Heathrow owners told to boost funding or risk nationalisation October 25, 2020 The airline watchdog has warned the owners of Heathrow that the airport may be nationalised if they do not provide fresh funding to help it weather the pandemic. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has said that without emergency cash from Heathrow’s shareholders, including the sovereign wealth funds of Singapore and Qatar, the airport may face [...]
Astrazeneca and Johnson & Johnson to restart US Covid-19 vaccine trials October 24, 2020 Regulators have given Astrazeneca the green light to resume its US trial of a Covid-19 vaccine, while Johnson & Johnson is preparing to restart next week. Astrazeneca paused its trial on 6 September after reports of a neurological illness, believed to be transverse myelitis, in a participant in the pharmaceutical giant’s UK trial. J&J halted [...]
Anti-lockdown protest: Thousands march in central London October 24, 2020 Thousands of protesters are marching in central London this afternoon over coronavirus lockdown restrictions. The anti-lockdown protest will be the fourth to take place in the capital since the start of the pandemic. London has recently moved into Tier 2 restrictions, which bans people from socialising indoors with people they do not live with. Photos [...]
US Covid-19 cases hit record daily high October 24, 2020 Confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US have reached a record daily high, according to reports. More than 84,000 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 across the US on Friday, according to a Reuters tally. The surge was a record one-day increase in infections during the pandemic as the spread of the virus picks up pace [...]
Canary Islands and Maldives added to quarantine free travel list October 23, 2020 The Canary Islands, the Maldives, Denmark and Mykonos have all been added back on to the UK's travel corridors list, transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed.
Criminal gangs steal £2bn through furlough fraud October 23, 2020 Criminal gangs have scooped up almost £2bn of government cash intended for furloughed workers, according to official tax estimates. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said that between 5 and 10 per cent of the £39bn sum handed out by chancellor Rishi Sunak to support workers during the pandemic had been claimed fraudulently. A report published [...]
Coronavirus: UK economic recovery stumbles as business growth slips October 23, 2020 The UK economy’s recovery stumbled in October, according to a new survey, with services sector growth slowing considerably amid rising coronavirus cases and new government measures. The IHS Markit/Cips preliminary purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a gauge of the private sector’s health, fell sharply to 52.9 in October from September’s reading of 56.5. A score above [...]
Deja vu: Eurozone businesses back in decline as Covid cases jump October 23, 2020 The Eurozone’s private sector slipped back into decline in October as coronavirus ripped through the region and new restrictions hit countries’ service sectors and wider economies, according to a new survey. The preliminary IHS Markit Eurozone composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – which measures the health of businesses – dropped to 49.4 in October from [...]
Coronavirus: London to lose £10.9bn from tourist spending, Sadiq Khan warns October 23, 2020 London is set to miss out on £10.9bn from a drop in tourist spending as a result of the coronavirus crisis, Sadiq Khan has warned, as footfall in the capital remains well below pre-pandemic levels. Overseas tourists will spend £7.4bn less on goods and services in London this year, while domestic tourists will spend £3.5bn [...]
Travel quarantine: Germany and Sweden in line to be added to ‘red list’ October 22, 2020 Germany and Sweden could be added to the UK’s travel quarantine list this afternoon, with both reporting rising numbers of new coronavirus cases. The two countries are among the last places in Europe to which travellers can go without needing to self-isolate for 14 days on their return to the UK. However, both are now [...]