cityam--2020-04-23--Google forces advertisers to prove identity in transparency push

Google today said it will require all advertisers to complete a verification process before buying ad space on its platform as the tech giant looks to improve transparency .
In a blog post published today , Google said advertisers will need to submit personal identification , business incorporation documents or other information that proves who they are and the country in which they operate .
The platform had previously only required verification for political advertisers running ads during an election .
It comes amid a rise in the number of campaigns from low-quality advertisers exploiting the coronavirus crisis to promote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines .
Google said it would start by verifying advertisers in the US , before expanding the service worldwide over the next few years .
From this summer users will be able to view disclosures about advertisers by clicking on ads .
“ This change will make it easier for people to understand who the advertiser is behind the ads they see from Google and help them make more informed decisions when using our advertising controls , ” John Canfield , director of product management for ads integrity , wrote in the post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff from using Zoom and Google Hangouts “ It will also help support the health of the digital advertising ecosystem by detecting bad actors and limiting their attempts to misrepresent themselves .
”

Google forces advertisers to prove identity in transparency push
Google today said it will require all advertisers to complete a verification process before buying ad space on its platform as the tech giant looks to improve transparency.
In a blog post published today, Google said advertisers will need to submit personal identification, business incorporation documents or other information that proves who they are and the country in which they operate.
The platform had previously only required verification for political advertisers running ads during an election.
It comes amid a rise in the number of campaigns from low-quality advertisers exploiting the coronavirus crisis to promote fraudulent products such as fake masks and vaccines.
Google said it would start by verifying advertisers in the US, before expanding the service worldwide over the next few years.
From this summer users will be able to view disclosures about advertisers by clicking on ads.
“This change will make it easier for people to understand who the advertiser is behind the ads they see from Google and help them make more informed decisions when using our advertising controls,” John Canfield, director of product management for ads integrity, wrote in the post.
“It will also help support the health of the digital advertising ecosystem by detecting bad actors and limiting their attempts to misrepresent themselves.”


cityam--2020-04-23--Coronavirus: Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Ask Italian owner Azzurri appoint advisers

Casual dining chains Gourmet Burger Kitchen ( GBK ) and Azzurri , the owner of Ask Italian and Zizzi , have both appointed advisers amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Restaurants have been severely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown , which has resulted in an unprecedented drop in revenue .
Read more : More than 1m hospitality jobs at risk without extra government support , industry warns GBK has appointed Deloitte to advise on future options for the business , ITV News reported .
The burger restaurant chain has been in financial difficulty for several years , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of a restructuring plan .
Meanwhile , FTI Consulting was hired by Azzurri ’ s lenders a few weeks ago as the company explored the possibility of raising additional capital .
The company reported a loss before tax of £16.3m in the 12 months to 30 June 2019 .
Carluccio ’ s was the first major restaurant chain to collapse under the pressure of coronavirus when it went into administration earlier this month after it ran out of cash .
FRP said it will use the government ’ s coronavirus jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carluccio ’ s 2,000 employees while it assesses the company ’ s long-term options .
Read more : Furloughed hospitality workers could lose ‘ up to 40 per cent ’ of wages UK Hospitality warned today that the industry could lose 1m jobs if social distancing measures are extended without extra government support .
Restaurants , bars and pubs could be among the last businesses to reopen , and are expected to be subject to social distancing rules .

