Bloomsbury to offer delivery services to independent bookshops April 8, 2020 Bloomsbury today unveiled plans to support independent bookshops that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. Indie booksellers across the country have been forced to overhaul their business models as they struggle to meet surging demand sparked by social distancing measures. Bloomsbury will offer its ecommerce platform and delivery services to bookshops whose normal [...]
Prince Andrew’s former private secretary quits troubled Pitch@Palace April 7, 2020 The Duke of York’s former private secretary is said to have quit her role as chief executive of his embattled Pitch@Palace initiative. Amanda Thirsk, who served as Prince Andrew’s aide for 15 years, has resigned to take up an undisclosed role in the private sector, Sky News reported. It comes as the initiative, which offers [...]
Asos shares soar as retailer orders £200m equity raise April 7, 2020 Shares in Asos rose by a third today after the fashion retailer announced a bumper share sale in a bid to shore up its finances during the coronavirus crisis. Asos unveiled plans for a placing of up to 18.8 per cent of issued share capital to protect against a “prolonged downturn” caused by the pandemic. [...]
FCA business plan faces ‘months’ of delays due to coronavirus April 7, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today warned its business plan could be delayed for months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The City watchdog said the “unprecedented” public health crisis had sparked huge uncertainty, adding that it might be forced to rewrite its plan in the coming months. The stark warning came as the FCA unveiled [...]
UK coronavirus death rate spikes as toll rises by 786 to 6,159 April 7, 2020 The number of patients who have died from coronavirus in the UK has risen by 786 to reach 6,159. The figures are a sharp increase on the 439 deaths that were recorded yesterday and mark the UK’s largest rise in daily deaths. As of 9am this morning 213,181 people have been tested, of whom 55,242 [...]
Whatsapp limits message forwarding to fight coronavirus fake news April 7, 2020 Whatsapp will impose a limit on message forwarding in a bid to halt the rapid spread of misinformation about coronavirus on its platform. The social media firm said that when users receive a message that has already been forwarded multiple times, they will only be able to send it on to one chat at a [...]
Coronavirus: Google bans adverts on 5G conspiracy theories April 7, 2020 Google has rolled out new measures to crack down on misleading health claims about 5G and conspiracy theories that the mobile technology is linked to coronavirus. The search giant has banned advertising on search terms and keywords that relate to false information about 5G to prevent profiteering from the public health emergency. Youtube, which is [...]
England coronavirus death toll jumps by 758 to 5,655 April 7, 2020 A further 758 people have died from coronavirus in England, bringing the total number to 5,655. The figures, released by NHS England, mark a sharp increase from the 403 deaths recorded in the country yesterday. It is also higher than the 439 deaths reported across the whole of the UK yesterday. Earlier today first minister [...]
Wework sues Softbank over scrapped $3bn tender offer April 7, 2020 Wework’s special committee is suing Softbank over the Japanese investment giant’s decision to abandon a $3bn (£2.4bn) share purchase, the company confirmed today. Softbank, which holds a controlling stake in Wework, agreed to the tender offer last year as part of a dramatic rescue plan, but withdrew citing the coworking firm’s failure to meet “certain [...]
Audioboom shares jump as its ramps up podcast production April 7, 2020 Shares in Audioboom rose almost 17 per cent this morning after the podcast company posted a sharp rise in revenue for the first quarter. The Aim-listed company, which hosts and distributes podcasts, reported revenue of $6.4m (£5.2m) in the first three months of 2020, up 40 per cent on the same period last year. The [...]