Rishi Sunak wants to end ‘sick note culture’ and get Britain back to work April 19, 2024 Rishi Sunak wants to end the “sick note culture” and get Britain back to work, in a major speech on welfare reform.
Retail sales stagnant in March despite improving prospects for UK economy April 19, 2024 A survey from Deloitte, released today, showed that consumer confidence had reached its highest level in two years.
Could Runes save Bitcoin miners post-halving? April 19, 2024 At some point tomorrow, Bitcoin will experience its fourth halving. The reward miners receive for processing every 10 minute block will decline from 6.25 Bitcoin to 3.125. Bitcoin will become an even scarcer commodity with annual issuance dropping from 1.6% to 0.8%. The market appears to believe that this will be a serious loss for Bitcoin miners. Miner stocks, such as Riot, Marathon and Bitfarms, are down over 50% from their February highs.
Israel hits Iran with ‘missile attack’ near nuclear site as markets watch oil prices April 19, 2024 Iranian air defence batteries were launched on Friday morning after explosions near the city of Isfahan, in the centre of the country, according to its state-run IRNA agency.
Consumer confidence hits highest level in two years as UK ‘turns a corner’ April 19, 2024 "The revival in consumer confidence speaks to a wider story of an economy that has turned the corner," Ian Stewart said.
FTSE 100 today: London markets poised for red start as Middle East tensions escalate; investors await more details on the crisis April 19, 2024 Middle East tensions rattled markets in the Asian session following ABC News reports of Israeli missile strikes in Iran. Oil and gold prices surged while bitcoin dropped below $60,000. However, an Iranian official denies the missile attack reports, adding to the uncertainty. Market focus now shifts to UK retail sales data and speeches by Bank of England officials Ramsden and Breeden.
Netflix shares sink as company announces halt in reporting subscriber tally, weak outlook April 19, 2024 Shares of Netflix took a sharp tumble of about 5 per cent as the market closed, spurred by the streaming video pionaeer's decision to cease disclosing subscriber numbers and prioritise viewer engagement metrics.
Over 400 Stonegate pubs in London risk closure, GMB claims April 19, 2024 Almost 450 pubs in London face closure after one of the UK’s biggest hospitality groups Stonegate warned on its profitability, the GMB Union has said.
Why the Bank of England might be wary of cutting interest rates before the Fed April 18, 2024 The path for the Bank of England to cut interest rate cuts looks increasingly uncertain, particularly as the US Federal Reserve looks set to wait a while longer before loosening policy.
SFO strategy details new pilot programme – but leaves some questions unanswered April 18, 2024 The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has vowed to push ahead with its plan to pay rewards to whistleblowers and develop a new “pilot programme” to thwart fraud, bribery and corruption, according to its new strategy published today.
