew Bailey said central bankers must be prepared to explain their decisions to the public or risk being attacked as an “unrepresentative elite”. Continue reading...
BusinessUK petrol prices hit highest level since Iran war began
The price of unleaded hits 163p a litre, according to motoring group the RAC, as oil prices remain elevated.
BusinessA storm destroyed her tea factory. One Canadian friend kept the business alive 2,300 miles away
Two businesswomen made a promise to each other, and after two years of support, the Asheville Tea Company in North Carolina will reopenWhen Jessie Dean and Alexandra Sangster met in the summer of 2024, they made a pact. The two women both ran tea companies – Dean’s Asheville Tea Company in North Carolina and Sangster’s Sarjesa, more than 2,300 miles away in Calgary, Canada – and they pledged to support each other if their businesses ever needed it.“The first time I spoke to her, I was like, ‘If something happens to your teabag machine, I’ll make your tea,’” Sangster said. “And if something happens to mine, you can make my tea.” Continue reading...
BusinessXbox caps cloud gaming at 15 hours a month for Game Pass subscribers
Xbox said the limits were due to the rising cost of cloud gaming, and would allow it to invest more in its performance
Business‘They disturb the game’: how betting fans are taking over tennis courts
Jeering and heckling are increasingly commonplace, even at grand slams, as spectators try to influence matchesMidway through the first week of the US Open a couple of years ago, Jiri Lehecka’s attempts to find his form were disrupted by incessant taunting from a spectator close by. “There was a guy who sat just behind my bench on a smaller court, court four, and he was talking to me basically for the first three sets, like non-stop,” Lehecka says. “He was talking to me like: ‘You can’t do it. You are tired. He’s better than you are.’”Lehecka maintained his composure and closed out the match, but even as he focused on navigating the intense stress of competition, he believed he understood this spectator’s motivations. The spectator, he thinks, was not there just to cheer for his favourite player: he was a bettor who had put money on Lehecka to lose. He had entered court four solely to influence the outcome of the match. Continue reading...