Purchasing manager’s index at eight-month high, bolstered by spending on AI as firms regain momentum lost to Iran war The Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates on Thursday after a closely watched survey showed growth across the UK’s services sector leapt last month to an eight-month high, bolstered by spending on artificial intelligence. S&P Global’s survey of the services sector in October showed businesses regained much of the momentum they lost after the start of the Iran war, but also felt the impact of a renewed spurt of input price inflation, which accelerated to a five-mon
Fleabag creator joins stars signing up to scheme aimed at tackling class barriers in theatre Phoebe Waller-Bridge has donated a London flat so that early-career writers can afford to live in the capital. The creator of the hit show Fleabag bought the property specifically for Writers’ Block, a new scheme tackling class barriers in theatre. The flat will be offered to writers from disadvantaged backgrounds, who will pay only bills. Waller-Bridge has also made what the initiative described as a “generous financial contribution”. Continue reading...
Britain's centuries-old parliament is at risk of a "Notre Dame-like" fire or other catastrophe if lawmakers continue to put off a major restoration project, MPs warned Wednesday.
A new proposal for openness about pay could have unexpected downsides – if workers become demotivated, resentful and more likely to quit Would you like to know what your colleagues are paid? If the Equality and Human Rights Commission gets its way, you will be able to find out. Under its proposals, workers will be able to request detailed information about the pay, bonuses and other perks received by their co-workers. The government agency argues that if we increase pay transparency, we can also reduce the pay gap between men and women. But countries that have tried this model have discovered