The Body Shop accused of ‘bullying’ JK Rowling after wading into trans rights debate June 11, 2020 The Body Shop has sparked controversy after weighing into a debate around transphobia by encouraging author JK Rowling to read up on trans rights in the bath. The Harry Potter writer, 54, had become embroiled in a heated online debate about transgender issues after criticising an article titled: “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world [...]
Unilever to end Anglo-Dutch structure to prioritise London base after failed Amsterdam move June 11, 2020 Unilever today announced plans to end its joint Anglo-Dutch structure to unify under its UK listing, after failing to persuade British investors to approve a shift to its Amsterdam HQ in 2018. The consumer goods giant would swap Dutch shares for its London-listed Unilever PLC stock, with Unilever PLC becoming the single parent company it [...]
Johnson Matthey to cut 2,500 jobs as coronavirus bites June 11, 2020 Manufacturing firm Johnson Matthey has announced that it will cut 2,500 jobs over the next three year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The FTSE 100 company said that the crisis had knocked its underlying profit by £60m as it unveiled its annual results today. Shares in the firm slipped 3.1 per cent in [...]
Ocado shares slide on plans to raise £1bn amid coronavirus online boom June 11, 2020 Ocado shares fell this morning after the announcement that it plans to raise £1bn to help it capitalise on the online grocery market boom triggered by the coronavirus crisis. The British online supermarket and technology group said yesterday that it would raise about £657m through an equity placing and retail offer, and about £350m through [...]
What can the Covid-19 crisis teach us about tackling climate change? June 11, 2020 | City Talk We already know how devastating climate change could be for the planet, so let’s ensure we learn the lessons from the current crisis. Covid-19 caught most of the world’s institutions and governments by surprise, leading to a global health and economic crisis unprecedented in modern times. Few people would disagree with the notion that most [...]
Babcock suspends decision on dividend amid coronavirus uncertainty June 11, 2020 Engineering giant Babcock has pulled its final dividend until it has more clarity on the financial damage wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. The London listed firm swung to a full year loss of £178m, causing shares to sink four per cent in morning trading. It also warned it would need to cut costs in in [...]
UK house prices gauge hits 10-year low – but signs of confidence ahead June 11, 2020 A gauge of UK house prices hit its lowest level in a decade in May, it emerged today, but signalled confidence ahead as the country emerges from months of lockdown. The figures A survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) released today showed that 32 per cent of estate agents reported a plunge [...]
Heathrow Airport to begin job cuts as passenger numbers flatline June 11, 2020 Heathrow Airport announced this morning that it would begin to cut frontline jobs after the government’s 14-day quarantine measures meant traffic numbers were no longer sustainable. In May, passenger numbers were at an all time low of 228,000, down 97 per cent from last year. As a result, the airport, which has already cut one-third [...]
DEBATE: Is it time for western investors to abandon China? June 11, 2020 Is it time for western investors to abandon China? Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, says YES. The phrase “caveat emptor” should be ringing in the ears of China investors. When it comes to business, western countries are waking up to Chinese policies that undermine free trade and distort the global market. [...]
From airships or supersonic jets, air travel is about to change forever June 11, 2020 The phrase “a perfect storm” is frequently overused. But when it comes to aviation, it is no exaggeration. Indeed, the collision of the Covid-19 pandemic with the challenges the civil aviation industry was already facing is certain to precipitate the mother of all root and branch transformations in air travel. While journalists today write glibly [...]