Over-40s to pay more tax under plans to solve social care crisis July 27, 2020 Over-40s will be forced to pay more tax or national insurance under radical new plans being considered by ministers to solve the social care crisis, according to reports. Under fresh government plans, everyone under the age of 40 will have to start contributing towards the cost of care in later life, or be compelled to [...]
Johnson bans buy one get one free offers amid war on obesity July 27, 2020 Boris Johnson has banned buy one get one free offers and introduced a 9pm watershed on junk food advertising as the Prime Minister wages war on obesity amid the coronavirus crisis. GPs will prescribe Weight Watchers diet plans to overweight patients, as the government attempts to get every overweight Brit to lose 5 lbs. Johnson [...]
Gold hits all time high amid US-China tensions July 27, 2020 Gold hit an all-time high today as growing tensions between the US and China sent investors scrambling for safe haven assets. Gold rose one per cent to fresh heights of $1,920.9 per ounce, beating a record last set in September 2011. Washington last week ordered China’s consulate in Houston to close, prompting Beijing to respond [...]
Mortgage searches skyrocket following Sunak’s stamp duty holiday announcement July 25, 2020 Mortgage searches have jumped 29 per cent over the last two weeks, after chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a reduction in stamp duty sparked potential homebuyers into action. The chancellor earlier this month unveiled an immediate stamp duty holiday for homes sold for up to £500,000 in England and Northern Ireland until 31 March next [...]
Landlords desert Travelodge to set up rival operator July 24, 2020 Dozens of Travelodge landlords are set to ditch the budget hotel chain to set up a rival company, following an acrimonious battle with the firm over rent cuts during the pandemic. Around 80 hotels will desert Travelodge to sign new leases with Goodnight, a new brand set to be formally announced later today. The Goodnight [...]
Wall Street Journal editors hit back at ‘misinformation’ and ‘racism’ claims July 24, 2020 The Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) editorial staff have launched a scathing rebuttal of allegations that their articles propel misinformation surrounding issues such as coronavirus and racism, saying the paper vows not to “wilt under cancel culture pressure”. Almost 300 journalists at the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper on Tuesday sent a letter to WSJ’s publisher accusing the [...]
Vodafone shares slide as operator ‘calculates cost’ of Huawei ban July 24, 2020 Vodafone shares dipped more than five per cent this morning as the telecoms firm said it was still “calculating the cost” of removing Huawei kit from its 5G network following a government ban on the Chinese vendor. Vodafone chief executive Nick Read told reporters this morning the firm was “clearly disappointed” in the government’s decision [...]
Johnson wages war on junk food ads in bid to tackle UK obesity July 24, 2020 Boris Johnson is set to announce sweeping measures to overhaul junk food advertising in the UK, which could include a 9pm watershed on TV adverts. The Prime Minister’s long-awaited obesity strategy, which could be announced as soon as next week, will likely involve a ban on online advertising of unhealthy foods, a 9pm watershed on [...]
Luton residents told to stay at home amid fears of local lockdown July 24, 2020 Council leaders in Luton have told residents to stay at home as much as possible amid fears that a rise in infections in the town could lead to a local lockdown. Luton has been designated as an “intervention area” by the government, meaning the town’s infection rate is being monitored closely and further spike in [...]
Vodafone targets 2021 IPO for European towers unit July 24, 2020 Vodafone today confirmed it would target an early 2021 initial public offering (IPO) for its European telecoms towers business. The spin-off will see the division renamed Vantage Towers after Vodafone signalled its intention to separate the unit to maximise shareholder value. Vodafone said it will seek a prime listing in Frankfurt for its European mast [...]
