Square Mile workers split on vaccine proof being mandatory for return to City offices Professionals working in the City of London are split on whether their employers should ask them to show proof of coronavirus vaccination to return to the office, according to a survey. Around 43 per cent of City staff think companies should require employees to provide proof that they have been vaccinated should be required to [...]
Afghanistan: ‘Not everyone is going to get out’, says Wallace Defence secretary Ben Wallace has warned that thousands of Afghans who have helped the UK risk being left behind. Officials are increasingly concerned about the risk of the airport being attacked by ISKP, a branch of the Islamic State terror group. The Foreign Office has advised against travelling to Kabul airport. The new travel advice [...]
Covid vaccine protection could fall below 50 per cent for the elderly by winter A leading scientist has warned that the protection provided by two doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines could fall below 50 per cent for the elderly by the winter months. The test results from 1.2m users of the Zoe Covid app showed that protection from two jabs starts to wane “even within six [...]
Pinduoduo shoot up 22 per cent after donating £1bn to Chinese agriculture sector August 25, 2021 Chinese e-commerce group Pinduoduo said it would donate RMB 10bn (£1.12bn) in future earnings to contribute to the development of agriculture as part of the country’s “common prosperity” vision. Shares for the Nasdaq-listed company were up 22 per cent following the announcement of the programme. Pinduoduo reported its first-ever quarterly profits as a public company [...]
Afghanistan: Biden says US ‘on pace’ to meet evacuation deadline August 25, 2021 US President Joe Biden rules out any extension of US presence in Afghanistan, he said in a speech following the G7 emergency meeting. The evacuation efforts to evacuate people from Afghanistan are “on pace to finish” by the August 31st deadline. Biden rejected pleas from G7 leaders to extend the timeframe. “The sooner we finish [...]
Afghanistan: G7 leaders prepare for emergency meeting as evacuation deadline looms August 24, 2021 G7 leaders are under pressure to present a united front at an emergency meeting this afternoon on the crisis in Afghanistan. Leaders of the UK, US, Canada, France, Italy, Germany and Japan are to discuss how to coordinate their response to the crisis. The online talks chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will also [...]
Kamala Harris takes aim at China over South China Sea claims August 24, 2021 United States Vice President Kamala Harris has accused China of coercion and intimidation in the South China Sea. “Beijing’s actions continue to undermine the rules-based order and threaten the sovereignty of nations,” Harris said in a speech in Singapore. She added that America would stand with its allies in the face of threats. China has [...]
ESG investing now mainstream, but who’s holding ‘greenwashed’ portfolios to account? August 24, 2021 Environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns are rising up the agenda of investors, who are increasingly more attentive to the impact of their investments. Beyond financial performance, investors are looking at their portfolios in relation to ESG factors, but how can they assess the ESG credentials of companies and funds when the data is scattered [...]
Persimmon forward sales up 9 per cent from pre-pandemic levels August 18, 2021 Housebuilding business Persimmon reported a 64 per cent leap in profits in the six months to June 30th, posting £480.1m in earnings up from £292.4m in the same period last year. The company expects a “good” forward sales of £2.23bn, up 9 per cent compared to £2.05bn from the same period in 2019. Forward sales [...]
Westminster parking wardens threaten with strike action after rejecting pay offer August 17, 2021 Traffic wardens enforcing parking in the streets of Westminster are threatening with strike action as they reject their employer’s latest pay offer. Union workers unanimously turned down NSL’s offer to increase their wages by an extra 21p per hour under a three-year deal. The modest increase would result in a loss in income in real [...]
