Microsoft probed over aim to double black staff numbers
Reuters Microsoft is being questioned by the US government over whether a diversity initiative amounts to racial discrimination. The Department of Labor has singled out the firm’s pledge to double the number of “black and African American” senior staff by 2025. Officials have warned the company the target appears “to imply that the employment action […]
Nicola Sturgeon names winner of mentor contest
Nicola Sturgeon says if her new mentee Charlotte Liddell wants to be FM then she “has more than got what it takes” A young mother has been chosen to be mentored by Nicola Sturgeon for a year. Charlotte Liddell was one of 200 applicants for the scheme which aims to encourage a new generation of […]
‘Being called a mumpreneur is patronising’
Sally Bunkham Mum’s Back founder Sally Bunkham says mumpreneur implies “someone with a little hobby” Sally Bunkham founded her online retail business nearly two years ago after the birth of her second child. To begin with, she says, she didn’t mind being labelled a mumpreneur. “But as I’ve gone through my business journey I’ve realised […]
The experiences replacing closed High Street stores
BBC BBC business correspondent Emma Simpson tries out go-karting on a track in a former Debenhams beauty hall I’m taking a spin on a go-kart track with a difference. It’s the old beauty hall of the Debenhams store in south-west London. The escalators are the only trace of the former department store which remain. All […]
Amy Cokayne: Harlequins and England hooker signs new deal with Premier 15s champions
England hooker Amy Cokayne has signed a new deal with Harlequins ahead of the 2021-22 season. The 25-year-old scored two tries as Quins beat Saracens in May to win their first Premier 15s title. She has been with the club since 2019, following two years with Wasps. “Coming off the back of last season’s success […]
Are French riots a curse or a blessing for Macron?
Getty Images Ever since his election campaign, Emmanuel Macron has been keen to prove he’s not afraid of French protesters. Where previous governments have blinked, Mr Macron has stared down the unions, weathered their protests, and pushed through difficult reforms on labour laws, and railway workers’ pension rights. But protests over fuel prices this month […]
‘My allergies drove me to create my beauty firm’
Skin Inc Sabrina Tan gave up a career in the tech sector to become a skincare entrepreneur The BBC’s weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world. This week we speak to Sabrina Tan, founder and chief executive of skincare brand Skin Inc. For Sabrina Tan, leaving a tech career to […]
Welsh Labour ‘has longest winning streak of any party in the world’
Getty Images There is nothing like Labour’s electoral dominance of Wales anywhere else Labour’s 100 years of electoral success in Wales is the longest winning streak of any political party in the world, researchers say. Labour is marking a century since it first won more Welsh seats and votes than its rivals at the general […]
UKIP prepares to name new leader after bitter contest
UKIP’s ups and downs – and what the future might hold UKIP will unveil its new leader on Friday at its party conference in Torquay, after a contest that has turned into a battle for the soul of the party. “It’s more intense, vicious and dirtier than it’s ever been,” says one UKIP MEP of […]
AI trend drives rise in students wanting to study computing
Getty Images School-leavers are choosing computing courses in record numbers, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). This year’s application data showed 18-year-olds were increasingly inspired to study computing “thanks to the rise of digital and AI”, UCAS chief executive Clare Marchant said. Applications to study computing were up almost 10% compared to […]