Coronavirus: Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Ask Italian owner Azzurri appoint advisers
Casual dining chains Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) and Azzurri, the owner of Ask Italian and Zizzi, have both appointed advisers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Restaurants have been severely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown, which has resulted in an unprecedented drop in revenue.
GBK has appointed Deloitte to advise on future options for the business, ITV News reported. The burger restaurant chain has been in financial difficulty for several years, and closed 17 of its sites in 2018 as part of a restructuring plan.
Meanwhile, FTI Consulting was hired by Azzurri’s lenders a few weeks ago as the company explored the possibility of raising additional capital.
The company reported a loss before tax of £16.3m in the 12 months to 30 June 2019.
Carluccio’s was the first major restaurant chain to collapse under the pressure of coronavirus when it went into administration earlier this month after it ran out of cash. FRP said it will use the government’s coronavirus jobs retention scheme to lay off most of Carluccio’s 2,000 employees while it assesses the company’s long-term options.
UK Hospitality warned today that the industry could lose 1m jobs if social distancing measures are extended without extra government support.
Restaurants, bars and pubs could be among the last businesses to reopen, and are expected to be subject to social distancing rules.


cityam--2020-04-24--FTSE 100 falls as doubts set in about coronavirus drug

The FTSE 100 has fallen amid doubts about a drug that was touted as a possible coronavirus treatment and as the economic toll of the outbreak becomes clearer .
Britain ’ s FTSE 100 stock index had fallen 0.6 per cent to 5,793 just after midday .
It had risen one per cent yesterday after falling earlier in the week .
The FTSE 250 index of mid-sized companies also slipped .
It had fallen 0.2 per cent as many firms in sectors hardest-hit by coronavirus such as hospitality and travel dropped .
European markets were trading lower .
The continent-wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower .
Germany ’ s Dax and France ’ s CAC 40 were both down 0.4 per cent .
Stocks were boosted last week amid hopes a coronavirus treatment could soon be found .
A medical news website said the drug remdesivir from US pharmaceuticals firm Gilead had helped the majority of coronavirus patients it had been tried on in a Chicago hospital .
However , US stocks ran out of steam yesterday as hopes were dashed .
Another report said the drug had failed to help severely ill coronavirus patients in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial ’ s results were inconclusive because it was terminated early in China .
Charalambos Pissouros , senior market analyst at JFD Group , said the news “ erased hopes that a vaccine is on the cards ” .
He added that it “ may have revived fears that the virus could start spreading fast again if the ‘ stay at home ’ measures are lifted too soon ” .
Yet another raft of dire economic data also weighed somewhat on investors .
However , markets have paid relatively little attention to signals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Another surge in new US jobless claims took the total number of Americans who have made new unemployment insurance claims in the last five weeks to 26m .
This is by far the fastest rise in unemployment since at least the 1930s .
European and US purchasing managers ’ index ( PMI ) surveys also crashed to record lows as service sectors imploded .
They are closely watched gauges of economic health .
Ian Williams , economics analyst at broker Peel Hunt , said : “ The PMI surveys are almost guaranteed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as these and that was certainly true of the flash readings for April.
” In the oil markets , which were in chaos at the start of the week , oil prices stabilised somewhat after jumping yesterday .
Brent crude , the international benchmark , was up 3.6 per cent at $ 22.10 per barrel by midday .
WTI crude , the US benchmark , was 3.7 per cent higher at $ 17.10 per barrel .
The pound was down 0.1 per cent against the dollar at $ 1.235 .
The dollar was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other currencies .
The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 and 250 indices today were firms in sectors hardest-hit by coronavirus , such as travel , industry and retail .
Airline Easyjet was among the biggest fallers , dropping 3.9 per cent as investors considered the prospect of a pandemic lasting longer than initially hoped .
Aerospace firm Meggitt dropped roughly 4.4 per cent and luxury brand Burberry fell 3.2 per cent .
The FTSE 100 has been much more stable in recent weeks than during the drastic sell-off of February and March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director at AJ Bell , said : “ The blue chip index has barely moved on the week , having ended last Friday at 5,786.
” Read more : Chancellor Rishi Sunak preparing 100 per cent coronavirus loan guarantees for smallest firms He added that “ stability in the markets could be viewed as a good sign ” even though some investors will be disappointed by a lack of gains .
“ A moment of calm is welcome as investors try to get their heads round the potential hit to corporate earnings and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could recover from the pandemic .
”

