Japan may postpone Tokyo Olympics as coronavirus cases mount March 3, 2020 Japan may be allowed to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until the end of 2020, the country’s minister responsible for the games said today. Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto has said Japan’s agreement with the International Olympic Committee to host the 2020 games could be deferred until the winter. “The contract calls for the games to be [...]
Coronavirus concerns see hand sanitiser sales leap 255 per cent March 3, 2020 Coronavirus fears saw sales of hand sanitiser spike 255 per cent in February, according to supermarket data released today. Sakes of liquid soaps also rose seven per cent as shoppers hit the shelves as the number of coronavirus cases outside China rose sharply last month, research firm Kantar said. Sales of household cleaners jumped 10 [...]
CMC Markets flags profit jump amid Covid-19 stock volatility March 3, 2020 Online trading platform CMC Markets today predicted that its full year profit would beat market forecasts amid higher customer trading due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Net operating income for the year to the end of March is set to beat the current estimate of £199m to £202.3m. “I am delighted that CMC’s strategy of [...]
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson to outline UK ‘battle plan’ to combat Covid-19 outbreak March 3, 2020 Boris Johnson is set to unveil a government action plan to outline the UK’s response to a growing number of coronavirus cases across Britain. The Prime Minister will reveal a six-point plan at a Downing Street later today in which he is expected to commit to school closures and event cancellations if the spread of [...]
Coronavirus live: OECD warning weighs down FTSE 100 recovery March 2, 2020 The OECD’s warning that the coronavirus outbreak could halve global growth in 2020 weighed down the FTSE 100 today, sending it back into the red before recovering marginally. Traders had initially sent London’s blue-chip index up 2.7 per cent this morning on the back of central banks saying they were ready to intervene to protest [...]
Coronavirus threat plagues Eurozone factory output March 2, 2020 Italy’s factory output slumped for the 17th month in a row in February, it emerged today, as economists warned the coronavirus outbreak could deepen the Eurozone’s manufacturing downturn. The embattled economy’s manufacturing industry activity fell from 48.9 in January to 48.7, according to IHS Markit’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI). Anything below 50 represents a contraction. [...]
Covid-19: PM convenes Cobra committee as UK coronavirus cases hit 36 March 2, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee today after the number of UK Covid-19 (coronavirus) cases hit 36. The leap in cases came as doctors diagnosed 13 new coronavirus patients yesterday, including the first patient in Scotland. Northern Ireland and Wales reported their first cases last [...]
Coronavirus: Asian stocks turn green on Bank of Japan stimulus pledge March 2, 2020 Asian stocks stemmed their losses overnight as shares rose in response to the Bank of Japan’s move to inject stimulus to save its economy from the worst impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The Nikkei and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng both climbed after Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda pledged to help protect markets from exposure [...]
Coronavirus: Baker McKenzie clears out London HQ as staff member who went to Italy falls sick February 28, 2020 Law firm Baker McKenzie has ordered all 1,100 staff in its London office to work from home today after fears a member of staff may have contracted the coronavirus. Baker McKenzie told employees to work remotely after the staff member came back from northern Italy, which has seen a spike of hundreds of coronavirus cases [...]
UK house prices grow at fastest rate for 18 months in February February 28, 2020 UK house prices grew at their fastest rate since July 2018 in February, according to Nationwide figures released today. February’s annual rise of 2.3 per cent, up from 1.9 per cent in January, was UK house prices’ strongest rate of growth in 18 months. That left the average UK house price at £216,092, up from [...]
