Primark owner profit slumps as pandemic batters sale November 3, 2020 Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) has posted a sharp decline in profit for the full year as store closures during the coronavirus lockdown decimated sales. The figures ABF posted revenue of £13.9bn in the year to 12 September, down 12 per cent on 2019. Statutory pre-tax profit slumped 42 per cent to £686m. Basic [...]
Whole of Liverpool to be offered coronavirus tests in new trial November 3, 2020 Everyone in Liverpool will be offered free coronavirus tests on a regular basis as part of the UK’s first mass testing scheme. All those living and working in the city will be offered tests regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. It comes after the announcement of a new national lockdown in England over [...]
‘Trumpism is here to stay’: The future of the Republican Party November 3, 2020 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Factional infighting is the political battleground that is most commonly associated with parties of the left. Labour’s intermittent factional psychodramas are a constant fixture of the UK’s political landscape, often to the detriment of its electoral success. America’s Democrats are also well versed in intra-party warfare, with the last four years providing [...]
After four years, Trump has yet to master the art of the diplomatic deal November 3, 2020 “We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country,” Donald Trump urged crowds at a campaign rally in Indiana, months before his surprise 2016 election victory. As America once more heads to the polls today, the rest of the world can only stand by and watch. And while Joe Biden appears to be leading, [...]
UK jobs market weak ahead of lockdown despite rise in vacancies November 3, 2020 The number of firms looking to add to their workforces grew in the third quarter after a historic contraction in the spring, but the UK jobs market remained weak ahead of the recently announced second lockdown, a survey has shown. In the third quarter, 37 per cent of firms attempted to recruit, according to the [...]
UK spooks block two cyber attacks per day as hackers exploit Covid-19 November 3, 2020 UK spooks blocked an average of almost two major cyber attacks per day last year as unscrupulous hackers tried to capitalise on the Covid-19 crisis. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) handled 723 incidents between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020, up from an average of 602 incidents over the last three years. The [...]
Got an HSBC account? It’s time to show your support for the people of Hong Kong November 3, 2020 British consumers have faced a tough few months — but for those banking with HSBC, times may be about to get tougher still. Following a reported 35 per cent fall in its quarterly profits, HSBC has announced that it might have to start charging its customers for basic services such as current accounts British customers [...]
Regulator extends mortgage payment holiday ahead of lockdown November 2, 2020 The financial watchdog has proposed an extension of the mortgage payment holiday for borrowers struggling to make payments, ahead of a second national lockdown
US election: Almost 100m early votes cast as record turnout looms November 2, 2020 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nearly 100m Americans have cast votes for tomorrow’s election already, with turnout expected to be at its highest in decades. The total amount of ballots cast now sits at 97m, which is around 70 per cent of the 139m people who voted in the 2016 election – a record for total number [...]
Supreme Court to hear FCA business interruption insurance appeal this month November 2, 2020 The Supreme Court will this month hear an appeal of the Financial Conduct Authority’s business interruption insurance test case. The test case launched by the watchdog against eight insurance companies was fast-tracked for an appeal earlier this month. The FCA launched legal proceedings in June after it failed to find an agreement with the insurance [...]