Super Saturday: Pubs to open as London braces for boozing Brits July 3, 2020 Pubs and restaurants up and down the country are preparing to open tomorrow – dubbed Super Saturday – for the first time since lockdown began, as Brits readjust to life under social distancing. Bars and eateries will be allowed to open their doors for the first time using measures such as table service and visitor [...]
Aviation industry hails ‘turning point’ as quarantine scrapped for 60 countries July 3, 2020 People from England will be able to go to more than 50 countries from 10 July without having to quarantine on return, the government has announced. The full list of countries will be published later today but ministers have already named France, Germany, Spain and Italy among those exempted from the blanket restrictions. The announcement [...]
Chinese services sector grew at fastest pace in a decade in June July 3, 2020 China’s services sector expanded at the fastest pace in over a decade in June as the easing of lockdown measures revived consumer demand, although companies continued to cut jobs. The Caixin/Markit services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 58.4 — the highest reading since April 2010 and up from May’s 55. Any figure over 50 [...]
HSBC and Standard Chartered have put profits before principles and betrayed Hong Kong July 3, 2020 Increasingly, companies are being asked to take a moral stand on the great issues of the day. From clothing retailers to tea bag brands, every company is being asked where their values lie. While many organisations proudly broadcast their internationalist and liberal values in the west, some are willing to undermine those principles as soon [...]
BBC announces 450 job cuts and axes Inside Out July 2, 2020 The BBC has announced it will slash 450 jobs from its BBC News England team and will axe its long-running Inside Out show as part of plans to shore up an extra £25m by 2022. The BBC today said it would cut roughly 15 per cent of its BBC England team, as the broadcaster seeks [...]
The taxing question of unsustainable corporate debt July 2, 2020 Although we are by no means out of the danger zone, eyes are starting to turn away from how the UK’s businesses can survive the Covid-19 crisis and towards how to rebuild the economy in the longer term. However, there is a very real issue facing the UK economy as a whole: are our levels [...]
How to be a great boss in the era of Covid-19 July 2, 2020 In the 1980s, corporate leadership was all about command and control. It was the era of presenteeism, of leaving your jacket on the back of your chair for your boss to see. Just like baggy jeans and grunge music, it went out with the millennium. Then came its polar opposite: formal, intimidating bosses were replaced [...]
Two-thirds of Brits think coronavirus bailouts should have strings attached July 2, 2020 Almost two-thirds of Brits think large companies should only receive public bailout money if they agree to conditions such as protecting jobs and reducing carbon emissions, according to polling published today that adds to pressure on the Bank of England. Financial campaign group Positive Money and pollster Yougov found that 63 per cent of the [...]
Bank of England to review climate impact of corporate bond-buying after crisis July 1, 2020 The Bank of England will look at introducing climate change considerations when deciding which corporate bonds it buys, governor Andrew Bailey said today. The central bank had been targeted by climate change protesters who have been calling and emailing it this week to demand a change in the way it helps companies survive the Covid-19 [...]
OECD insists US remains part of global talks on digital tax July 1, 2020 The OECD has said the US is still taking part in discussions around a global digital tax solution, despite statements to the contrary from Washington. US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier this month the US would leave the talks if several European countries did not halt their plans for independent digital taxes, including the [...]