Cathay Pacific urged to end ‘white terror’ by Hong Kong unions August 23, 2019 Trade unions in Hong Kong have called on Cathay Pacific, the airline caught up in tensions between Chinese authorities and anti-government protests in the city, to end “all forms of white terror”. The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) called a news conference following the dismissal of the head of Cathay Dragon’s Airlines Flight [...]
BoE advisor Huw van Steenis appointed UBS’s sustainable finance chief August 23, 2019 UBS has appointed Bank of England adviser and former investment banker Huw van Steenis to chair its new sustainable finance committee and take charge of investor relations. Read more: BoE’s Mark Carney cautiously welcomes Facebook’s new currency Libra Van Steenis was appointed as a senior adviser to BoE governor Mark Carney in May 2018, and [...]
UK’s most expensive cities becoming more affordable for homebuyers August 23, 2019 Houses in Britain’s most expensive cities have returned to levels of affordability not seen since 2015, according to new data released this morning. Weak house price growth and rising wages have boosted the chances for those wanting to buy houses in the country’s priciest cities, according to the latest UK Cities House Price Index by [...]
Links of London hoping for rescue offer as it rushes to find a buyer August 22, 2019 The future of Links of London is reportedly hanging in the balance this week as the British jewellery chain rushes to find a buyer. The embattled group’s owner is on the hunt for a rescue offer by next week, according to Sky News, with sources telling the broadcaster that it was “almost inevitable” any sale [...]
Over 100,000 Royal Mail workers to vote on strike action August 22, 2019 More than 100,000 Royal Mail workers are set to be balloted on taking industrial action over issues including job security and employment conditions. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which announced the ballot, had accused Royal Mail of not honouring the “spirit and intent” of an agreement earlier this week. In a tweet announcing the ballot, [...]
Qantas to run tests of 19-hour flights from London and New York to Sydney August 22, 2019 Qantas is to run tests of its planned 19-hour flights from London and New York to Sydney to see whether passengers and crew can cope with the journey. The Australian airline will carry 40 passengers, mainly Qantas employees, on three research flights in October, November and December ahead of its plan to launch the services [...]
Overcrowding is the worst thing about London transport, survey finds August 22, 2019 Overcrowding is the main gripe Londoners have with the transport system, a new survey has found. More than half of Londoners think crammed trains and Tubes are the worst thing about public transport in the capital, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the London Assembly’s transport committee. Read more: Ride the UK heatwave: Here [...]
Astrazeneca buys drug fast-track voucher for $95m August 22, 2019 Astrazeneca splashed out $95m today to get one of its drugs fast-tracked through the approval process in the US. The drugs giant said it had bought a so-called priority review voucher (PRV) from a subsidiary of Orphan Biovitrum, a Swedish pharmaceutical company. Read more: Astrazeneca faces setback in lung cancer trials The voucher gives Astra [...]
Worker from UK’s Hong Kong embassy reportedly detained in China over ‘prostitution’ August 22, 2019 The employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong who is being held in mainline China is being detained over involement in prostitution, China’s state-backed newspaper reported. China’s foreign ministry had confirmed yesterday that Simon Cheng had been detained in the border city of Shenzen, but had not provided any further details. Cheng had failed [...]
Sales plunge at fastest rate since financial crisis as UK retailers forecast trouble ahead August 22, 2019 Retail sales and orders have plummeted at their fastest since the financial crisis, according to a new survey that suggests optimism in the industry has plunged to a 10-year low. Read more: Laura Ashley drops into the red A report from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has found that retail sales volumes and orders [...]