Government wasted £150m on unusable face masks bought from banker August 6, 2020 The government is facing calls to investigate its procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic, after it emerged ministers spent at least £150m on unusable face masks from a family investment firm. The face masks, which were part of a £252m government contract with investment firm Ayanda Capital signed in April, were deemed [...]
Exxon victorious in New York climate fraud case December 10, 2019 A judge has today ruled that Exxon Mobil did not mislead its investors on climate change, in a case brought by the state of New York. Justice Barry Ostrager of the Manhattan supreme court said that the state attorney general had not produced any evidence that investors had been misled over the cost of addressing [...]
Bellator: MMA promotion’s head of Europe David Green on its new deal with the BBC, wooing the UK and Ireland and why it has a strong female following February 26, 2021 Question Time. Antiques Roadshow. Songs of Praise. To that list you can now add cage-fighting organisation Bellator. This month the BBC became the home of the American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the UK, meaning it now sits alongside some of the most traditional shows in British broadcasting. While it might rile the “Disgusted [...]
US proposal on ESG causes sparks to fly… but it’s the right move September 29, 2020 A spotlight has been cast on the curious logic underpinning the case for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing by the US Department of Labor’s recent actions. In June, the DOL proposed a new rule that would limit the ability of most employee retirement plans to select investments based on ESG factors. More than 8,700 pieces [...]
Wrong masks, retrospective due diligence and absent records: Litany of govt PPE failure laid bare November 18, 2020 A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has offered examples of some of the failures made by the Cabinet Office when it came to procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The investigative report, which was published by the NAO today, has outlined examples of the government handing [...]
European Union increased cartel fines 74 per cent last year to $1.6bn February 13, 2020 The European Union (EU) increased fines for cartels 74 per cent last year to $1.6bn (£1.2bn). Analysis released today showed that the EU was the top of the global table for cartel fines, with the amount levied increasing nearly 40 per cent from the previous year. In May, the EU Commission hit five banks, Barclays, [...]
Johnson & Johnson stops selling Baby Powder talc in US amid cancer claims May 20, 2020 Johnson & Johnson last night said it would stop selling its talc Baby Powder in the US and Canada, saying demand had dropped in the wake of what it called “misinformation” about the product’s safety amid a barrage of legal challenges. Johnson & Johnson faces more than 19,000 lawsuits from consumers and their survivors claiming [...]
Art feud escalates as Russian billionaire targets Sotheby’s in $370m lawsuit October 3, 2018 A Russian fertiliser tycoon is launching legal action against Sotheby’s New York auction house in a dramatic twist to a bitter feud over billions of pounds worth of artwork. Dmitry Rybolovlev, a well-known socialite and president of AS Monaco football club, is taking the traditional art broker to Manhattan federal court through his companies for [...]
Labour apologises to BBC Panorama over antisemitism claims and hands out six-figure settlement July 22, 2020 Labour has formally apologised to BBC’s Panorama for claiming it had misrepresented allegations of antisemitism within the party, and promised to shell out “substantial damages” to whistleblowers who sued the party over the row. The party issued an unreserved apology at the High Court after agreeing to settle a defamation lawsuit by seven Labour whistleblowers [...]
Former Arsenal shareholder settles lawsuit with Deloitte and Linklaters August 22, 2018 Former major Arsenal Football Club shareholder Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, has settled a lawsuit with her advisers over the sale of her shares in the club in 2011 to US businessman Stan Kroenke. Bracewell-Smith accused magic circle law firm Linklaters and Big Four accountant Deloitte of negligence in relation to the sale of her 15.9 per cent stake [...]