Think petrol panic buying was bad? Wait til you see what’s (not) in store this Christmas November 24, 2021 It is that time of year again: ice skating, cold, clear blue skies, fairy lights decorating Oxford Street, and fears about having enough Christmas toys on the shelves. There are two key themes to this year’s scare stories. First, supply problems could lead to a deluge of children missing out on the most popular toys. [...]
China’s persecution of Peng Shuai is shocking, but Hong Kongers aren’t surprised November 24, 2021 Few incidents have brought more public scrutiny about the exercise of power in China than the abuse of tennis champion Peng Shuai. The former doubles world No1 spoke out about violence against women publicly and accused a senior Chinese government official of sexual assault. Then, with shocking predictability, disappeared. Unlike the craven acquiescence to the [...]
New build quality board selects ombudsman as redress plans for disappointed buyers move forward November 24, 2021 Disappointed buyers of shoddy new-builds are one step closer to the formation of a new body that would provide redress. The New Homes Quality Board – which oversees the quality of new-build houses – has announced that The Dispute Service has been selected to be the New Homes Ombudsman. The ombudsman will be independent and [...]
Asia sales and Covid-19 unlocking boost luxury retailer Mulberry November 24, 2021 The Covid-19 unlocking and booming sales in Asia have boosted luxury fashion retailer Mulberry, reveal new figures released today. Income at the London-listed retailer climbed 34 per cent to over £65m, up from £48.9m in the same period last year. Profits jumped to £10.2m, largely driven by the sale of shop leases in France. UK [...]
Small businesses won’t survive 2022 without Christmas bumper, research shows November 24, 2021 Almost one fifth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will not survive 2022 without a Christmas bumper period, as around 36 per cent of businesses make 20 per cent of their annual revenue during the festive period. Research from business insurance provider Simply Business has highlighted how two thirds of business owners believe a good [...]
Pret sales in City of London below pandemic levels November 23, 2021 Pret a Manger’s weekly sales are still down on pre-pandemic levels in the City of London while across the UK office lunch sales have made a full recovery. Sales of sandwiches and coffees from the chain’s Square Mile sites were 13 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels last week. Many City workers are still working [...]
Ex-PM David Cameron lobbied Tory associate at Lloyds to salvage Greensill pharmacy deal November 23, 2021 Former Prime Minister David Cameron lobbied Lloyds bank to change a decision to slash ties with ailing Greensill Capital, it has been reported. Cameron reached out to a board member whom he had ennobled during his Downing Street stint, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The newspaper cited “people familiar with the matter” as saying [...]
Apple sues cyber firm NSO for alleged surveillance of US users November 23, 2021 Apple has filed a lawsuit against Israeli spyware firm NSO Group and its parent company for alleged surveillance and targeting of US Apple users. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Apple has accused cyber firm NSO and its owner OSY Technologies for spying on Americans with its Pegasus spyware. It is hoping to ban NSO [...]
Met reviews 300 sexual misconduct cases against officers as it hauls in 50 investigators November 23, 2021 The Metropolitan police has hauled in 50 new investigators to help with the force’s bid to rebuild trust in London amid an internal review of around 300 cases of sexual misconduct allegations. It was revealed last month that the force had 530 sexual misconduct allegations against it, from the past five years alone, according to [...]
Brexit: French fishermen may block British vessels’ access to French ports in action this week November 23, 2021 French fishermen may be planning to block British vessels’ access to French ports, after Britain’s refusal to grant more licences to operate in UK waters. France has accused Britain of not dishing out enough permits to French fishermen as part of a post-Brexit deal. “Action is imminent,” warned Olivier Lepretre, president of the organisation that [...]