FTSE 100 falls as doubts set in about coronavirus drug
The FTSE 100 has fallen amid doubts about a drug that was touted as a possible coronavirus treatment and as the economic toll of the outbreak becomes clearer.
Britain’s FTSE 100 stock index had fallen 0.7 per cent to 5,784 points in the afternoon session. The FTSE 250 of mid-cap companies was 0.1 per cent lower.
European markets were also trading lower. The continent-wide Stoxx 600 index was 0.3 per cent down. Germany’s Dax and France’s CAC 40 were both off by 0.9 per cent.
Stocks were boosted last week amid hopes a coronavirus treatment could soon be found. A medical news website said the drug remdesivir from US pharmaceuticals firm Gilead had helped the majority of coronavirus patients it had been tried on in a Chicago hospital.
However, US stocks ran out of steam yesterday and European equities have dipped today after another report said the drug had failed to help severely ill patients in the first clinical trial.
Gilead said the trial’s results were inconclusive because it was terminated early.
US stocks rose slightly in early trading after finishing roughly flat yesterday. The S&P 500 was up 0.3 per cent. The Dow Jones was 0.1 per cent higher and the Nasdaq had risen 0.3 per cent.
Charalambos Pissouros, senior market analyst at JFD Group, said the early trial of the Gilead drug had “erased hopes” that a workable treatment “is on the cards”.
He added that it “may have revived fears that the virus could start spreading fast again if the ‘stay at home’ measures are lifted too soon”.
Economic woes weigh on investors and FTSE 100
European investors were also left underwhelmed by an EU meeting yesterday about a joint coronavirus recovery effort, said David Madden of CMC Markets.
“EU summit unsurprisingly ended with no real progress on a recovery fund that would help rebuild the shattered economies of the weaker European economies,” he said.
“There was no real detail on how much of any new fund was likely to be made up of loans and grants, and more importantly how big it was likely to be.”
Yet another raft of dire economic data also weighed somewhat on investors. However, markets have paid relatively little attention to signals from the real economy in recent weeks.
European and US purchasing managers’ index (PMI) surveys also crashed to record lows as service sectors imploded. They are closely watched gauges of economic health.
In the oil markets, Brent crude, the international benchmark, was up one per cent at $21.60 per barrel in the afternoon session. WTI crude, the US benchmark, was three per cent higher at $17 per barrel.
The pound was down roughly flat against the dollar at $1.234.
The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 and 250 indices today were firms in sectors hardest-hit by coronavirus, such as travel, industry and retail.
British Airways owner IAG dropped 3.8 investors considered the prospect of a pandemic lasting longer than initially hoped.
Aerospace firm Meggitt dropped roughly 4.7 per cent and luxury brand Burberry fell 3.4 per cent.


cityam--2020-04-24--Heathrow boss calls for coronavirus tests at UK airports

The chief executive of the UK ’ s biggest airport has written to the government to call for it to introduce mass health screening at the country ’ s airports as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Last night John Holland-Kaye wrote to health secretary Matt Hancock to demand the UK puts in place rigorous measures to counter the pandemic .
Read more : Gatwick Airport says passenger numbers will take up to four years to recover The letter , which was first reported by the Daily Mail , calls for a internationally agreed package of measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibody tests .
In a statement Heathrow Airport confirmed that the letter had been sent : “ As a global hub airport , Heathrow will need to adopt the highest international standards , even if that takes us beyond those required by the UK Government .
“ However , we believe that the UK government could provide a lead in defining that Common International Standard , as they have done with security standards .
“ At Heathrow , we are already working with the aviation industry and regulators here and in other countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard , and what it might involve ” .
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
The airport also called on the government to share its evidence for saying that temperature checks would be ineffective as a means of screening for the virus .
Public Health England has said the tests would only pick up a small number of cases of a virus with an incubation period of 14 days .
The demand for a more rigorous testing anger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are still entering the country without any restrictions , unlike the majority of other countries around the world .
Yesterday Scotland ’ s first minister Nicola Sturgeon also called on Westminster to introduce some form of testing .
Read more : Heathrow Airport forecasts 90 per cent passenger number plunge in April Some epidemiologists have questioned the UK ’ s approach , with Royal Society of Medecine public health president Dr Gabriel Scally telling the Financial Times that the UK was an “ outlier ” compared to the rest of the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand why it persists in having this open-borders policy .
It is most peculiar .
”

