Oil prices mixed as second wave threat tempers new production cut May 11, 2020 Oil prices were mixed today, supported by Saudi Arabia’s move to reduce output by an extra 1m barrels per day, but pressured by fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections. Brent crude fell 1.6 per cent to $30.47 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.7 per cent to $24.92. Global oil [...]
Insurer RSA posts double-digit profit rise but expects £25m coronavirus hit May 7, 2020 FTSE 100 insurer RSA today said it expected its exposure from the coronavirus pandemic to total around £25m, with claims coming from travel, wedding and event cancellation insurance. The home, motor and commercial insurer had received around 25,000 claims on which it would pay out, of which around 23,000 were travel claims, it said in [...]
Coronavirus: Government optimistic UK will hit 100,000 daily testing target May 1, 2020 The government is likely to hit or come close to its daily coronavirus testing target of 100,000 today, according to housing minister Robert Jenrick. As of yesterday morning, the UK had carried out 80,000 tests – 20,000 short of the original target set by health secretary Matt Hancock a month ago. Hitting the goal would [...]
TSB books €7m loss in the first quarter as impact of coronavirus hits April 30, 2020 TSB booked a loss of €7m loss in the first quarter after a €40m in the previous quarter, as parent company Sabadell’s net profit shrinks on coronavirus-related provisions. Sabadell said its first quarter net profit shrunk by almost two-thirds after it braced for coronavirus-led defaults and suspended its guidance for the full year. It reported [...]
Santander first quarter profit plunges 82 per cent on coronavirus April 28, 2020 Spain’s Santander bank posted an 82 per cent year-on-year slump in quarterly net profit todayas it booked higher provisions for expected credit losses from the coronavirus outbreak. The Eurozone’s second-largest bank by market value reported a profit of €331m (£288.5m) for the first quarter ended in March. Overall loan-loss provisions rose 80 per cent after [...]
WHO: Coronavirus likely came from animals, not China lab April 21, 2020 The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that all available evidence suggests the novel coronavirus originated in animals in China late last year and was not manipulated or produced in a laboratory. US President Donald Trump said last week that his government was trying to determine whether the coronavirus emanated from a lab in [...]
UK to trial using Covid-19 survivors’ blood plasma for treatment April 20, 2020 The United Kingdom is preparing to collect the blood from Covid-19 survivors to see if it can help create a treatment for the infection. British doctors will investigate if convalescent plasma transfusions could improve an infected patient’s speed of recovery and chances of survival. “NHS Blood and Transplant is preparing to collect Covid-19 convalescent plasma [...]
Coronavirus: London mayor Sadiq Khan calls for face masks on Tube April 17, 2020 London mayor Sadiq Khan called on the government today to make coronavirus face masks compulsory for people using the Tube or shopping. The mayor said that evidence from around the world was that face coverings help stop the spread of coronavirus. New York has ordered residents to wear masks or substitute face coverings when in [...]
Wimbledon tennis championships cancelled over coronavirus April 1, 2020 The Wimbledon tennis championships were cancelled for the first time since World War Two today as the coronavirus pandemic wiped another blue-riband sports event off the calendar. While the decision had looked inevitable for some time, since the virtual shutdown of world sport and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, Wimbledon had been one of [...]
Trump and Congress reach deal on $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus March 25, 2020 US senators and Trump administration officials have reached an agreement on a massive economic stimulus bill to alleviate the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, the negotiators said today. The Senate will vote on the $2 trillion (£1.69 trillion) package later in the day and the House of Representatives is expected to follow suit soon [...]
