Number of new coronavirus cases in the UK has halved June 5, 2020 The number of new coronavirus cases in the UK has halved, new data published today said. The survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), IQVIA, the University of Oxford and UK Biocentre tested individuals from 9,906 households for Covid-19 with swab tests between 17 May and 30 May. They study estimated that (0.1 per [...]
Two New York police officers suspended after video shows them pushing 75-year old man to ground June 5, 2020 Two police officers in Buffalo, New York, were suspended without pay yesterday after a video showed them pushing a 75-year old man to the ground as protests over the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis reached their tenth night. The video taken by a reporter from local public radio station WBFO shows the [...]
Hundreds attend memorial service for George Floyd as US anti-racism protests continue June 5, 2020 Hundreds of people attended a memorial service yesterday for George Floyd who was killed by the police in Minneapolis on 25 May, sparking widespread protests against racism and injustice. Civil rights activist the Reverend Al Sharpton told mourners that Floyd’s killing marked a reckoning for the US over justice and race, and said: “Get your [...]
HSBC and Standard Chartered slammed for supporting China’s Hong Kong security law June 4, 2020 HSBC and Standard Chartered have today been critcised for their support of China’s new security law for Hong Kong. HSBC’s Asia-Pacific chief executive Peter Wong signed a petition backing the law, the bank said. HSBC said in a statement: “We respect and support laws and regulations that will enable Hong Kong to recover and rebuild [...]
Sterling will weaken if Britain fails to ask for Brexit transition extension June 4, 2020 Sterling will lose recent gains against the dollar and weaken further if the UK does not ask for an extension of its Brexit transition period, according to a Reuters survey. The pound has strengthened this week, trading at a one-month high of $1.26 yesterday as the UK suggested it may compromise on some contentious issues [...]
Bank of England asks banks for pandemic loan loss estimates June 4, 2020 The Bank of England has asked banks to provide information on their likely loan losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, its deputy governor Sam Woods said today. The Bank’s Prudential Regulation Authority will gather the data ahead of banks’ second quarter earnings to compare the timing and amount of losses with those it modelled last [...]
FCA tells insurers to assess products in light of coronavirus pandemic June 3, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today provided insurers with guidance on what they need to do to assess the value of their products in the light of the coronavirus pandemic. The FCA said firms should review products where benefits cannot be provided – such as boiler services due to lockdown measures – or where there [...]
PwC to reopen UK offices from 8 June following coronavirus lockdown easing June 3, 2020 Big Four accountancy firm PwC said today it would reopen offices across the UK from 8 June as the coronavirus lockdown eases. The firm said it would open its London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Reading, and Bristol offices from next Monday. Kevin Ellis, PwC UK chair and senior partner, said: “Just because we can work from [...]
UK bank shares rise on optimism about lockdown easing June 3, 2020 Shares in major UK banks rose today on increased optimism about lockdown measures easing globally. HSBC shares rose 2.2 per cent to 393p, Lloyds Banking Group shares rose nearly 4.7 per cent to 33.4p, Barclays shares rose nearly 2.5 per cent to 122p, Royal Bank of Scotland shares rose 2.6 per cent to 123p and [...]
Architect of Sweden’s no lockdown coronavirus strategy says country should have done more to protect citizens June 3, 2020 The man behind Sweden’s no lockdown coronavirus response today said the country could have done more to lessen the country’s death rate. Nearly 4,500 Swedes have died during the pandemic, a higher mortality rate than in neighbouring Finland, Norway and Denmark, and criticism has been growing over the government’s decision not to impose a strict [...]