Heathrow boss calls for coronavirus tests at UK airports
The chief executive of the UK’s biggest airport has written to the government to call for it to introduce mass health screening at the country’s airports as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last night John Holland-Kaye wrote to health secretary Matt Hancock to demand the UK puts in place rigorous measures to counter the pandemic.
The letter, which was first reported by the Daily Mail, calls for a internationally agreed package of measures, which could include temperature checks and antibody tests.
In a statement Heathrow Airport confirmed that the letter had been sent:
“As a global hub airport, Heathrow will need to adopt the highest international standards, even if that takes us beyond those required by the UK Government.
“However, we believe that the UK government could provide a lead in defining that Common International Standard, as they have done with security standards.
“At Heathrow, we are already working with the aviation industry and regulators here and in other countries to establish the need for a common standard, and what it might involve”.
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The airport also called on the government to share its evidence for saying that temperature checks would be ineffective as a means of screening for the virus.
Public Health England has said the tests would only pick up a small number of cases of a virus with an incubation period of 14 days.
The demand for a more rigorous testing anger comes amid widespread concern that thousands of people are still entering the country without any restrictions, unlike the majority of other countries around the world.
Yesterday Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon also called on Westminster to introduce some form of testing.
Some epidemiologists have questioned the UK’s approach, with Royal Society of Medecine public health president Dr Gabriel Scally telling the Financial Times that the UK was an “outlier” compared to the rest of the world:
“It is very hard to understand why it persists in having this open-borders policy. It is most peculiar.”


cityam--2020-04-24--Coronavirus: The end for business travel?

