Chinese stocks climb on prospect of fiscal stimulus November 18, 2020 Chinese stocks edged higher on Wednesday after the Chinese government hinted at additional stimulus to aid the economic recovery. Premier Li Keqiang helped to ease investor nerves that authorities might abandon policies to prop up the economy, which has been devastated by the pandemic. On Tuesday night he told state radio that China will promote [...]
Nissan warns UK business hard to sustain without Brexit deal November 18, 2020 A top executive at Japanese car giant Nissan has warned that it would be hard to sustain its operations in the UK should the country leave the EU without a trade deal. Speaking to Reuters, chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta said: “If [the exit] happens without any sustainable business case obviously it is not a [...]
Spending watchdog criticises government over £18bn Covid contracts November 18, 2020 The UK’s public spending watchdog has slapped the government on the wrist for failures of transparency when awarding lucrative private contracts worth around £18bn to companies during the coronavirus crisis, highlighting errors and potential conflicts of interest. The National Audit Office’s (NAO) report comes amid claims that the government has awarded contracts to businesses with [...]
Brexit to bring blow to UK Covid-19 recovery – KPMG November 18, 2020 Brexit could hamper the UK’s economic recovery from the coronavirus, with the UK economy not expected to reach pre-Covid levels until late 2022, according to KPMG forecasts. The manufacturing sectors hardest hit by Brexit, including textiles, chemicals and electrical manufacturing, could see output at the end of 2021 between 6% and 12% lower than in [...]
Need a new lockdown skill? It’s time to learn to code November 18, 2020 Lockdown “The Sequel” is well and truly upon us. This time around, we are in a better position to understand what that actually means, though that makes visions of thumb-twiddling and isolation, of sourdough starters rising while it gets dark at 4pm, no less daunting. Which begs the question, how should we fill our time? [...]
It is science, not lockdowns, that will save the world November 18, 2020 The various new vaccines announced over the past two weeks give real hope of a return to normal life. Of course, many practical questions remain. How will these vaccines be delivered? Do they stop the transmission or simply the symptoms of the virus? Exactly how effective will they be outside a controlled trial environment? But [...]
What are the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals? A quick guide November 18, 2020 The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals are a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. The UN describes them as a “call for action” to “promote prosperity while protecting the planet”. Read on for what the 17 goals are and what Schroders’ Global Head of Sustainable Investment has to say about [...]
Relationship hacks for surviving lockdown with your partner November 18, 2020 After eight months straight of living, working and socialising at home, is it any wonder that our relationships are under strain like never before? Indeed, over half of people say they have felt angry with loved ones due to the stress of Covid-19, 31 per cent think their relationship has deteriorated in the pandemic, and [...]
European tech industry calls for delay to new regulation November 18, 2020 A group representing Europe’s thriving tech industry has called for a moratorium on looming new regulation until a review has been carried out into the impact of the changes. The EU will next month table new laws designed to prevent tech companies from unfairly promoting their own products and services and holding firms more accountable [...]
Sorrell lends support to new employability campaign November 17, 2020 Sir Martin Sorrell has backed an employability scheme intended to boost job prospects for Brits as the country emerges from 2020’s raft of redundancies. The #LegUp campaign, the brainchild of employability expert Ronel Lehmann and campaigning MP Rob Halfon, encourages business leaders to engineer just one extra job in the economy – either at their [...]
