It wasn’t all bad: 2020 hindsight reveals some good things, too December 19, 2020 Once upon a time, it was popular in the corporate world to have a “2020 Vision”. It was a snappy title for glossy brochures laying out long-term strategies. It suggested clarity, foresight and forward thinking. Sodexo, Siemens, the NHS, the Grand Union Housing Group and the University of Chester all published their own “2020 Vision”. [...]
Oxford vaccine ‘to be approved before the new year’ December 19, 2020 The Oxford vaccine is expected to be approved before the end of the year, making it the second Covid vaccine to be approved in the UK. It is believed the vaccine will be approved on 28 or 29 December after final data is provided to the health regulator on Monday. The UK has ordered 100 [...]
Cabinet to hold emergency meeting to discuss rising concerns of new mutant Covid strain – reports December 18, 2020 An emergency cabinet meeting is taking place at 1pm today to discuss the coronavirus restrictions in the wake of a mutant coronavirus strain. In the early afternoon Michael Gove spoke with heads of the devolved nations. Following the call Arlene Foster, first minister of Northern Ireland, tweeted the new strain of coronavirus was “very concerning”. [...]
PM ‘hoping to avoid’ post-Christmas lockdown December 18, 2020 Boris Johnson has not ruled out a post-Christmas lockdown following a surge in infections driven by London and the South East. In a visit to Bolton, the Prime Minister failed to eliminate the prospect of following Wales and Northern Ireland into lockdown after Christmas. “Obviously, we’re hoping very much that we’ll be able to avoid [...]
Costcutter snapped up by Bestway after strong year of sales December 18, 2020 Wholesaler Bestway has bought Costcutter from Bibby Line for an undisclosed sum in a significant move in independent retail. Under the deal Costcutter will become part of Bestway Wholesale’s retail division and operate as normal. “The acquisition of CSG by Bestway Wholesale enables us to further build on our solid foundations in Independent Retail, allowing [...]
Landlords approve Leon’s rescue plan to save 670 jobs December 18, 2020 Healthy fast food chain Leon has secured backing from its landlords to implement a rescue plan which will save 670 jobs. The company announced this evening that 90 per cent of creditors approved the company voluntary arrangement proposals, which will allow Leon to switch to turnover-rents during the coronavirus pandemic. Leon’s branches, which are predominantly [...]
Lost the plot: City A.M’s pick of the best books of 2020 December 18, 2020 Whether it was a period of furlough, a cancelled trip or endless weekends with no pubs, restaurants, museums or cinemas open: there has definitely been more time for most of us to get stuck into a good book this year. As we turn the last page of 2020, whether you’re looking for a page-turner during [...]
Liverpool v Spurs and Call of Duty drive highest internet data record December 18, 2020 Average household internet usage has increased by 50 per cent this year according to data by internet provider TalkTalk. And December 16 saw the highest ever data usage peak of 7.63Tb/s on the network, with traffic largely driven by a combination of football including Liverpool vs Spurs on Amazon Prime and the release of Call of Duty. [...]
An arms and abs workout to burn some pre-Christmas calories December 18, 2020 Throughout December, fitness studio Core Collective’s top trainers will be guiding you through a weekly sweat focusing on different areas each week to sculpt and strengthen. This week we’ll be working on strengthening, lengthening and toning our upper body. Trainer Heloise Nangle has devised a workout that features a 10 minute arms and 10 minute [...]
Covid: London now has highest proportion of positive tests in the UK December 18, 2020 The number of people testing positive for coronavirus has risen sharply in London, as the Prime Minister faces mounting pressure to U-turn on plans to lift restrictions over Christmas. London is now tied with the East Midlands as having the highest proportion of positive Covid tests in the UK, after reporting a sharp spike in [...]