Nobody has missed the chaos caused in aviation by the Covid-19 crisis .
One of the first industries to be hit , the global travel body IATA is forecasting a £17.3 bn revenue loss for the UK alone .
With border restrictions coming into force across the world , international flights have become scarce and some business commentators argue that business travel will not return to its prior levels after the end of the pandemic .
A reason for this is that most companies are now working remotely and new communication solutions such as Zoom , Cisco Jabber or Skype @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of users .
For instance , Microsoft has seen a 220 % increase in Skype calling minutes since the beginning of the pandemic , while on its video calling software Teams the firm has seen a rise of 12 million users over the last seven days .
Read more : Aviation industry to take billion-dollar hit The mobile carriers are no less aware of the radical shift in recent weeks .
“ The pandemic , awful as it has been , has taught businesses a lot about the benefits of digitalisation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been vanquished and we will see changes once this is all over , ” said a spokesperson for Vodafone .
The company is already seeing an internal revolution with employees of the call centres working from home for the very first time .
“ We now have the knowledge that nearly all Vodafone roles can be done from home if needed , ” said a spokesperson .
Jane Sparrow , an expert on remote working at The Culture Builders , considers that examples like these are evidence that remote working is experiencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to get back to normal , we are going to create a new normal .
We won ’ t go back to exactly what we had before in society or in business , because remote working will be now a much more common and integral part of business than it has ever been , ” Sparrow said .
So is there any point to train tickets , global conferences or team away-days ?
This is not the first time that the death of business travel has been foretold .
Bob Mann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , recalls how fax machines , FedEx , Email and Teleconferencing were all in turn viewed as “ business travel killers.
” Nevertheless , business travel continued to expand despite the development of those “ prior existential threats.
” Remote working also has its own limits , as technology can not completely replace face-to-face meeting .
“ People will still need to meet in reality to build relationships and trust , ” Sparrow said .
Also , remote working is not free of risks .
As the number of people working from home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposed than ever before to cyberattacks .
“ This is a time when we really need to pay attention to cybersecurity for anything that is supported by industrial control networks , ” said Edgard Capdevielle , CEO of the IT company Nozomi Networks .
Remote working is not the only hurdle awaiting business travels at the exit of the crisis .
IATA forecasted that businesses would probably keep a tight control of their travel budgets if there is a deep recession , so that “ business travel may not rebound swiftly.
” Fresh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cheshire , is expecting that business conferences and large scale live events will progressively normalise between 2021 and 2023 .
“ The recession that follows the pandemic will be another obstacle for the events industry , and it will depend on how quickly the economy recovers , ” Rasha El-Shirbini , Head of Strategy at The fresh Group said .
In addition to this , there is another challenge that the aviation industry had already been facing before the COVID-19 outbreak , which is affecting business travel : environmental sustainability .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are reviewing their travel policies .
“ We are trying to limit business travel to necessary trips as part of our commitment to halving our environmental footprint by 2025 .
The faster adoption of digital working will certainly make it easier to enforce that , ” a spokesperson for Vodafone said .
IATA believes nonetheless that meeting environmental commitments and continuing to expand the benefits of international connectivity are not incompatible .
Companies can reach this goal by investing in alternative fuels or participating in schemes designed to reduce their carbon emission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is on a pathway to sustainability and that there is not simply a binary choice between ‘ to fly ’ and ‘ not to fly ’ , ” said an IATA spokesperson .
Although it is impossible to predict when international air traffic will resume , it is clear that airlines will have to cope with several challenges .
Lufthansa , Germany ’ s flag carrier , predicted that it would take several years for air travel demand to return to pre-crisis levels .
In spite of this , IATA considers that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel are a key prerequisite for the world economy to bounce back .
“ Business travel is not a luxury .
It has developed and expanded over many years because it has strong economic utility and helps create the prosperity that so many of us took for granted just a few weeks ago .
So , it is in all our interests to see a safe , secure and sustainable air transport system recover , ” said a spokesperson for IATA .

