Coronavirus: Two more cases confirmed in Scotland as UK total hits 53 March 4, 2020 Two more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Scotland, the country’s health secretary Jeane Freeman has said, bringing the UK’s total number of cases to 53. Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Freeman said the total number of cases in Scotland was now three. She added that she could not confirm whether [...]
Intu shares plunge after it cans £1bn emergency cash call March 4, 2020 Shopping centre-owner Intu has cancelled an emergency fundraising after it was unable to persuade enough shareholders to put money into its business. Its shares crashed 38 per cent this morning to 6p following the announcement, before recovering to 9p – down 15 per cent on last night’s close. The company last month said it was [...]
Wizz Air cancels Italian flights as airline warns demand could drop 10 per cent on coronavirus fears March 4, 2020 Budget airline Wizz Air has warned that it could cut capacity by as much as 10 per cent from next month as fears over the coronavirus impact hit passenger demand. The Hungarian carrier said that due to the impact on European air travel, it had adjusted its flight schedule to Italian destinations between 11 March [...]
No longer Biden his time: Joe Biden delivers Super Tuesday sweep March 4, 2020 Joe Biden emerged from the shadows to win the votes of nine states in the race to become the Democrats’ US presidential candidate on Super Tuesday. The former vice-president’s campaign was in the doldrums just last week, but he posted victories in Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, Arkansas and Oklahoma last night. Wins in [...]
Legal & General boosts operating profit to £2.1bn March 4, 2020 Insurance giant Legal & General (L&G) today said it had increased operating profit 12 per cent to £2.1bn, up from £1.9bn the previous year. The company said operating profit from continuing divisions in 2019 was up 17 percent to £3.5bn, compared to £2.1bn the previous year. Earnings per share increased 16 per cent to 28.6, [...]
How to select a quality investment manager – or at least a decent one March 4, 2020 Humans are bad investors. Unfortunately, they think they are great at it. So how can you protect yourself from yourself? Here are your need-to-knows in finding an investment manager who might help. You are a bad investor If you have money, you were probably successful. Congratulations. That does not make you a good investor. Research [...]
From Yes We Can to Feel The Bern — American politics is a masterclass in messaging March 4, 2020 US politics is a fascinating watch, especially if you’re interested in branding, communications, and the successes and failures of connecting with audiences. And for those that follow it through this lens, right now is prime-time viewing. As Democrats vote on their candidate to take on Donald Trump in November, the political battlegrounds in the US [...]
Sadiq Khan’s rent control pledge is a minefield of unintended consequences March 4, 2020 There is no denying that London faces a housing crisis. Similarly, there is no denying that many people feel that their rents take too high a proportion of their income. If you are Sadiq Khan, the solution is obvious: if people object to high rents, the state should cap them — problem solved. It is [...]
DEBATE: Should the chancellor rethink plans to get rid of entrepreneurs’ relief in the Budget? March 4, 2020 Should the chancellor rethink plans to get rid of entrepreneurs’ relief in next week’s Budget? Caroline Plumb OBE, chief executive and co-founder of Fluidly, says YES. Critics of entrepreneurs’ relief want proof of its economic impact, but it’s not as simple as throwing a couple of headline figures around and dismissing beneficiaries as the already [...]
Priti Patel vs. Philip Rutnam: It’s in Britain’s interest that bureaucracy does not win March 4, 2020 The reverberations around the resignation of Sir Philip Rutnam, the top civil servant at the Home Office, continue. Priti Patel, the home secretary, is receiving a barrage of abuse. Labour’s John McDonnell has pronounced that he cannot see how Patel could carry on. He raised the possibility that she might be in some way “suspended”. [...]