Billionaire Issa brothers snap up fast food chain Leon April 18, 2021 The billionaire brothers behind Asda have snapped up British fast food chain Leon in a deal worth a reported £100m. Mohsin and Zuber Issa, who have agreed a £6.8bn deal to buy Asda, are now swooping on the London-based food chain through their petrol station empire EG Group. The transaction, which includes 42 company-owned restaurants [...]
Rodrigues: The Indian Ocean’s hidden paradise April 17, 2021 As international travel appears to be close to resuming, we’re giving you inspiration for your dream post-Covid trip by republishing articles from our archives. Today we revisit out Life&Style editor Steve Dinneen’s trip to the magical island of Rodrigues. ••• Walking into Rodrigues’ Reserve François Leguat is one of those wild moments that will stay [...]
London businesses demand return of the Night Tube amid delay until 2022 April 15, 2021 London businesses have demanded the resumption of the Night Tube after Transport for London (TfL) said earlier this week the service will not return until at least 2022. Andy Byford, the transport commissioner for London, said the capital’s struggling transport body lacked the resources to reinstate all-night Friday and Saturday services on the Victoria, Jubilee, Central, Northern, [...]
Stimulus cheques from Washington boost US retail spending, but 576,000 file jobless claims April 15, 2021 Stimulus cheques from Washington boost US retail spending, but 576,000 file jobless claims
Deliveroo expects growth to wane in a post-pandemic world April 15, 2021 Deliveroo expects its growth to slow down in a post-pandemic world, when customers will once again be able to visit restaurants in-person. The takeaway delivery app expects that in a post-pandemic world, its gross transaction value (GTV) is likely to grow between 30 and 40 per cent for the year, down considerably from GTV growth [...]
London’s most famous plumber Charlie Mullins: Bring on vaccine passport or pay 100 quid for a burger April 14, 2021 During a recent press conference, the Prime Minister endorsed the idea of a vaccine passport as “a sensible one” before government documents later supported Boris Johnson’s assertion that they “could play a role in reducing social-distancing requirements”. But the announcement has created a fiery political debate, with Labour fiercely opposing the introduction of a vaccine [...]
Bunga Bunga owner sues Axa Insurance over business interruption cover April 13, 2021 Inception Group, owner of London nightclub Bunga Bunga, is preparing to sue Axa Insurance over unpaid business interruption cover. Inception Group, which owns restaurants and clubs in central London including Mr Fogg’s and Cahoots, has alleged Axa is trying to “wriggle out” of making a payout, and plans to launch a £3.25m claim in the [...]
Revolution Bars sees profits hammered by lockdown restrictions April 13, 2021 Cocktail bar group Revolution Bars has reported losses across the board this morning, as its profits were hammered by lockdown restrictions. In the first half of 2020, enjoying just a few months before the pandemic forced lockdown restrictions, the group raked in £81.2m in total sales. With lockdown restrictions only easing yesterday, the group has [...]
Best of travel: Can hypnotherapy cure a chronic fear of flying? April 13, 2021 With the end of travel restrictions on the horizon, we’re republishing some of the best travel stories from the last few years. Today we revisit Dougie Gerrard’s article exploring the burgeoning industry trying to cure our fears of flying. ••• I haven’t always been an anxious person. In fact, I was an utterly fearless child, [...]
WHO: World faces ‘critical point’ in the Covid pandemic April 12, 2021 The globe faces a “critical point” in the pandemic and needs an urgent “reality check” about how to combat spirally Covid infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Dr Maria van Kerkhove, head of the WHO’s technical response, said that the “trajectory of this pandemic is growing” [...]