Coronavirus: The end for business travel?
Nobody has missed the chaos caused in aviation by the Covid-19 crisis. One of the first industries to be hit, the global travel body IATA is forecasting a £17.3 bn revenue loss for the UK alone.
With border restrictions coming into force across the world, international flights have become scarce and some business commentators argue that business travel will not return to its prior levels after the end of the pandemic.
A reason for this is that most companies are now working remotely and new communication solutions such as Zoom, Cisco Jabber or Skype are seeing a spectacular rise in their number of users. For instance, Microsoft has seen a 220% increase in Skype calling minutes since the beginning of the pandemic, while on its video calling software Teams the firm has seen a rise of 12 million users over the last seven days.
Read more: Aviation industry to take billion-dollar hit
The mobile carriers are no less aware of the radical shift in recent weeks.
“The pandemic, awful as it has been, has taught businesses a lot about the benefits of digitalisation. A lot of myths about remote working have been vanquished and we will see changes once this is all over,” said a spokesperson for Vodafone.
The company is already seeing an internal revolution with employees of the call centres working from home for the very first time.
“We now have the knowledge that nearly all Vodafone roles can be done from home if needed,” said a spokesperson.
Jane Sparrow, an expert on remote working at The Culture Builders, considers that examples like these are evidence that remote working is experiencing a turning point.
“We are not going to get back to normal, we are going to create a new normal. We won’t go back to exactly what we had before in society or in business, because remote working will be now a much more common and integral part of business than it has ever been,” Sparrow said.
So is there any point to train tickets, global conferences or team away-days?
This is not the first time that the death of business travel has been foretold.
Bob Mann, a New York-based airline industry analyst, recalls how fax machines, FedEx, Email and Teleconferencing were all in turn viewed as “business travel killers.” Nevertheless, business travel continued to expand despite the development of those “prior existential threats.”
Remote working also has its own limits, as technology cannot completely replace face-to-face meeting. “People will still need to meet in reality to build relationships and trust,” Sparrow said.
Also, remote working is not free of risks. As the number of people working from home has dramatically grown, companies are more exposed than ever before to cyberattacks.
“This is a time when we really need to pay attention to cybersecurity for anything that is supported by industrial control networks,” said Edgard Capdevielle, CEO of the IT company Nozomi Networks.
Remote working is not the only hurdle awaiting business travels at the exit of the crisis. IATA forecasted that businesses would probably keep a tight control of their travel budgets if there is a deep recession, so that “business travel may not rebound swiftly.”
Fresh, an events agency based in Cheadle, Cheshire, is expecting that business conferences and large scale live events will progressively normalise between 2021 and 2023.
“The recession that follows the pandemic will be another obstacle for the events industry, and it will depend on how quickly the economy recovers,” Rasha El-Shirbini, Head of Strategy at The fresh Group said.
In addition to this, there is another challenge that the aviation industry had already been facing before the COVID-19 outbreak, which is affecting business travel: environmental sustainability. More and more companies are adopting environmental commitments and are reviewing their travel policies.
“We are trying to limit business travel to necessary trips as part of our commitment to halving our environmental footprint by 2025. The faster adoption of digital working will certainly make it easier to enforce that,” a spokesperson for Vodafone said.
IATA believes nonetheless that meeting environmental commitments and continuing to expand the benefits of international connectivity are not incompatible. Companies can reach this goal by investing in alternative fuels or participating in schemes designed to reduce their carbon emission.
“We believe that air travel is on a pathway to sustainability and that there is not simply a binary choice between ‘to fly’ and ‘not to fly’,” said an IATA spokesperson.
Although it is impossible to predict when international air traffic will resume, it is clear that airlines will have to cope with several challenges. Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, predicted that it would take several years for air travel demand to return to pre-crisis levels.
In spite of this, IATA considers that the recovery of the airline industry and business travel are a key prerequisite for the world economy to bounce back.
“Business travel is not a luxury. It has developed and expanded over many years because it has strong economic utility and helps create the prosperity that so many of us took for granted just a few weeks ago. So, it is in all our interests to see a safe, secure and sustainable air transport system recover,” said a spokesperson for IATA.


cityam--2020-04-24--Coronavirus: Transport for London to furlough 7,000 staff

Tube operator Transport for London ( TfL ) will put 7,000 of its staff onto the government ’ s job retention scheme from Monday to cut costs during the coronavirus pandemic .
Passenger number on TfL ’ s services have plummeted in recent weeks due to the coronavirus lockdown , as all but essential workers have taken to working from home .
Read more : Transport for London ‘ in line for Tube bailout ’ According to the most recent figures , tube passengers are down 95 per cent , and bus passenger numbers have fallen 85 per cent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ organisation roughly £15.8m every four weeks .
The number of staff to be put on the scheme is roughly 25 per cent of the transport operator ’ s workforce .
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
TfL said that the measures “ will partly reduce the huge financial impact of coronavirus whilst constructive discussions continue with Government on the wider revenue support that TfL will need to continue the effective operation of London ’ s transport network ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TfL said that its revenue has fallen by 90 per cent , prompting cries for state financial assistance .
Transport commissioner Mike Brown said : “ The transport network is crucial in the fight to tackle coronavirus and it will play a similarly vital role in supporting the country ’ s economy as it recovers from the pandemic .
Read more : Coronavirus : Decision to cut Tube services caused overcrowding , say transport watchdogs “ We have significantly cut our costs over recent years but nevertheless the success of encouraging the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has seen our main revenue , fares , reduce by 90 per cent .
“ Our work with the government about the support that we need are ongoing and are constructive .
We hope for an urgent agreement so that we can continue to provide the city with the vital transport it needs now and going forward .
”

