The pound has enjoyed its biggest one-day surge in value for eight years as investors bet on Britain remaining in the EU. And the FTSE 100 recorded its best day for a year as shares in British companies soared by £47.5 billion, the Daily Mail says. ‘Analysts said the rally was a sign that investors from around the world now expect Britain to remain in the European Union – allaying fears of an economic hit following Brexit,’ according to the paper, which has been vocal in its support of Britain leaving the EU.
Sir Philip Green continues to come under fire from MPs, says the Times. The ex chief of BHS is accused of diverting money away from the pensions fund during the sale of the company. Last week Sir Philip announced he would ‘sort’ the deficit; if he doesn’t former employees will face a significant shortfall.
The vultures are already circling over the corpse of the old Cuba. The New York Times reports on the Americans loitering in the former communist island, waiting for trade restrictions with the USA to be lifted so they can swoop in on advantageous deals to trade sugar, coffee and tropical goods – while important American products to a market that could be worth $1.2 billion a year in sales. However, ‘[t]he agriculture department has yet to even secure office space in the new United States embassy here,’ says the paper. ‘And despite Mr. Obama’s push, efforts to lift trade sanctions are moving slowly in Congress and are bogged down in the run-up to the election.’ Yesterday Nespresso announced that they will be the first company to sell Cuban coffee in America since before the revolution.
We all know the feeling of being shortchanged in your local chain coffee shop; taking the latte handed over the counter and just knowing it’s too light. Now two customers are being allowed to sue Starbucks for underfilling their cups. The coffee giant has been ‘systematically serving lattes that are 25% too small, based on a recipe it adopted in 2009 to save money on milk,’ the Guardian tells us. The Californian plaintiffs are seeking damages for fraud and false advertising. Turns out there is use crying over spilt milk.
The future came one step closer as Twitter purchased a start-up company that uses computers that can ‘think like humans’ to scan photos and see what is in them, the Independent reports. The purchase price was an alleged $150 million.
Scrimpy relatives of the deceased are increasingly turning to ‘back yard’ funerals to save costs, the Telegraph reveals. Using a funeral director pushes the cost of a traditional burial up to an average of £4,100. And that doesn’t include flowers or an organist. You can chose to dig a hole in your garden if you own your land outright, but if you have a mortgage you must seek permission from your lender. There is no legal requirement for a coffin, but bodies must be at least 30 metres from any spring or running water.