Sketch: The tech giants dance to their own tune in Zoom parliament April 30, 2020 “Have you ever met Mark Zuckerberg?” the culture select committee asks, wasting no time in getting to the real issues about the spread of fake news during the coronavirus crisis. Facebook’s UK public policy manager, a bespectacled millennial sat predictably next to a potted plant, looks nonplussed via webcam. “I have seen him,” he says [...]
Boris Johnson: UK ‘past the peak’ of coronavirus outbreak April 30, 2020 Boris Johnson has announced that the UK is past the peak of its coronavirus outbreak and that he will outline the government’s plan to ease the lockdown next week. Speaking at today’s press briefing, Johnson said the country was “past the peak and we’re on the downward slope”. He said that next week’s unveiling of [...]
Boris Johnson asks British businesses to ‘keep going’ through coronavirus lockdown April 30, 2020 Boris Johnson has asked the UK’s business owners to “keep going” as he prepares to face his first press conference since March. Addressing businesses today, the Prime Minister tweeted “I share your anxiety” about the future of the economy, but that the coronavirus lockdown must continue to “protect our NHS and save lives”. Johnson, who [...]
Coronavirus: US weekly jobless claims at 3.8m as unemployment skyrockets April 30, 2020 More than 3.8m Americans filed jobless claims last week as unemployment in the world’s biggest economy continues to skyrocket amid the coronavirus pandemic. The new jobless claims, down from 4.4m the week before, mean roughly 30m Americans have lost their jobs in the last six weeks as states have all but shut down their economies. [...]
European Central Bank holds rates but offers lenders cheaper credit April 30, 2020 The European Central Bank has eased the conditions on its super-cheap loans for banks and launched a new package of “pandemic” lending in its latest bid to shore up the Eurozone during the coronavirus outbreak. The central bank stopped short of cutting interest rates further into negative territory or buying “junk” bonds, however. The decision [...]
Shell chief: Economic recovery from Covid-19 could speed up energy transition April 30, 2020 Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden said that economic recovery coronavirus pandemic might accelerate the shift to a low-carbon economy as the oil major released its first quarter results amid a decimated oil and gas industry. As a result of collapsed demand for fuel, the firm has elected to cut its capital spending from $25bn [...]
Treasury fast tracks VAT cut for e-books and digital newspapers April 30, 2020 Plans to scrap VAT on e-books and digital newspapers have been fast tracked in an effort to support the publishing industry during the Covid-19 crisis, the chancellor said today. In his Budget speech in March Rishi Sunak said all digital publications, including books, newspapers, magazines and academic journals, would be exempt from the tax from [...]
Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq drop as coronavirus ravages global economy April 30, 2020 US stocks have fallen with the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all lower after dire economic data and earnings highlighted the impact of the coronavirus shutdown and subdued investors. The Dow Jones index dropped 1.3 per cent in early trading. The S&P 500 fell 0.7 per cent and the Nasdaq slipped 0.1 per cent. [...]
Carlsberg sales dip due to pub closures during lockdown April 30, 2020 Carlsberg sales dropped in the first quarter and the brewing giant warned a further decline is expected over the next few months due to the closure of bars and restaurants during coronavirus lockdowns. The brewer said sales dropped seven per cent between January and March, and would continue to fall in the second quarter due [...]
Twitter posts rise in revenue despite Covid-19 advertising hit April 30, 2020 Twitter today posted a rise in revenue for the first quarter despite the lingering threat of a slowdown in advertising caused by the coronavirus crisis. The social media platform reported revenue of $808m (£646m) in the first three months of the year, up three per cent on the same period in 2019 and ahead of [...]
