Business

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The OBR says the UK economy is on course to grow at the slowest pace since the financial crisis this year The British economy will grow at the slowest pace since the financial crisis this year, according to the government’s spending watchdog. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) cut […]

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionBudget 2020: Coverage from Politics Live Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned of a significant but temporary disruption to the UK economy caused by the coronavirus outbreak, in his Budget. But he promised a coordinated response, saying: “We will get through this together.” “We are doing everything we

Image copyright Louise Halford Image caption Louise Halford decided to self-isolate When one of Louise Halford’s staff members returned from a ski trip with flu-like symptoms, she advised him to work from home rather than risk bringing the coronavirus into the office. Ms Halford also decided to work from home after feeling some possible symptoms

Image copyright Getty Images An emergency cut in interest rates has been announced by the Bank of England in response to the potential financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee has cut the so-called base rate from 0.75% to 0.25%, pushing it back to the lowest level in history. This benchmark

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The rules will apply to a wide variety of products New rules could spell the death of a “throwaway” culture in which products are bought, used briefly, then binned. The regulations will apply to a range of everyday items such as mobile phones, textiles, electronics, batteries, construction and packaging.

The Bank of England has announced an emergency cut in interest rates to shore up the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak. Policymakers reduced rates from 0.75% to 0.25%, taking borrowing costs back down to the lowest level in history. The Bank said it would also free up billions of pounds of extra lending power to

In China, where the coronavirus outbreak first started, the government has taken drastic steps to minimise human interaction and slow the spread of the disease. And now – with official figures appearing to show that the crisis there may have stabilised for the time being – there are signs that more people are heading back

Image copyright Getty Images Cathay Pacific said it expects a “substantial” loss in the first half of this year as the impact of the coronavirus takes it toll. The Hong Kong carrier also saw a 28% drop in 2019 profits as it struggled during the city’s political protests. The airline is now battling with the

Image copyright Getty Images Google’s parent company Alphabet has asked its North American staff to work from home to reduce the potential spread of the coronavirus. Last week the tech giant sent a memo to staff recommending that employees in Washington state work from home. It has now expanded that request to all of its

Image copyright Getty Images A little over three weeks after becoming chancellor, Rishi Sunak is about to deliver what’s become known as the “coronavirus Budget,” as fears grow over the impact the outbreak will have on the UK economy. He is expected to unveil a package of measures to boost everything from the NHS to