South Yorkshire to enter Tier 3 from Friday night October 21, 2020 South Yorkshire is set to move from Tier 2 to Tier 3 from midnight on Friday, in a move that will see Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield join Greater Manchester on the highest alert level. The new restrictions will see the closure of pubs, restaurants, casinos and soft play centres, with the government pledging £30m [...]
Paypoint signs deal to sell Romanian division for £47m October 21, 2020 Paypoint has inked a deal to sell its Romanian division to Innova Capital for £47m, as the payments operator seeks to streamline its UK business in the wake of the pandemic. In a notice to the stock exchange, the London-listed firm said it had reached an agreement with Innova to offload Paypoint Services and Payzone, [...]
Metro Bank loans rise as capital remains below regulators’ expectations October 21, 2020 Metro Bank today reported a two per cent hike in lending for the third quarter, as the British bank warned its capital remained below buffers set out by regulators following a significant hit from the pandemic. Loans handed out by the bank climbed to £15.09bn in the three months to 30 September, up two per [...]
United Airlines tests digital Covid pass on UK-US flight in effort to reopen borders October 21, 2020 United Airlines will today test a digital coronavirus pass as part of a global pilot programme to establish a common international standard for Covid-19 test results. The nonprofit programme, called CommonPass, has been developed in the hopes it will speed up the reopening of borders, as the future of the airline industry remains precarious while [...]
Majority of Londoners plan to stay in capital despite pandemic fallout October 21, 2020 Londoners have remained loyal to their city throughout the coronavirus crisis, with the bulk of people in the capital pledging not to leave the city despite fresh Tier 2 restrictions and work from home orders, according to new research. Just seven per cent of Londoners plan to pack up and flee the capital in the [...]
Boohoo takes £775m hit as auditor stands down October 20, 2020 Boohoo saw almost £775m wiped off its market value yesterday after the beleaguered fast fashion retailer said PwC was stepping down as auditor. Boohoo’s announcement that it was running a tender for a new auditor and that PwC would not take part in the process spooked investors, sending shares down 20 per cent to 254p [...]
UK to run ‘human challenge’ coronavirus trials in world first October 20, 2020 The UK is set to become the first nation to launch “human challenge” trials, after the British government today said it would plug almost £34m into studies where healthy people are deliberately exposed to coronavirus. The trials, which could begin as soon as January, will aim to speed up the hunt for a vaccine by [...]
Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser boosts sales on UK hygiene kick during pandemic October 20, 2020 Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser has continued to flourish throughout the pandemic, as the company today reported a 20 per cent hike in cleaning product sales during the third quarter. The FTSE 100 company, which also owns brands such as Nurofen, Cillit Bang and Durex, reported a 13 per cent jump in overall sales between July [...]
Covid deaths rise but still only five per cent of first wave peak October 20, 2020 Weekly coronavirus-related deaths have risen to the highest level since the start of July, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In total, 438 deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week ending 9 October with Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate, ONS figures released today showed. The [...]
City of London pledges to lure in small businesses and artists in plan to ‘reinvent itself’ October 20, 2020 The City of London Corporation has pledged to “reinvent itself” by encouraging small businesses and artists to “re-enter the city centre”, as the capital attempts to shake off the economic damage of the pandemic . In a five-year target to reinvigorate London, the City has drawn up plans to motivate small businesses and artists to [...]