UK and European firms top gloomy profit predictions to start the year – but a crunch could be coming June 6, 2023 UK and European firms shrugged off recession fears and posted fatter profit margins than investors feared in the first three months of the year, analysts at investment giant Blackrock said today.
‘Working’ from home: Laundry, sex and side hustles distract hybrid Londoners from the day job June 6, 2023 One in six Londoners have admitted to having sex whilst they should be working, fresh research shows, as employers across the capital look to stiffen up on hybrid working rules. The data, which was published by LifeSearch, shows that more widely across the UK 1.6 million workers have admitted to getting ‘between the sheets’ between [...]
Airlines face quadruple costs for jet-fuel alternatives, new report warns June 6, 2023 The cost of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will remain up to four times higher than jet fuel until 2050, according to new analysis from Bain and Co, feeding concerns over the affordability of a key component of airlines’ current net zero strategy. Consulting firm Bain and Co’s new report found that SAF prices in 2050 [...]
Margaret Ferrier: MP suspended from Commons over 2020 Covid breach – and risks by-election June 6, 2023 Margaret Ferrier has been suspended from the House of Commons for 30 days for breaching coronavirus rules. The Commons voted 185 to 40, majority 145, to approve the motion to suspend the independent MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West. Ms Ferrier, a former SNP MP, was in the Commons chamber as MPs approved her suspension. [...]
Explainer: How does Apple’s new virtual reality headset work? June 6, 2023 Yesterday, Apple did something that could revolutionise the way we interact with tech and with our surroundings: it launched Apple Vision Pro, its $3,499 virtual reality headset. Apple CEO Tim Cook described it as “the first Apple product you look through, not at”. The idea might feel a little daunting at first – but once [...]
Mortgage rates rocket but savings rates barely move after May’s inflation shock June 6, 2023 Mortgage rates have skyrocketed in recent weeks after the UK’s most recent inflation reading sent rate expectations soaring, but savings rates have lagged behind. According to data from Moneyfacts, rates on a two-year fixed rate have jumped from 5.34 per cent on 24 May to 5.75 today. Similarly, interest rates on a five-year fixed rate [...]
Unilever share price in focus as hunt for new chair begins June 6, 2023 Unilever has reportedly commenced the hunt for a new chair as a shake-up of its senior level continues to unfold. The Ben and Jerry’s and Dove soap maker is said to have drafted in the executive search firm Spencer Stuart to scour for a new chair to replace Nils Anderson, according to reports in Bloomberg. [...]
China told ‘secret UK police stations’ must “not operate in any form” June 6, 2023 The Chinese Embassy has been told running overseas police stations in the UK is “unacceptable” and that “they must not operate in any form”, the security minister has said. Tom Tugendhat set out the findings of an investigation into allegations of unofficial Chinese overseas police stations operating in the UK which stood accused of seeking [...]
Sequoia Capital to carve off China and India units as it faces ‘increasingly complex’ pressures June 6, 2023 Venture capital behemoth Sequoia Capital has revealed plans to carve up its business into three distinct firms due to the “increasingly complex” pressures on its operations across the US, China and India.
Labour government could deter investment in new energy projects, report warns June 6, 2023 Some $30bn (£24.2bn) of investment in new UK energy projects is at risk if Labour wins the next election, a top energy consultancy has warned.
