National Grid ends lengthy dispute with US unions January 8, 2019 National Grid has struck a deal with unions to end a longrunning dispute at its US business. Shares in the FTSE 100 energy giant rose one per cent this morning after the company announced its agreement with Massachusetts Gas unions over employment terms and conditions. It said the agreement is for a five-and-a-half-year contract covering [...]
PG&E plummets amid reports of possible bankruptcy January 7, 2019 Shares in PG&E plummeted by over a fifth today as worries over its future gripped markets in the US. The company dropped 20.9 per cent to $19.36 in early trading in New York as reports surfaced that it could be on the brink of bankruptcy. The utility supplier is considering plans to file for bankruptcy [...]
The age old problem: When buying spirits you shouldn’t rely on age as a sign of quality January 7, 2019 If you’re a rum distiller, you need to watch out for those pesky angels. You see, the tropical climates in which rum tends to be made accelerates the aging process: while in Scotland the angels’ share of whisky – that which is lost through evaporation – might be one to three per cent a year, [...]
NHS England says new 10-year plan could save up to 500,000 lives a year January 7, 2019 NHS England has unveiled its 10-year plan for the health service, which sets out how the £20.5bn funding injection announced by Theresa May will be spent over the next five years. NHS England said the money could save around 500,000 lives by preventing life-threatening diseases such as strokes, heart problems and cancer by detecting them [...]
Manufacturers worry post-Brexit border delays could hit their businesses January 7, 2019 More than three quarters of British manufacturers say border delays post-Brexit would be a risk to their business, according to a survey released today. The survey by insurer AIG and manufacturing association EEF showed 76 per cent thought delays at the border posed a risk to their business. “While companies are naturally optimistic by their [...]
Rothesay plans £3.5bn takeover of Swiss Re division January 5, 2019 Insurance company Rothesay Life is planning a £3.5bn takeover bid for a unit of Swiss Re, derailing plans to list it on the stock market. Rothesay approached reinsurance firm Swiss Re a few weeks ago about the possibility of buying ReAssure, the company's British closed books division, according to Sky News. The company plans to a make a [...]
Stock predictions 2019: Which stocks and shares will do well this year? January 2, 2019 After a tumultuous year in the markets with Brexit uncertainty, the threat of trade war and rapidly changing consumer habits, the FTSE 100 suffered its worst year since the financial crisis in 2018, ending it 12.5 per cent down. While there is no sign that 2019 will be any less eventful, with the date Britain [...]
Chinese ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing expands into fintech as driver regulation rears its head January 2, 2019 Chinese ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing has expanded into financial services, as fresh domestic regulation threatened to put a dampener on its driver numbers. The firm has today launched a suite of financial products, including crowdfunded health insurance, wealth management and lending, all aimed at short-term workers on temporary contracts. The move comes after Didi announced a [...]
Theresa May still has ‘more work to do’ to secure Brexit deal with EU December 31, 2018 A spokesperson for the Prime Minister has said Theresa May still has "more work to do" in order to secure assurances on the UK's exit from the European Union before the next parliamentary debate. May is said to have spoken to EU leaders over the Christmas period about reassurances on the deal, particularly on the so-called [...]
Jeremy Hunt says Brexit deal can still get through parliament if Irish backstop issue is clarified December 28, 2018 Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has said Theresa May’s Brexit deal can get through parliament if the EU clarifies the so called Northern Irish backstop will be temporary. The backstop, an insurance policy to prevent the return of border checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland, has been a major sticking point in securing the Brexit divorce [...]