HSBC doubles down on homeworking as Lloyd’s of London pushes for return to City HQ February 26, 2023 HSBC’s and Lloyd’s rival plans for the futures of their London headquarters have revealed a growing split in attitudes towards the long-term prospects of working from home. Lloyd’s of London is reportedly in talks to extend the lease on its iconic City headquarters as it works to bring staff back into the office in resisting [...]
Centrica heads back to court to challenge government over Octopus’ Bulb takeover February 26, 2023 British Gas owner Centrica is set to lock horns with the government in court over its handling of Bulb's sale to rival Octopus.
Jaguar fails to block Cheshire campervan maker from trademarking ‘Overlander’ brand February 26, 2023 Luxury carmaker Jaguar has failed in its bid to block a Cheshire campervan company from trademarking the word ‘Overlander’. Jaguar asked a tribunal to block Warrington firm Car & Commercial Solutions Ltd from registering the word ‘Overlander’ as a trademark, due to it sharing similarities with its own ‘Lander’ brand. The tribunal ruled, however, it [...]
Food shortages heap more pressure on struggling restaurants and cafes February 26, 2023 British restaurateurs have said shortages of fruits and vegetables are proving “very problematic” for business amid an already challenging period for the sector. “We’re experiencing mass shortages with the supply of fruit and vegetables. We are struggling to get avocado and berries in particular,” Philip Inzani, founder of Polo 24 Hour Bar, a cafe and [...]
Week ahead: Bank of England speak to dominate agenda as investors look for clues on interest rate path February 26, 2023 Investors will be parsing over a string of speeches from top Bank of England rate setters this week for clues on whether the central bank is close to ending its aggressive campaign to tame inflation. Ben Broadbent, a deputy governor at the Bank, kicks off a busy week of central banker speech at Threadneedle Street’s [...]
Fruit and veg shortage will get worse before it gets better, warn farmers February 25, 2023 The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has warned that shortages of some fruit and vegetables in UK supermarkets could be “the tip of the iceberg”. NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said a reliance on imports has left the UK vulnerable to “shock weather events”. Soaring energy bills exacerbated by the war in Ukraine have also put [...]
Modi and India stop G20 calling Putin’s war in Ukraine a ‘war’ February 25, 2023 There is concern amongst rich nations about being unable to call a war started by Vladimir Putin just that, due to splits between global powers G20 finance chiefs have been unable to reach a consensus on describing the war in Ukraine and are likely to end a meeting in India on Saturday without a joint [...]
Warren Buffett turns record profit – despite lashings of global headwinds February 25, 2023 Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Saturday reported its highest-ever annual operating profit, even as foreign currency losses and lower gains from investments caused fourth-quarter profit to fall. Buffett called 2022 a “good year” for Berkshire in his annual shareholder letter after the conglomerate’s dozens of businesses generated $30.8 billion of profit despite rising inflation and [...]
Sunak faces criticism over plans for European Union chief to ‘meet the King’ February 25, 2023 The Prime Minister’s political judgement has been criticised after a meeting between the King and the leader of the European Union was cancelled. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had been expected to travel to Britain on Saturday amid speculation a deal to fix issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol is near. The German [...]
Sunak to press on with Brexit deal talks as EU leader’s visit cancelled February 25, 2023 The Prime Minister will keep working towards securing a post-Brexit deal after plans for an in-person meeting with the European Commission president was called off.
