London Sports Festival moves from 3×3 basketball success to pickleball at the City of London Corporation’s Guildhall Yard
Brute farce: Under Armour scolded by watchdog over shirt strength claim August 19, 2020 Under Armour has been given a ticking off by the advertising watchdog over claims one of its shirts made people stronger. In a promotion for the long-sleeved baselayer shirt, which retails at £55, the sportswear brand said its product had been “tested and proven to improve strength and endurance”. “The way it works is that [...]
Pizza Express to cut up to 1,100 jobs after enforced store closures August 18, 2020 Pizza Express has unveiled plans to close 73 of its restaurants in a move that places 1,100 jobs at risk. The dining chain confirmed on Tuesday that it had finalised a proposal to reduce its restaurant and rental costs via a company voluntary arrangement (CVA). The company, which has around 470 sites throughout the UK, [...]
Ireland to tighten coronavirus rules after spike in cases August 18, 2020 Ireland will “significantly” tighten Covid-19 rules following a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases over the past two weeks. It comes after the country’s health minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed there had been 190 new cases today. Ireland previously held one of the lowest infection rates in Europe, but its 14-day rolling average has risen from four [...]
SpaceX receives $2bn boost in latest funding round August 18, 2020 Elon Musk’s SpaceX has raised a further $1.9bn (£1.4bn) in funding, a regulatory filing on Tuesday revealed. It raises the equity value of the billionaire’s private rocket company to $46bn, Bloomberg reported ahead of the funding round last week. It is the largest single fundraising round conducted by SpaceX yet, according to PitchBook data. It [...]
UK records 1,089 new positive coronavirus cases August 18, 2020 The UK recorded 1,089 new positive cases of coronavirus today, up from 713 yesterday, government figures showed. A further 12 people died after testing positive for covid-19 within 28 days. The UK has recorded more than 1,000 daily cases on eight out of the last 10 days. Earlier health minister Matt Hancock welcomed figures from [...]
FTSE 100 gives up gains despite S&P 500 hitting all-time high August 18, 2020 The US’s S&P 500 stock index hit an all-time high before slipping back along with the FTSE 100 and other global markets amid rising US-China tensions. The S&P 500 rose to 3,395 points, topping a high it hit in February, having been boosted by record levels of stimulus. But the index reversed course and slipped [...]
Angling Direct reels in strong online sales during lockdown August 18, 2020 Angling Direct has capitalised on pent-up demand as it reeled in strong sales as stores reopened, while maintaining a strong online presence during lockdown. The coronavirus restrictions did little to dent demand as sales jumped to £32.1m in the six months to the end of July. The figures Angling Direct reported a 21 per cent [...]
Women in banking are judged differently, says Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia August 18, 2020 Former Virgin Money boss Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia has said she believes women in the City are treated differently to men. Gadhia, who left Virgin Money to set up fintech startup Snoop, recalls being labelled a “bloody difficult woman” throughout her career. Speaking to entrepreneur podcast “Can I ask you a personal question?” she said: “There is [...]
Face masks to be mandatory in French workplaces August 18, 2020 It will be compulsory to wear face masks in most French workplaces from 1 September, a government official has confirmed. The new rules will likely be implemented in shared indoor workspaces, such as offices and factories, as the country’s coronavirus rate continues to increase. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals in France remains low, [...]
Lending through key UK coronavirus schemes tops £52bn August 18, 2020 Bank lending to struggling businesses through the government-backed coronavirus lending programmes has topped £52bn, figures today showed. The bounce back loan scheme (BBLS), under which the government backs 100 per cent of loans up to £50,000, has seen by far the most use. Treasury figures showed £35.5bn had been lent out through the programme by [...]
