On track: First passenger trains run on Northern line Tube extension January 4, 2021 The extension to the Northern line came a step closer to completion over the Christmas period as the first passenger trains completed journeys through the new tunnels. Test trains entered the 3.2km of new track at Kennington, passing through Nine Elms station before arriving at the extension’s second new station at Battersea Power Station. The [...]
UK records 55,000 new Covid-19 cases as death toll passes 75,000 January 3, 2021 The UK has recorded almost 55,000 new daily Covid-19 cases as the total death toll from the virus passed 75,000. Another 54,990 coronavirus cases were reported today, marking the sixth day running that the total has exceeded 50,000. A further 454 people died, according to government data, taking the death toll to 75,024. Britain is [...]
Keir Starmer calls for full national lockdown within 24 hours January 3, 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on Boris Johnson to announce a full national lockdown in the next 24 hours. The leader of the opposition said the Covid-19 pandemic was “clearly out of control” and urged the prime minister to act immediately. “There’s no good the PM hinting that further restrictions are coming in [...]
City minister: Square Mile will not turn into Singapore-on-Thames January 3, 2021 Britain will not slash regulatory standards in the City in a bid to win business after Brexit, the City minister has said. Addressing concerns about the future prosperity of the Square Mile, John Glen denied that rules in the financial hub would be relaxed to improve competition, insisting that its reputation relied on its regulatory [...]
The year in charts: From the FTSE to Zoom’s share price December 31, 2020 2020 has been quite the ride. So, to cap it off, we worked with our friends at Flourish to look at *quite* how wild it was… Global stock markets have had an odd year – from optimism to collapse to guarded positivity for the future. Here’s how the FTSE 100 fared. Currency markets were all [...]
9 amazing watches that blew our minds this year December 31, 2020 While many companies have struggled in 2020, the watch industry has proven remarkably resiliant. It has also released some truly stunning pieces that would look at home on the wrist of any self-respecting horology nerd. Here are nine of the very best. Longines Heritage Classic – Tuxedo Longines has been a long-time favourite brand at [...]
When will our lives begin? What I learned from 2020 — and from Disney’s Tangled December 31, 2020 Like so many people tasked with entertaining children over Christmas, I have spent the last week watching an inordinate amount of Disney. That is to be expected. What I did not expect was finding the ultimate lockdown song. I am talking of the opening number from Tangled, the 2010 version of Rapunzel, entitled “When will [...]
Loungewear sales up 1,303 per cent as lockdown changes consumer habits December 30, 2020 Loungewear and leggings sales spiked by 1,303 per cent in 2020 according to new data from John Lewis. The department store’s annual look at consumer habits shows lockdown’s impact on customers’ baskets. As well as sitting room fashion, sales of chess sets (a 121 per cent increase on 2019), TVs (45 per cent) and paint [...]
How you can support your favourite bars and restaurants into 2021 December 30, 2020 January is generally a slow month for the hospitality sector as it is, largely due to those who have overindulged during the festive period wishing to take a break and partaking in the equally dreadful ‘Dry January’ or ‘Veganuary’. However, owing to ever-shifting and ever-stricter lockdown restrictions, we may not have had ample opportunity to [...]
Boris must find the bandwidth to take on Sturgeon – and keep the UK united December 30, 2020 Being prime minister is not an easy job. Whether you adopt the approach of Thatcher’s four-hours-a-night, or Macmillan’s retreating to Trollope novels at moments of extreme stress, it is a position which occupies your every waking (and probably many a sleeping) moment; the situation is not helped by the fact that the vast majority of [...]