FTSE 100 inches back into the green on new lockdown business support January 5, 2021 The FTSE 100 inched back into the green this afternoon despite news of a third lockdown as the Treasury unveiled a new business support package. London’s blue-chip index slipped 0.1 per cent at lunchtime but picked back up as US markets opened to stand 0.3 per cent higher at 6,589 points. Investors’ optimism came as [...]
Police issue warning over scam Covid-19 vaccine text message January 5, 2021 Police have issued an urgent warning over a scam text message telling Brits they are eligible to apply for the Covid-19 vaccine. The fake message, which purports to come from the NHS, reads: “We have identified that your [sic] are eligible to apply for your vaccine.” It then prompts recipients to click on a link [...]
Honda halts Swindon car production for second time in a month due to supply chain disruption January 5, 2021 Honda this afternoon said that it would halt production at its plant in Swindon due to supply chain disruption – the second time it has done so in a month. In a statement, the carmaker said that production would stop today and tomorrow, with a view to starting again on Thursday. It said that the [...]
Coronavirus lockdown: Government announces £4bn in grants for closed retail and hospitality firms January 5, 2021 Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are set to receive a one-off grant of up to £9,000 per property to help them survive the latest coronavirus lockdown, the government announced this morning. The new funding comes after the Prime Minister announced last night that the sectors would be forced to remain closed until at least mid-February [...]
Tube and bus passenger numbers plunge as lockdown begins January 5, 2021 There were 200,000 journeys made on the London Underground on the first morning of the latest national lockdown, figures from Transport for London (TfL) showed today. As of 10am this morning, passengers made a total of 400,000 entrances and exits to the Tube network, which is the equivalent to 18 per cent of pre-pandemic demand [...]
AIM higher: IPOs help junior index rally in 2020 January 5, 2021 Faced with a turbulent year, London’s AIM market ended the year higher after a rise in its healthcare and energy stocks and a slew of listings. The junior exchange rallied 21 per cent in 2020, closing at 1,157.04 by the end of the year. The FTSE 100 by contrast ended down 14 per cent on [...]
Boris Johnson cancels trip to India after announcing Covid lockdown January 5, 2021 Boris Johnson has today cancelled his plan trip to India later this month, after he announced a new England lockdown last night. Johnson spoke to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to deliver the news and reaffirm his commitment to visit the country later this year. A Downing Street spokesperson said: “In light of the national [...]
Paperchase on the brink of collapse as Covid-19 lockdowns hit sales January 5, 2021 Paperchase is on the brink of becoming the first major retail collapse of 2021 after the stationary chain was forced to close stores over Christmas. The retailer has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, with PwC lined up to handle proceedings, following the announcement of a third nationwide lockdown. The card retailer, which [...]
Ticketmaster handed $10m fine for hacking into rival company January 5, 2021 Ticketmaster has been slapped with a $10m (£7.4m) fine after it was charged with repeatedly hacking into the computer systems of a rival company. In court documents filed last week, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said several Ticketmaster employees used stolen passwords to access confidential information in a bid to “choke off” competition from a [...]
Decision on UK border restrictions in coming days, says Michael Gove January 5, 2021 Cabinet minister Michael Gove today confirmed that the government is preparing new border controls for travellers entering England. Speaking to ITV, he said: “We will be making announcements later today and in the days ahead about how we will make sure that our ports and airports are safe. “It is already the case that there are significant [...]
