Category Archives: Business

03Oct/22

Three reasons a weak pound is bad news for the environment

Katharina Richter, University of Bristol; Alix Dietzel, University of Bristol, and Alvin Birdi, University of Bristol

The day before new UK chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget plan for economic growth, a pound would buy you about $1.13. After financial markets rejected the plan, the pound suddenly sunk to around $1.07. Though it has since rallied thanks to major intervention from the Bank of England, the currency remains volatile and far below its value earlier this year.

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26Sep/22

South African teens skip school to chase risky crypto dreams

  • Young South Africans see crypto as way to quick wealth
  • Poverty, high unemployment pushes them to crypto
  • Users not fully aware of risks, vulnerable to scams

By Kimberly Mutandiro

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – John first heard of cryptocurrency three years ago, when the teenager came across slick YouTube videos and Facebook posts of other South Africans claiming to have become wealthy overnight with bitcoin.
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26Sep/22

Social factors and geopolitical tensions are the major cause of disruption in the mining sector, with ESG the top focus

ESG issues, geopolitics and climate change are the top three risks/opportunities facing mining and metals companies over the next 12 months, according to global mining leaders surveyed for the 15th edition of the EY Top 10 Business Risks and Opportunities for mining and metals in 2023. Continue reading

24Sep/22

Huawei’s Smart Urban Rail Network Solution Is Unveiled at InnoTrans 2022

InnoTrans 2022 took place from September 20 to 23 in Berlin, Germany. At this conference, Huawei demonstrated its innovative applications, practices, and achievements in smart rail construction and development. In the ” Digitalization of Rail Infrastructure ” exhibition area, Huawei showcased extensive smart urban rail solutions, including Wi-Fi 6 train-to-ground communications network, smart station, and smart inspection solutions. Continue road

24Sep/22

Mini budget 2022: experts react to the new UK government’s spending and tax-cut plans

Phil Tomlinson, University of Bath; Andrew Burlinson, University of East Anglia; Catherine Waddams, University of East Anglia; Donald Hirsch, Loughborough University; Jean-Philippe Serbera, Sheffield Hallam University; Jim Watson, UCL; Jonquil Lowe, The Open University, and Steven McCabe, Birmingham City University

UK chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has just launched the biggest package of tax cuts in half a century. This will involve around £45bn of reductions for people and businesses by 2027 – 50% more than anticipated before the mini-budget announcement.

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24Sep/22

Mini budget: will Kwasi Kwarteng’s plan deliver growth?

Steve Schifferes, City, University of London

The UK economy has been dogged by slow growth for a long time. Combined with even slower growth in productivity, it has meant virtually no increase in living standards for the average family over the past decade.

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23Sep/22

Women sacrifice their health to shield families from spiking costs

  • Rising inflation is widening gender gaps, say charities
  • Women report skipping medical care to feed families
  • Campaigners sound alarm over government austerity measures

By Nita Bhalla

NAIROBI, Sept 22 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – When the pain started in Agnes Wachira’s chest almost six months ago, the Kenyan mother-of-three dismissed it as a symptom of the daily grind of working long hours hand-washing clothes in the narrow lanes of Nairobi’s Kawangware informal settlement.
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23Sep/22

Rise Start-Up Academy Opens Applications to FinTech Experts

Rise, created by Barclays – a global community of the world’s top innovators working together to create the future of financial services – has opened applications for the next cohort of the Rise Start-Up Academy. The theme for this cohort is specifically focused on supporting budding founders who find themselves out of their FinTech jobs due to the current economic climate. Continue reading