Confusion reigns ahead of introduction of Bounce Back Loan top-ups November 9, 2020 Businesses that took out Bounce Back Loans (BBLs) from non-bank lenders may struggle to access further funds as alternative lenders scramble to secure financing. The Treasury was forced to introduce top-ups and extend the application deadline for the 100 per cent state-backed loans to January after England was placed into another lockdown last week. From [...]
Gold prices slump as Pfizer vaccine propels risk appetite November 9, 2020 Gold prices shed more than two per cent today as Pfizer’s announcement that its Covid-19 vaccine was 90 per cent effective in trials lured investor appetite away from safe haven assets. Spot gold slipped 2.2 per cent to $1,908.55 per ounce this afternoon, while US gold futures fell 2.3 per cent to $1,908.90, marking its [...]
Why Congham Hall in Norfolk should be your next staycation November 9, 2020 We all need something to look forward to right now, and with foreign travel likely to be a risky business for the foreseeable future, staycations should be at the forefront of your plans. Here’s a perfect country retreat just a couple of hours from London. The weekend If you’re looking for a getaway just outside [...]
Winners and losers: Stocks soaring AND plummeting as Pfizer reports Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough November 9, 2020 US pharma giant Pfizer reporting today that early studies of its Covid-19 vaccine are 90 per cent effective has sent markets into a frenzy, with travel and hospitality stocks shooting up while food delivery services and video conferencing software providers plummeted. Jet engine maker Rolls-Royce saw the biggest change on the FTSE 100, surging 43 [...]
Quarantine period for UK travel arrivals set to be reduced once lockdown eases, Shapps tells industry November 9, 2020 Quarantine period for UK travel arrivals set to be reduced once lockdown eases
Pfizer vaccine: ‘A good news day’ for markets, say analysts November 9, 2020 Global stock markets catapulted this afternoon on news that Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine saw a 90 per cent success rate in clinical trials, as analysts welcomed the announcement as a “boost for hopes of a return to normality”. The prospect of a vaccine electrified world markets, with S&P 500 futures hitting a record high and tourism [...]
Airline stocks soar on Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough November 9, 2020 Airline stocks soared this morning after US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer reported that early studies suggested its Covid-19 vaccine is 90 per cent effective. Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech are the first firms to show successful data from a large-scale clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine. The companies said they have so far found no [...]
Social media firms to crack down on Covid-19 vaccine disinformation November 9, 2020 Major social media platforms have agreed a package of measures with the government in an effort to limit the spread of disinformation about any Covid-19 vaccine. Following a meeting with health secretary Matt Hancock and digital secretary Oliver Dowden, Facebook, Twitter and Google endorsed the principle that no company should profit from false or misleading [...]
St Paul’s Cathedral awarded £2.1m in government funding November 7, 2020 St Paul’s Cathedral has been awarded £2.1m of government cash as part of a series of lifeline grants for cultural venues during the pandemic. The latest raft of government funding has seen more than £18m handed out to 182 cultural icons around the country. Thirty per cent of the money was awarded to London venues [...]
Coronavirus: UK bans all travel to and from Denmark after mink outbreak November 7, 2020 The government has announced a total ban on travel to and from Denmark following concern over a new strain of coronavirus in the country’s mink farms. Denmark has announced strict new lockdown rules and a nationwide mink cull after authorities discovered a mutated coronavirus strain in the animals. The UK last night initially responded by [...]