Davos: World Economic Forum summit in doubt for 2021 September 22, 2020 Doubts have been cast over whether the World Economic Forum summit will take place in 2021 amid reports organisers are looking beyond its traditional Davos venue for next year’s event. The annual conference, which brings together the world’s top business leaders and political figures, usually takes place in the mountain-top resort in January. Last month [...]
Liz Truss hails ‘productive’ fourth round of UK-US trade talks September 22, 2020 Trade secretary Liz Truss today said the UK and US had made “significant” progress in reaching a trade deal after wrapping up a “productive” fourth round of talks. Truss said the two sides exchanged their first tariff orders and held a series of detailed market access discussions during the round. The US and the UK [...]
JD Wetherspoon to cut 450 jobs at airport pubs September 22, 2020 JD Wetherspoon today said it will cut roughly 450 jobs from six of its airport pubs due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The job cuts will impact staff at the chain’s pubs at Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. In a letter to staff, seen by PA, the budget boozer [...]
Boris Johnson to tell Brits to work from home in lockdown U-turn September 22, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson will today tell Brits to work from home where possible as the UK slaps down fresh restrictions to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Just weeks after urging people to head back into the office, the prime minister will make a sharp U-turn and say that people should work from home if they [...]
Coronavirus: Premier Inn owner Whitbread to axe up to 6,000 jobs September 22, 2020 The owner of hotel chain Premier Inn has announced plans to cut up to 6,000 jobs as the coronavirus outbreak continues to ravage the hospitality industry. Whitbread, which also owns the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurant chains, said the figure represents 18 per cent of its total workforce. The FTSE 100-listed firm said the cuts [...]
Two-thirds of companies say home working has hit employee motivation September 21, 2020 Two-thirds of UK companies believe the motivation and enthusiasm of employees have suffered as a result of remote working during the Covid-19 crisis, according to a new survey. A survey of more than 1,500 firms occupying offices found office working outranked home working for creativity and innovation, as well as productivity and motivation. Roughly 64 [...]
Hipgnosis plots £250m share placing to fund song buying spree September 21, 2020 Hipgnosis today announced plans to raise £250m through a share placing as the music royalties investment firm ploughs on with its aggressive expansion strategy. The London-listed company said it aims to raise the funds through the placing of up to 216m new ordinary shares at 116p per share. It will also offer up to 3.6m [...]
Tech testing firm Calnex plots £42m London listing as it cashes in on 5G September 21, 2020 Telecoms testing firm Calnex today said it is aiming to raise £22.5m through a London initial public offering (IPO) as it looks to capitalise on the rollout of 5G. The Scottish tech firm said the Aim listing, planned for early October, will value the company at £42m. Calnex specialises in test equipment for telecoms networks, [...]
Superdry loss widens as pandemic hits turnaround plan September 21, 2020 Superdry today reported deepening losses for the full year as the outbreak of coronavirus took its toll on the fashion chain’s turnaround strategy. The figures Superdry posted revenue of £704.4m in the 52 weeks to 25 April, down 19.2 per cent. Statutory loss before tax widened from £89.3m to £166.9m. Net cash ticked up 2.2 [...]
Exclusive: Premier League Covid-19 testing firm raises $15m for UK rollout September 18, 2020 The company behind the Premier League’s coronavirus testing programme has raised $15m (£11.6m) in fresh funding as it eyes a UK rollout for its new rapid Covid-19 test. Biotech firm Prenetics said it will use the cash injection to advance its rapid testing technology, which promises results in 15 to 30 minutes. Prenetics played a [...]
