Coronavirus: England and Wales weekly deaths hit 20-year high April 21, 2020 England and Wales experienced their highest weekly death toll since 2000 earlier this month, with coronavirus responsible for a third of the 18,516 deaths. The total for the week ending 10 April was 2,129 higher than the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). And it is 41 per cent higher than [...]
Full-year sales at John Lewis stores could fall 35 per cent April 21, 2020 Full-year sales at John Lewis could fall around 35 per cent, around double the current level, as the department store faces a significant drop in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. The department store said a 35 per cent drop would be the worst case scenario, assuming a significant drop between April and June, and [...]
German investor sentiment surprises with strong rebound April 21, 2020 German investor morale defied expectations and rebounded in April, a closely watched survey has shown, as market participants start to see “light at the end of the tunnel”. The German Zew think tank said its gauge of investor morale bounced sharply up to 28.2 from a reading of minus 49.5 in March. Analysts had been [...]
Kim Jong-un illness claims denied following heart surgery reports April 21, 2020 China and South Korea have played down speculation about Kim Jong-un’s health after media reports suggested the North Korean leader was “gravely ill” following heart surgery. South Korean online news site NK Daily reported that Kim underwent a cardiovascular procedure on 12 April as a result of “excessive smoking, obesity, and overwork”. A CNN report [...]
Coronavirus: Fleet-of-foot fintech firms will play a part in the recovery April 21, 2020 As coronavirus-hit nations come close to hitting their peaks, and some soften their social distancing rules, the time has come to look ahead to the prospect of recovery. In that respect, the letters V, U, W and L will become highly significant in the coming months. The shape of economic recovery is one of the [...]
Coronavirus: Five things entrepreneurs should be asking their investors April 21, 2020 Fundraising is tricky and time-consuming at the best of times — let alone when there’s a global pandemic. To maximise chances of success in these turbulent times, entrepreneurs with venture capital (VC) funding should remember that a VC is more than just an investor. Many have been entrepreneurs and operators themselves, have experienced uncertain times [...]
Unemployment rate set to surge in UK coronavirus lockdown April 21, 2020 The UK unemployment rate is set to rocket amid the coronavirus lockdown, economists warned today as data showed employment at a record high before March. But job vacancies sank by 52,000 year on year to 795,000 for the first three months of 2020, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. UK unemployment also inched up [...]
Quilter’s platform migration faces delay due to coronavirus uncertainty April 21, 2020 Quilter’s platform migration programme is facing delays and increased costs as the coronavirus pandemic creates growing uncertainty. Quilter confirmed it was still preparing for the second phase of its platform migration, which is due by the end of this summer. However Covid-19 makes the feasibility of this timeline more uncertain. In February Quilter completed the [...]
Peugeot maker PSA sales slump as coronavirus crashes car market April 21, 2020 Peugeot manufacturer PSA Group today posted a double-digit decline in sales for the first quarter as it forecast a slump in automotive markets across the globe due to coronavirus. The French car maker reported revenue of €15.2bn (£13.3bn) in the first three months of the year, down 15.6 per cent on the same period in [...]
Tullow Oil appoints new chief executive amid coronavirus disruption April 21, 2020 Tullow Oil has appointed Rahul Dhir as its new chief executive as the troubled exploratory firm overhauls its business amid the coronavirus oil crash. Dhir, who is currently the chief executive of Africa-based oil firm Delonex, joins Tullow as the firm cuts a third of its workforce and seeks to raise $1bn from the sale [...]
