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Corporate Watch Latest News
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We are pleased to announce the publication of our clear and concise, 24-page 'Nuts & Bolts' Guide to the ins and outs of the financial sector. From hedge funds to the money markets and derivatives, all of the major players and products are broken down from a critical perspective. With jargon deconstructed, case studies explained and many of the myths about the city and its operations debunked, this booklet is designed to give readers with little or no knowledge of the world of finance and banking an accessible overview of its workings.
Order a hard copy (£2) on our shop or download a digital version here (free) |
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On 20th December 2011, activists from Occupy London occupied the disused Old Street Magistrates courthouse in Shoreditch, London, with the intention of holding mock trials of the “one per cent” who have “tanked the global economy slashed Britain’s social services”. Two weeks later, some in the group calling itself Occupy Justice agreed to vacate the premises after 20 days following a court agreement with Mastcraft Ltd, the company that owns the listed building and plans to turn it into a luxury hotel. Corporate Watch takes a detailed look at the suspicious-looking company and asks what it and Occupy might gain or lose from such an agreement, which many in the movement seem to be unhappy with. |
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At least three people have died in Cairo's Tahrir Square after inhaling toxic tear gases. Reports suggest that, in addition to CS gas made by Combined Systems Inc (CSI) and other American and British companies, Egyptian security forces have used other, stronger gases against protesters, such as the illegal CR gas. Meanwhile in Palestine, yet another person was killed by a high-velocity gas canister fired by Israeli soldiers during a weekly demonstration in the Nabi Saleh village. |
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Suggestions from the Department of Health that the companies running care homes across the UK be more strictly regulated provoked a quick response from private equity owned healthcare company Care UK, which warned “an inappropriate monitoring regime” could hamper its operations and may even “cause reputational damage”. Corporate Watch looks into its accounts and finds it is right to be worried. |
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The UK Border Agency has announced that its preferred bidders for asylum accommodation provision across the country for the next five years will be none but Serco, G4S and Reliance, the three multinational security companies that manage most immigration prisons and forcible deportations in the UK. |
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It's not only multinationals that are benefiting from the free labour supplied by the government's ever-expanding workfare programme - charities across the UK are also accepting unemployed people sent for unpaid work placements in their shops. And if the experience of claimants sent to a Barnardo's shop in Leeds is anything to go by, working for free in a charity shop is not necessarily much better than stacking shelves at Tesco. |
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A new report has found that exploiting shale gas reserves would put the UK's climate commitments at risk. Meanwhile, direct action and protests against companies involved in the shale gas industry, such as Cuadrilla, are gathering strength. |
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The Keystone XL Pipeline is delayed in the US, while in the UK RBS pulls out of Climate Week and the Department for Transport is blockaded after lobbying revelations. |
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Arms manufacturer ITT has split into three independent companies. Its arms manufacturing business will be renamed ITT Exelis, its Industrial Process and Flow Control division will keep the ITT name, while the Water and Waste division will become Xylem. The companies will be listed separately on the New York Stock Exchange. There has also been speculation that US arms giant Raytheon may buy ITT Exelis. |
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A French court has acquitted 12 Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners of “discrimination and inciting hatred and violence toward a group or nation,” after they called on customers at two branches of Carrefour to refuse to buy Israeli goods. Corporate Watch looks at the international trend to use allegations of racism to try to criminalise BDS actions. |
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On 29 October a camp was established in Brighton as part of the global “Occupy” movement. However, since then the Green council has bowed to police pressure to try to get rid of the camp and ban similar occupations in the future. |
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- New riot laser for police
- European anti-blacklisting law passed despite Tory opposition
- Top 20 “climate killer” banks named |
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The next issue of the Corporate Watch Magazine will be on corporate control of 'social media'. As always, we would welcome your input. If you are interested in contributing an article, commentary or case study, please get in touch by emailing us at contact(at-)corporatewatch.org. |
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