Report: Apple to bundle services under ‘Apple One’ subscription August 13, 2020 Apple is reportedly planning to launch a range of subscription bundles that will give customers access to a selection of its digital services at a lower price. The bundles, dubbed Apple One, are set to be launched as early as October alongside the new generation of iPhones, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the [...]
Brits optimistic about returning to work despite safety concerns August 13, 2020 British workers are largely optimistic about returning to the office, though concerns remain over whether employers will put the right safety measures in place. Just under half of UK employees said they felt positive about going back to work, while less than one in five said they felt negative, according to a new survey. The [...]
Coronavirus: Amazon donates £500,000 to Fleabag theatre fund August 13, 2020 A fund set up by two Fleabag stars to support theatre workers affected by the coronavirus crisis has received a £500,000 donation from Amazon Prime Video. Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Olivia Colman said they were “utterly blown away” by the “extraordinary” level of support. The donation forms part of a $6m (£4.6m) commitment from the US [...]
M&G tables £191m bid in UK Mortgages hostile takeover August 13, 2020 M&G today said it has tabled a bid of roughly £191m for UK Mortgages Limited, marking its final offer in a hostile takeover effort. The asset manager, which is acting on behalf of its M&G Specialty Finance Fund, said it has ramped up its offer by 3p to 70p per share — an increase of [...]
Markets live: Wall Street bull run resumes as FTSE 100 pushes higher August 12, 2020 Wall Street continued its winning streak as markets opened this afternoon after the FTSE 100 shrugged off dour UK GDP data to push higher. The blue chip index closed up 2.20 per cent at 6,289 points, marking a three-week high. Traders shrug off recession It comes after official data showed UK GDP shrank 20.4 per [...]
UK nightclubs make reopening plea ahead of ‘make or break’ period August 12, 2020 The UK’s nightclub sector has issued a desperate plea to the government to outline a plan for reopening venues, warning uncertainty could lead to widespread closures and job losses. Trade body UK Hospitality today warned that a lack of clarity over the easing of restrictions had put many clubs in a “precarious position”, while continued [...]
Coronavirus: Facebook blames pandemic for fall in child abuse moderation August 12, 2020 Facebook has admitted that its efforts to remove child abuse and self-harm images from its platform have been hampered by the coronavirus outbreak. The tech giant said it took action against considerably less material on Facebook and Instagram in the second quarter because it had fewer content moderators working during the pandemic. Facebook removed just [...]
Coronavirus: Natwest to slash 500 jobs and shut London office August 12, 2020 Natwest today said it will cut at least 500 jobs across its retail business and shutter one of its London offices as it battles to cut costs during the Covid-19 crisis. The bank said it will carry out a voluntary redundancy plan affecting 550 roles in its branches and premier banking service. It will also [...]
M&G profit crashes as retail investors pull funds August 12, 2020 M&G today posted a sharp fall in first-half profit after retail investors rushed to withdraw funds during the coronavirus crisis and it counted the costs of its demerger. The insurer and asset manager saw its adjusted pre-tax profit slump 59 per cent to £309m in the six months to the end of June, though this [...]
Tencent profit beats expectations as Wechat ban looms August 12, 2020 Tencent today said it has smashed expectations for second-quarter revenue and profit as the Chinese tech giant enjoyed higher demand for its video games during the Covid-19 lockdown. The world’s largest video game company posted revenue of 114.9bn yuan (£12.7bn) in the three months to the end of June — an increase of 29 per [...]