HSBC becomes first UK bank to quit industry’s net zero alliance

HSBC has become the first UK bank to leave the global banking industry’s net zero target-setting group, as campaigners warned it was a “troubling” sign over the lender’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis.The move risks triggering further departures from the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) by UK banks, in a fresh blow to international climate coordination efforts.HSBC’s decision follows a wave of exits by big US banks in the run-up to Donald Trump’s inauguration in January. His return to the White House has spurred a climate backlash as he pushes for higher production of oil and gas.HSBC was a founding member of the NZBA at its launch in 2021, with the bank’s then chief executive, Noel Quinn, saying it was vital to “establish a robust and transparent framework for monitoring progress” towards net zero carbon-emission targets

Supersize me: recreating Pret’s £13 miso salmon super plate at home

This week Pret a Manger sparked uproar when it launched a range of new supersized salads. It came as a response to what Pret said was a “shift in what customers want from lunch”, though possibly not from their wallet, with the premium salads priced £10-£13.But how good are they? And is it right that they cost that much? I set off to recreate the miso salmon super plate at home. It’s fun copying the ingredients off the back of a packet to come up with a recipe. With the miso salmon plate, I’m impressed by the original: the plate looks very pretty, and the lightly smoked salmon fillet has an excellent texture

Louis Vuitton says UK customer data stolen in cyber-attack

Louis Vuitton has said the data of some UK customers has been stolen, as it became the latest retailer targeted by cyber hackers.The retailer, the leading brand of the French luxury group LVMH, said an unauthorised third party had accessed its UK operation’s systems and obtained information such as names, contact details and purchase history.The brand, which last week said its Korean operation had suffered a similar cyber-attack, told customers that no financial data such as bank details had been compromised.“While we have no evidence that your data has been misused to date, phishing attempts, fraud attempts, or unauthorised use of your information may occur,” the email said.The company said it had notified the relevant authorities, including the Information Commissioner’s Office

The CEO who never was: how Linda Yaccarino was set up to fail at Elon Musk’s X

In May 2023, when Linda Yaccarino, an NBC advertising executive, joined what was then still known as Twitter, she was given a tall order: repair the company’s relationship with advertisers after a chaotic year of being owned by Elon Musk. But just weeks after she became CEO, Musk posted an antisemitic tweet that drove away major brands such as Disney, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Comcast, Lionsgate and Warner Bros Discovery to pause their advertising on the platform. Musk delivered an apology for the tweet later at a conference – which he called the worst post he’s ever done – but it came with a message to advertisers, specifically the Disney CEO Bob Iger: “Go fuck yourselves.” Yaccarino was in the audience of the conference.“I don’t want them to advertise,” he said

‘You can’t keep slowing the game down’: Root wants to limit number of ball changes

Joe Root has called on authorities to limit the number of times Test sides can ask umpires to check potentially misshapen balls, after the morning of the second day at Lord’s was characterised by complaints and exchanges, with the ball being changed twice, and a drinks break being extended while India’s captain, Shubman Gill, argued with the umpires about the quality of one of the replacements.Jasprit Bumrah refused to comment on the balls, saying: “I work very hard and bowl a lot of overs, so I don’t want to say any controversial statements and get my match fee deducted. We were bowling with the ball we were given and that’s how it is.”But Root sympathised with the task facing Dukes, who hand-produce the balls used in Test matches in England. “This summer has been a bit of an anomaly for us

Reality is I’m getting too old to win grand slams admits beaten Djokovic

Novak Djokovic said he must accept the reality that his ageing body continues to make it extremely difficult for him to win another grand slam title after struggling physically in his emphatic defeat by the world No 1 Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of Wimbledon on Friday.A month after suffering a straight sets defeat by Sinner in the semi-finals of the French Open, Djokovic was subjected to an even more one-sided 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 defeat by an imperious Sinner. The 38-year-old moved sluggishly throughout and he took a medical timeout after losing the second set.“I don’t think it’s bad fortune,” said Djokovic. “It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body