BioNTech founders warn of vaccine supply gaps -Spiegel January 1, 2021 By Douglas Busvine BERLIN (Reuters) – BioNTech is working flat out with partner Pfizer to boost production of their COVID-19 vaccine, its founders said, warning there would be gaps in supply until other vaccines were rolled out. The German biotech startup has led the vaccine race but its shot has been slow to arrive in [...]
With Brexit completed, coronavirus is next challenge for Dover-Calais ports January 1, 2021 Now that Britain has completed its exit from the European Union, the main challenge for business in the French port of Calais is the coronavirus pandemic, the port’s chief executive said today. Jean-Marc Puissesseau was speaking to Reuters as the first ferry transporting vehicles arrived from Dover to Calais, France’s busiest road freight port, after [...]
Warm hookah pipes give away breach of lockdown rules in London January 1, 2021 Police in London burst in on about 50 people smoking water pipes and playing loud music inside a cafe, a major breach of strict Covid-19 regulations banning any kind of socialising between people from different households. The group fled when the police arrived, according to Reuters, but officers who searched the venue in Wembley found [...]
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 [...]
Lockdown board games: Forget Monopoly, here are the real games December 30, 2020 For decades board games lived largely unloved lives, their battered boxes pulled off dusty shelves on rainy days and holidays. But as we approach essentially another national lockdown, many of us will be dusting them off once more. Back in their heyday, board games were designed to be simple, with concepts that could appeal equally [...]
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 [...]
Wonks expect retail to see a brighter 2021 December 30, 2020 Retailers can expect to see sales growth of as much as 3 per cent in 2021, according to a new expert report. Pent-up savings and demand, more confident consumers and a successful vaccine rollout will all bring a boost, says the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank. Read more: Where did it all go wrong for Topshop? [...]
Over by Spring: Hancock hails Oxford/AstraZeneca jab as part of path to normality December 30, 2020 Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK could expect to be out of the pandemic by spring after the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab was approved. Boss of the pharmaceutical firm Pascal Soriot said as many as 2m vaccines could be manufactured each week. “The vaccine is our way out of this,” the Health Secretary told the BBC. [...]
Astrazeneca vaccine could help ease Covid restrictions, minister says December 28, 2020 Regulatory approval of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Astrazeneca and Oxford University could accelerate the easing of lockdown measures, the government has said. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said there would be a “significant increase” in jabs available if authorities give the green light to the British vaccine candidate. This would allow ministers to ease [...]