OECD boss: Coronavirus crash will not be as bad as Great Depression April 19, 2020 The coronavirus economic downturn will be “very bad”, but not as bad as the Great Depression despite fears to the contrary, according to the head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the OECD, said today that the impending global economic crash will not last for four years like [...]
Easyjet chair attacks founder for piling pressure on management during coronavirus crisis April 19, 2020 The chairman of Easyjet has attacked founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou for piling pressure on the airline’s management team during the coronavirus crisis. Haji-Ioannou has repeatedly criticised Easyjet’s management for its order of 107 Airbus jets which was signed in 2013 at an estimated cost of £4.5bn. Last week he called for a vote to oust [...]
Coronavirus: Debenhams and Arcadia in talks with landlords over store closures April 19, 2020 Major high street retailers including Debenhams and Topshop owner Arcadia are negotiating with landlords over whether stores will reopen after the coronavirus lockdown ends. All non-essential retailers were ordered to close when the government implemented restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus last month. However, some stores will not reopen when the lockdown is relaxed [...]
Coronavirus: Asda cancels clothing orders with suppliers April 19, 2020 Asda has cancelled around a quarter of clothing orders with suppliers due to plummeting demand during the coronavirus crisis. The supermarket has said it will pay 50 per cent for the completed cancelled orders, rising to 60 per cent for Bangladeshi suppliers. Asda said it will honour more than 75 per cent of its orders [...]
UK considers three-stage ‘traffic light’ plan to exit coronavirus lockdown April 19, 2020 Michael Gove has poured cold water on reports that schools and some shops could be re-opened by next month in an easing of the UK’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions. When asked about a government report first leaked to Buzzfeed about the UK’s three-stage lockdown exit plan, Gove said it was not correct that schools could be [...]
Michael Gove hits out at reports Boris Johnson skipped coronavirus meetings April 19, 2020 Senior minister Michael Gove has defended Boris Johnson’s efforts during the coronavirus crisis after an explosive report claimed the Prime Minister missed a series of coronavirus Cobra meetings. The Sunday Times reported today that Johnson missed five of the crisis meetings in late January and early February when the coronavirus first began to spread outside [...]
Read all about it: Newspapers feel the strain of Covid-19 April 18, 2020 Newspaper editors will have been no doubt heartened to see Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, chivvying Brits to “buy a paper” this weekend. Dowden called newspapers the “fourth emergency service.” Like the others, they are under strain. For weeks on end British newspapers have reported on the coronavirus crisis, covering the spread of the pandemic, [...]
Coronavirus: Government launches taskforce to develop vaccine April 17, 2020 The government has launched a taskforce, including both industry and academics, to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Business secretary Alok Sharma announced this afternoon that the taskforce, which will include Sir John Bell, Astrazeneca, and the Wellcome Trust, will focus on developing a vaccine as fast as possible to make it available to the public. “We [...]
Jewish Chronicle plunged into bitter row as bidders circle April 17, 2020 The Jewish Chronicle has been plunged into a bitter row as rival factions line up bids to take control of the newspaper ahead of a crunch meeting next week. Earlier this month the London weekly announced it was seeking a creditors’ voluntary liquidation alongside the Jewish News, with which it had previously agreed to merge. [...]
US stocks rise as investors hope for coronavirus breakthrough April 17, 2020 US stocks have risen in afternoon trading despite dire economic data from China as investors grow optimism about a possible coronavirus drug breakthrough. The Dow Jones was up 1.6 per cent in morning trading in the US. The S&P 500 was 1.5 per cent higher and the Nasdaq had risen 0.6 per cent. European shares [...]
