Ofgem cracks down on five smart meter operators March 6, 2020 Energy watchdog Ofgem has banned five suppliers from taking on new customers until they become compliant with smart meter regulations, it said today. The regulator has told the five companies that until they become Data Communications Company (DCC) users, they will be banned from supplying any new customers. The DCC is responsible for the national [...]
The C-word March 6, 2020 And we aren’t just talking about coronavirus There are a number of ways coronavirus has affected economies, shares, production and of course currency markets. From currencies experiencing decreased demand to Asian currencies bearing the brunt of the market’s aversion to risk, the foreign exchange market began to show clear signs of being impacted by the [...]
Coronavirus: Starbucks bans reusable cups in bid to prevent spread of Covid-19 March 6, 2020 Starbucks has temporarily banned customers from using reusable cups in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The coffee shop chain has said customers will still get the 25p discount for bringing a reusable cup with them but drinks will be served in paper cups. Costa Coffee and Greggs have said they do not have plans to [...]
Government bond yields sink to record low on coronavirus disruption March 6, 2020 Government bond yields sunk to fresh historic lows as fears over the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on global growth sent investors rushing to safe haven assets. Concerns over the outbreak have sent equities tumbling across the globe and pushed the price of several government bonds to historic highs, while yields (which move inversely to [...]
It’s on: Khan v Bailey will be a chance to scrutinise the leading candidates March 6, 2020 Four years ago I chaired the first head- to-head debate between the mayoral candidates Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith. It was a dramatic encounter, with the Labour candidate (and current London mayor) laying into his rival for the Tory campaign’s descent “into the gutter.” Just days before the debate, Goldsmith had launched a stinging attack [...]
Coronavirus: Four Danish footballers in quarantine as Premier League bans pre-match handshakes March 6, 2020 Denmark football club Brondby have quarantined 13 people including a player and assistant coach after ex-Denmark international Thomas Kahlenberg tested positive for coronavirus. Kahlenberg contracted the virus in Amsterdam last weekend according to Brondby director of communications Christian Schultz, before attending the club’s match with Lyngby on Sunday. Brondby defender Joel Kabongo joins assistant coach [...]
UK house prices: Brexit clouds lift, but coronavirus threat looms March 6, 2020 UK house prices rose 2.8 per cent in February compared to the same month last year, Halifax data showed today. Homes’ values increased 0.3 per cent month on month and 2.9 per cent on a quarterly basis, Halifax’s House Price Index found. That left the average UK house price at £240,677 in February. But while [...]
Government has spent £4.4bn on Brexit preparations March 6, 2020 The UK government has spent at least £4.4bn of taxpayers’ money on preparations to leave the EU, the public spending watchdog said today. The National Audit Office (NAO) said most of the money was spent on staff costs, building new infrastructure and paying for external advice. The government overall only spent about 70 per cent [...]
Budget should include ‘hardship fund’ for firms hit by coronavirus, says British Chambers of Commerce chief March 6, 2020 The chief of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has called on the government to include a “hardship fund” for firms affected by the coronavirus in this month’s Budget. Director-general of the BCC, Dr Adam Marshall, has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak asking him to roll out measures supporting small and medium-sized firms, according to [...]
Virgin Media data breach hits 900,000 customers March 6, 2020 Virgin Media last night admitted that a data breach had seen the personal details of around 900,000 people left unsecured and accessible online for 10 months. The company said that it had not been hacked, but that the breach had been caused because the database was incorrectly configured. It stressed that the database did not [...]
