Crossrail opening delayed until 2022 and extra £1.1bn needed to finish project August 21, 2020 The opening of London’s new Crossrail underground line has been delayed until 2022 and an extra £1.1bn is needed to complete the project, Crossrail Ltd said today. Crossrail said the central section of the Elizabeth Line between Paddington and Abbey Wood will be ready to open in the first half of 2022. Crossrail has faced [...]
Oil prices fall on oversupply and US jobless data August 20, 2020 Oil prices dropped today after it emerged producer cartel faces a huge surplus and the number of new US jobless claims climbed back above 1m. Brent crude fell 2.7 per cent to $44.13 per barrel, while benchmark West Texas Intermediate was down three per cent at $41.62 per barrel. It followed reports that some Opec [...]
UK firms cut more than 106,000 jobs amid coronavirus pandemic August 19, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has battered the UK economy since it arrived in early 2020 – and no sector has remained unscathed, with more than 100,000 job cuts planned during the pandemic. The government’s furlough scheme has allowed millions of people to keep getting a paycheck, but fears are growing that when this is phased out [...]
Lockdown extended in north-west regions of England August 14, 2020 The government extended lockdown restrictions on regions of north-west England today, saying there was no evidence that the coronavirus infection rates in the areas had fallen. “The latest evidence does not show a decrease in the number of cases per 100,000 people in the area, and the health secretary, in collaboration with local leaders, has [...]
Sadiq Khan pleads with PM to save struggling West End August 13, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called on Boris Johnson to rescue London’s West End as central London businesses struggle to rebound from the coronavirus crisis. Khan wrote to the Prime Minister today, after lobby group The New West End Company predicted that there would be a £5bn drop in retail sales for the district this year. The West [...]
London calling: Why it’s time to bring life back to our city’s streets August 10, 2020 Despite a tentative easing of the national lockdown, the lingering economic and social consequences of this policy are frighteningly obvious to anyone venturing into central London. While social life and economic activity has, to a large extent, returned to the outer zones and suburbs, the offices and shops of London’s professional districts remain eerily and [...]
Daily UK coronavirus cases jump to highest since June August 9, 2020 The number of coronavirus cases reported in the UK today rose to its highest since June, surpassing 1,000 daily cases for the first time in almost two months. The UK recorded 1,062 new positive tests for coronavirus, the highest daily case rise since late June, as local lockdowns in some areas rise. The rate was [...]
Coronavirus: R number rises in London but remains below 1 for England August 7, 2020 The R rate may have risen above 1 for the first time in London, according to new government data published today. The estimate of the rate of coronavirus infection over the past week has seen increases in several regions including the capital. The latest government update indicated that the R number in London is between [...]
England coronavirus cases level off in past week August 7, 2020 The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in the community has levelled off in England in the past week, according to new figures. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show an estimated 28,300 people in England had the virus between 27 July to 2 August. It equates to approximately 0.05 [...]
UK to distribute millions of 90-minute coronavirus tests August 3, 2020 New 90-minute coronavirus tests will be distributed to care homes and laboratories around the UK from next week, the government announced today. The speedy tests will check for Covid-19 and flu in a boost to ramp up testing capacity before winter arrives, amid fears of a second wave of cases in Britain. Two new tests [...]