Vegans must have their own shelf in the office fridge, says new guidance February 19, 2020 Vegans deserve their own shelf in the office fridge, according to new guidelines issued to businesses. Fridge space is a precious commodity in the workplace, but it could be about to get more crowded after the Vegan Society shares its new advice with firms. Vegan menus should be made available at work events while employers [...]
London house prices rebound with 2.3 per cent growth after election February 19, 2020 London house prices grew at their fastest rate in 15 months in December following Boris Johnson’s election win, official figures showed today, as UK house prices also rose. Homes in the capital enjoyed a 2.3 per cent rise to £484,000 after a 2019 full of falls, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The [...]
FTSE 100 climbs back after Apple’s coronavirus blow February 19, 2020 The FTSE 100 staged a recovery from yesterday’s two-week low today as traders welcomed a smaller increase in the number of new coronavirus cases. The number of Covid-19 cases rose to 75,000 today but China reported a second consecutive low number of new infections at 1,749. The death toll also climbed to 2,004 but the [...]
Coronavirus death toll hits 2,000 as passengers leave Diamond Princess cruise ship February 19, 2020 Hundreds of passengers started to disembark the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship today as the coronavirus death toll moved past 2,000 in mainland China. While the death toll hit 2,004, China reported only 1,749 new cases of Covid-19 to bring the total to 74,000. The novel strain of coronavirus is believed to have emerged from [...]
UK firm tells staff to go meat-free to expense meals February 18, 2020 Employees of one property firm have decided that meat is firmly off the menu when it comes to expenses. For the 30 or so staff at Igloo Regeneration, they must now go vegetarian in order to expense not just lunches and dinners, but corporate entertaining and workshop catering too. Workers voted for the change after [...]
Pound rallies as UK employment hits record high and wages beat 2008 peak February 18, 2020 Wages beat their pre-financial crisis peak for the first time at the end of 2019, as the level of UK employment rose to a record high of 32.9m people. A total of 180,000 people entered the workforce between October and December 2019, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today. That took the number of [...]
HSBC: Profit plunges as bank plans 35,000 job cuts February 18, 2020 HSBC has outlined plans to offload $100bn (£77bn) of assets and dramatically downsize its investment banking arm in a restructure that will cost 35,000 jobs over the next three years. Profit before tax tumbled by a third to $13.6bn in 2019, HSBC said as it revealed its most radical overhaul since the financial crisis in [...]
14 Diamond Princess passengers evacuated to US test positive for coronavirus February 17, 2020 Fourteen US citizens evacuated from Japan’s quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship have been diagnosed with the Covid-19 strain of coronavirus. The Americans were flown to US military bases on two charter flights yesterday despite doctors making the discovery on passengers’ way to the airport. A total of 3,500 passengers have been marooned aboard the Diamond [...]
Jupiter Fund Management snaps up Merian for £370m February 17, 2020 Jupiter Fund Management today confirmed it has clinched a £370m deal to buy Merian Global Investors in what analysts have branded a “defensive” move. Jupiter will become the world’s second largest retail funds manager after the acquisition in a sector where rising regulatory pressures have encouraged actively managed funds to band together. “This is an [...]
Laura Ashley shares sink as £20m lifeline thrown into doubt February 17, 2020 Laura Ashley’s stock sank 41.54 per cent today after it warned its access to a £20m funding lifeline to keep it trading was in serious doubt. The retailer’s owner, Malaysian firm MUI Group, is now locked in discussions with lender Wells Fargo to secure enough cash to keep Laura Ashley trading. The asset-backed loan, agreed [...]