Easyjet grounds all airplanes over coronavirus March 30, 2020 Easyjet has grounded its entire fleet of more than 300 aircraft in the wake of “unprecedented” travel restrictions over the global coronavirus pandemic. The budget flyer warned today “there can be no certainty of the date for restarting commercial flights”. It has grounded its entire fleet of commercial aircraft and put its cabin crew staff [...]
Mothercare franchising deal with Boots delayed by coronavirus March 30, 2020 Mothercare said today that the start of a franchising deal with Boots has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. In an update to the stock exchange this morning, Mothercare said its global franchise partners “are facing considerable challenges” related to the outbreak, adding that it will “not be immune to the effect of widespread store [...]
EY resigns as auditor of Travelex owner Finablr as board members quit March 30, 2020 EY has resigned as auditor of Finablr after the troubled payments firm could not accommodate some adjustments it requested, including changing the composition of its board. Trading in the London-listed firm’s shares was suspended earlier this month after Finablr warned it was preparing for potential insolvency. It has launched an investigation into its finances. Finablr [...]
UK coronavirus: Smiths bolsters production to build 10,000 ventilators March 30, 2020 Engineering group Smiths has ramped up production of its ventilators to produce 10,000 units for the UK government’s fight against coronavirus. Production will increase from hundreds of ventilators per month to thousands to meet the huge demand, after the UK recorded 1,228 coronavirus deaths yesterday. Smiths said talks are ongoing with its supply chain to [...]
COVID-19 – the latest challenge to ‘levelling up’ the UK economy March 30, 2020 In uncharted territory … When I flew out of Buenos Aires in late 1990, having ended my stint working as part of a team supporting the economic reform programme of President Menem, I genuinely believed I would never again work in such a severe economic situation like the one Argentina had been in. Prices in [...]
COVID-19 and cyber: Critical actions for employees and business to take now March 30, 2020 Recent weeks have been challenging for us all on so many fronts. Most importantly businesses have had to prioritise the health of society whilst doing their very best to keep things on track. Each day has brought new challenges as employees rapidly adapt to new ways of working. How can businesses maintain operational resilience and [...]
Coronavirus: Oil prices plunge to 18-year low March 30, 2020 Oil prices have tumbled to an 18-year low, dragging down Asian stocks as coronavirus continues to hit economies and Saudi Arabia shows no sign of ending its oil price war with Russia. Brent crude oil fell 5.7 per cent to $23.52 per barrel this morning, its lowest level since 2002. US crude fell 3.9 per [...]
Trump extends US coronavirus measures beyond Easter March 30, 2020 President Donald Trump has warned US coronavirus restrictions could stay in place until at least 30 April, extending measures such as social distancing. Trump had previously hinted at relaxing US coronavirus rules by Easter, which arrives on 12 April, to revive the economy. The US now counts 140,000 coronavirus cases, while 2,493 people have died, [...]
DEBATE: Should businesses sign a new ‘social contract’ in exchange for government support? March 30, 2020 Should businesses sign a new “social contract” in exchange for government support? YES, says James Kirkup, director of the Social Market Foundation. Taxpayers are offering unprecedented support to business during this crisis, and will be paying for it for years to come. To avoid a backlash that harms business and the UK economy afterwards, we [...]
Why the UK’s startup sector is worth saving March 30, 2020 Covid-19 has already destroyed so much. Lives, livelihoods, freedom of movement. For those on the frontlines, whether in the NHS, social care or supermarkets, or in the country’s many sick beds, the battle is fierce. As the dominoes of our economy have tumbled, the government has quickly stepped in. First to safeguard business. Then to [...]
