By:
On:

Research carried out in April 2020 has revealed that 52% of Brits were happy to continue working from home for as long as is required.

However, over a third admitted that they were starting to feel the pressure and 6% admitted to already finding this new way of life a struggle.

Moneypenny, the outsourced communications provider, polled UK workers, who are all working from home.

In April, people were already finding it far more difficult to switch off from work, with three-quarters admitting they answer calls and emails after normal working hours.

Furthermore, 28% said they take shorter lunch breaks then they usually would when in the office. 15% stated that they don’t take any lunch breaks at all.

The research also highlighted that 72% of those people who work from home have experienced a day where they did not speak to any colleagues. Of those, almost a … Read the rest

By:
On:

Nike’s (NYSE:NKE) share price jumped more than 10% in pre-market trading Wednesday after the sneaker and apparel maker reported blowout quarterly results.

The Beaverton, Oregon-based company beat analysts’ revenue expectations for its first fiscal quarter by more than $1 billion, signaling the sportswear giant is making a comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company reported diluted earnings per share of $0.95 for the three months ended August 31. Revenue was $10.6 billion, down 1% year-over-year. Wall Street analysts had projected earnings per share of $0.47 on revenue of $9.14 billion, according to Refinitiv estimates.

Nike stock jumped to $132 a share in pre-market trading on the news. Many footwear and apparel companies, including Nike, were hard hit by store closures and a decline in in-store shopping earlier this year. In the quarter ended May 31, Nike posted a net loss and 38% decline in revenue.

In the latest quarter, however, … Read the rest

By:
On:

Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

When the first COVID-19 vaccines reach market, the world will not necessarily return to ‘normal,’ say top infectious disease experts.

In a new article for the Lancet medical journal, two University of Hong Kong researchers caution that even at the conclusion of phase III clinical trials, important questions will remain about how effective vaccines are in stopping viral transmission of COVID-19.

Gabriel Leung, an infectious disease epidemiologist, and Malik Peiris, a public health virologist, argue that even though multiple vaccine makers have reached phase III clinical trials at a record pace, scientists are currently only studying part of the equation in gauging how a vaccine may help bring an end to the global pandemic.

Subscribe to The Capsule, a daily brief monitoring advances in … Read the rest

By:
On:

(Bloomberg) — Just a few days ago, the TikTok deal looked like a win for China. Now its state-run media are denouncing it as “an American trap” and a “dirty and underhanded trick.”The quick shift in sentiment shows the complications of concluding an agreement that is about much more than finding a proper valuation for an addictive video app that has enthralled teenagers around the world. It also has big ramifications for how the world’s biggest economies handle security threats related to new technologies that will drive growth over the next few decades.For China, the political stakes are similar to the marathon trade talks that ended with a phase-one deal in January. Any agreement that makes it look like the Trump administration forced China’s hand could hurt President Xi Jinping, who has repeatedly hailed the Communist Party’s emergence as a great power in contrast to the humiliations suffered under colonial … Read the rest

By:
On:

Ministers are in talks to extend a moratorium aimed at preventing a deluge of company insolvencies amid fears that renewed trading restrictions will tip thousands of businesses beyond the brink of collapse.

It is understood that officials are discussing an extension of the ban on statutory demands being used as the basis for winding-up petitions, which has been in place since late April.

The move is expected to be finalised within a matter of days, given that the moratorium expires at the end of the month.

Sources have said that an extension was not yet guaranteed but was “overwhelmingly likely”.

The measure was one of several included in the government’s Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act, which became law in June.

Others, including a moratorium on directors’ liability for wrongful trading, also expire at the end of September and are said to be the subject of discussions about an extension.

Business … Read the rest

By:
On:

Dubai. Abu Dhabi. Bahrain. And, of course, Saudi Arabia. The two emirates this year issued debt for the first time in years. So did Bahrain. Saudi Arabia stepped up its debt issuance. The moves are typical for the oil-dependent Gulf economies. When the going is good, the money flows. When oil prices crash, they issue debt to keep going until prices recover. This time, there is a problem. Nobody knows if prices will recover.

In August, Abu Dhabi announced plans for what Bloomberg called the longest bond ever issued by a Gulf government. The 50-year debt stood at $5 billion, and its issuance was completed in early September. The bond was oversubscribed as proof of the wealthiest Emirate’s continued good reputation among investors.

Dubai, another emirate, said it was preparing to issue debt for the first time since 2014 at the end of August. Despite the fact the UAE economy … Read the rest

By:
On:

President Donald Trump’s controversial move to create a “patriotic education” commission late last week drew criticism, with critics accusing the Trump administration of whitewashing U.S. history. The commission, along with a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to develop a “pro-American curriculum,” is intended to rebuff the teaching of critical race theory, which Trump labeled “a Marxist doctrine holding that America is a wicked and racist nation.”

The “1776 Commission” reflects Republican dissatisfaction with a growing emphasis on race and civil rights education in American schools. Trump in particular took aim at the New York Times’ ongoing 1619 Project—which details slavery’s impact on America’s founding and subsequent growth, and has been incorporated in a number of school curriculums across the country—saying it “rewrites American history to teach our children that we were founded on the principle of oppression, not freedom.” This isn’t the first time the President has taken aim … Read the rest

By:
On:

(Bloomberg) — A spike in electricity prices last week in the U.K. is raising questions about how well the network operator is balancing the grid and at what cost to consumers.Electricity prices surged to more than 10 times the average following a market warning from National Grid Plc on Sept. 15. The network manager said calm weather and warm temperatures were set to lower the supply buffer it keeps to ensure there’s enough power in the system. At the same time, the company was paying a nuclear station not to generate.The incident is threatening to elevate the highly technical practices of grid managers into a political issue. Some analysis suggest National Grid made mistakes in the process that could lead to higher bills for consumers.The contract with EDF was “a particularly clunky way of dealing with variable demand,” Alan Whitehead, the opposition Labour Party’s shadow minister for energy and climate … Read the rest