UN human rights body expresses concern over ‘disproportionate’ Assange sentence May 3, 2019 A UN group has criticised the 50-week prison sentence given to Julian Assange by Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday. Wikileaks founder Assange, who has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, was found guilty of breaching bail conditions handed down in 2010 when he left house arrest to request asylum from the South [...]
Evening Standard set to cut jobs as it merges print and online business May 3, 2019 The Evening Standard is to announce a string of job cuts as it looks to merge its print and online businesses. Read more: Mirror publisher Reach revenues slip amid pressure on print In an email to staff, editor George Osborne said the paper is making the cuts in a bid to counteract rising costs. “We [...]
Eurozone inflation beats expectations in April May 3, 2019 Eurozone inflation beat expectations last month, which will offer mild relief for the European Central Bank (ECB). Inflation rose from 1.4 per cent in March to 1.7 per cent in April, beating forecasts for 1.6 per cent, according to Eurostat. Read more: Euro rises as Eurozone economy shows stronger-than-expected growth However, despite the solid April [...]
Tory grandee Boris Johnson accused of pretending to vote in local elections May 3, 2019 Boris Johnson has been ridiculed for allegedly pretending to vote in the local elections on Thursday, despite none being held in his constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. "I just voted Conservative in the local elections. Make sure you do too! You’ve got two hours left to get out and vote!", Johnson tweeted. Read more: Brexit [...]
Provident moves to reassure investors as sub-prime lender fights hostile takeover bid from rival Non-Standard Finance May 3, 2019 Doorstep lender Provident Financial reported that the business’s performance has picked up as it continues to fight against a £1.3bn hostile takeover by smaller rival Non-Standard Finance (NSF). The firm reported that customer growth in its Vanquis Bank and home credit division was up 13 and 40 per cent respectively, and said historical regulatory issues [...]
Lloyds Bank: The must-know numbers ahead of Q1 results May 3, 2019 | City Talk By Alistair Strang from interactive investor. Lloyds shares remain in a static state. Our chartist runs the numbers again hoping for a catalyst. When we last reviewed Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY), we admitted considerable discomfort in projecting the share's future potentials. Instead, we opted for the coward's route, suggesting it was probably going to be [...]
An honest guide to meeting props: here’s what your clicky pen, leather notebook and water bottle are really trying to say May 3, 2019 In the theatre of the commedia dell’arte, the character of Arlecchino can be recognised by two props – his mask and his slapstick. The commedia was built on archetypes, quickly establishing who a character was and how they would behave – and with that recognised, everyone could get on with the story. If someone had [...]
Penny pincher? Treasury saves 1p and 2p coins after threat to loose change May 3, 2019 The Treasury has decided the UK will retain copper coins for “years to come” after their future had been in question. Read more: DEBATE: Is biometric technology the future for digital payments? In the Spring Statement in 2018 chancellor Philip Hammond had called for a consultation on the mix of coins and banknotes in circulation. However, [...]
Societe Generale profits fall as French bank implements restructuring plan May 3, 2019 French bank Societe Generale reported a drop in profits as it put in place a restructuring plan following a weak 2018. The figures Read more: Societe Generale to cut 1,600 jobs after investment banking review Profit fell 26 per cent to €631m and revenues dropped 1.6 per cent to €6.19bn. Net losses increased to €51m, [...]
UK economy ‘treading water’ as services sector struggles back to marginal growth May 3, 2019 Britain’s services sector improved just enough to return to growth last month after shrinking in March, but the economy remained “more or less stalled” according to analysts. Read more: US services sector continues its trend of solid growth The services purchasing managers’ index (PMI) stood at 50.4 in April, compared to a more than two-year [...]