Boohoo set to swoop for bankrupt Oasis and Warehouse June 16, 2020 Online fashion giant Boohoo is set to announce the purchase of high street brands Oasis and Warehouse, which went bankrupt at the end of April. Sky News reported that the deal could be announced tomorrow when Boohoo releases its first quarter results. When the two brands collapsed into administration on 30 April, with 1,803 redundancies, [...]
Former Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam and Emma Watson to join Kering board June 16, 2020 The former chief executive of Credit Suisse is to join the board of Gucci owner Kering, alongside actress Emma Watson and the president of ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing. Tidjane Thiam, who left Credit Suisse in February amid a major spying scandal, will chair Kering’s audit committee. Thiam, who previously ran insurer Prudential, had said he [...]
Trump signs executive order to reform US police June 16, 2020 US President Donald Trump has today signed an executive order pledging to reform the police, aimed at improving law enforcement practices amid widespread backlash. Federal grants will be offered to states to improve police practices, including the creation of a database to track abuses by officers and improved information sharing so that officers with poor [...]
Boris Johnson: Too early to ease two-metre social distancing rule June 16, 2020 Boris Johnson has shot down hopes for an imminent change to England’s two-metre social distancing rule, despite pleas from the hospitality sector. Johnson said the rate of coronavirus incidents had not come down enough to make the change, but to “watch this space”. The news will come as a disappointment for hospitality businesses across England, [...]
UK Finance boss quits over Amanda Staveley remarks June 16, 2020 UK Finance chief Stephen Jones has resigned just days after apologising to staff for sexist remarks made in 2008 about financier Amanda Staveley. Sky News first reported that Jones had offered his resignation, which UK Finance confirmed had been accepted. Jones said: “I have apologised to Ms Staveley and to my colleagues for the comments [...]
Amazon to use AI to enforce social distancing in offices and warehouses June 16, 2020 Amazon is to use a tracking system powered by artificial intelligence to make sure employees are following social distancing guidelines in its offices and warehouses. Monitors in its warehouses will show workers on the screens highlighted in green circles when keeping a safe distance from others. The system will also be used in office buildings [...]
Beijing shuts all schools as second wave fears escalate June 16, 2020 Beijing has shut all schools in a sharp escalation of containment measures, as fears that new coronavirus outbreaks could develop into a second wave accelerate. The Chinese capital has suspended on-campus classes for all primary school, middle school and high school students in a bit to stem the rapid spread of new cases, state news [...]
Brexit: UK ‘ready to be flexible’ to strike a trade deal in July June 16, 2020 The UK is “ready to be flexible” in post-Brexit trade negotiations with the EU in an attempt to secure a deal by next month, according to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove. Gove, the defacto Brexit minister, told MPs today that there was enough time to “bring a deal home” before the 31 December deadline, despite [...]
Government gives NHS immediate authorisation for coronavirus drug June 16, 2020 The government has given the NHS immediate authorisation to use the first drug shown to reduce the coronavirus death rate on patients. Earlier today the results of a clinical trial carried out by Oxford University showed that dexamethasone, a common steroid, been proven to reduce the risk of death significantly in patients with severe forms [...]
Unhappy Meal: McDonald’s sales fried across the globe by coronavirus lockdowns June 16, 2020 McDonald’s sales fell by about one-third across the globe over the first two months of the current quarter, as the coronavirus pandemic forced it to close stores across Europe. The fast food giant said that demand had improved significantly from April to May, as many of its restaurants reopened to diners, especially in the US. [...]