Coronavirus: Transport for London to furlough 7,000 staff
Tube operator Transport for London (TfL) will put 7,000 of its staff onto the government’s job retention scheme from Monday to cut costs during the coronavirus pandemic.
Passenger number on TfL’s services have plummeted in recent weeks due to the coronavirus lockdown, as all but essential workers have taken to working from home.
According to the most recent figures, tube passengers are down 95 per cent, and bus passenger numbers have fallen 85 per cent.
Accessing the furlough scheme will save the organisation roughly £15.8m every four weeks.
The number of staff to be put on the scheme is roughly 25 per cent of the transport operator’s workforce.
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
TfL said that the measures “will partly reduce the huge financial impact of coronavirus whilst constructive discussions continue with Government on the wider revenue support that TfL will need to continue the effective operation of London’s transport network”.
Due to the lockdown measures, TfL said that its revenue has fallen by 90 per cent, prompting cries for state financial assistance.
Transport commissioner Mike Brown said: “The transport network is crucial in the fight to tackle coronavirus and it will play a similarly vital role in supporting the country’s economy as it recovers from the pandemic.
“We have significantly cut our costs over recent years but nevertheless the success of encouraging the vast majority of people to stay at home has seen our main revenue, fares, reduce by 90 per cent.
“Our work with the government about the support that we need are ongoing and are constructive. We hope for an urgent agreement so that we can continue to provide the city with the vital transport it needs now and going forward.”
More to follow


cityam--2020-04-24--Coronavirus: Boris Johnson 'plans to return to work on Monday'

Boris Johnson is intent on returning to work as soon as Monday to continue tackling the coronavirus crisis , it is reported .
Earlier this month , the Prime Minister was discharged from St Thomas ’ Hospital following his own battle with coronavirus .
He has since been recovering at Chequers , his countryside residence .
Read more : Government ’ s coronavirus website runs out of tests within minutes But Johnson – who spent three days in intensive care and seven in hospital overall – is now said to have told aides to schedule meetings with cabinet ministers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Telegraph reported Boris Johnson could return to Downing Street on Monday .
As part of a gradual return to work , Johnson had a telephone audience with the Queen on Wednesday night and spoke with Donald Trump on Tuesday .
At a coronavirus press conference in Washington DC , Trump suggested Johnson was on the road to recovery , saying : “ I will tell you he sounded incredible.
” “ I ’ m very surprised to tell you this .
It ’ s like the old Boris , tremendous energy , tremendous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health secretary Matt Hancock told BBC ’ s Today programme this morning : “ I spoke to the Prime Minister yesterday .
He is cheerful .
He is ebullient .
He is definitely on the mend in a big way.
” A No 10 spokesman nonetheless stressed earlier this week that the prime minister was not “ formally doing government work ” and would take advice from his medical team regarding any return to Downing Street .
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has been deputising for Johnson for the last few weeks .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over when and how to ease lockdown measures .
Senior ministers are thought to be divided over whether to ease the lockdown measures to open up the economy , or continue with a strict suppression strategy .
Hancock today said the government would not remove the current measures until “ it is safe to do so ” .
“ The point is , the improvement in people ’ s health from getting the number of new cases down , and getting it right down , is also the best thing for the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He added : “ The worst thing for the economy would be a second spike and , instead , if you get the number of new cases right down , then you can hold it down through testing , tracking and tracing and that allows you to release more of the measures.
” Meanwhile , medical officers have said UK is at or near the peak of the coronavirus crisis .
The number of deaths related to coronavirus hit 18,738 yesterday – though this number does not account for many recent deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more : UK retail sales ‘ obliterated ’ in record fall over coronavirus The death toll rose by 638 , up from 18,100 the day before .
The UK currently has the fifth-highest official death toll from the virus .

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson ‘plans to return to work on Monday’
An Opinium poll out tonight showed that public approval for the government and its handling of the virus was down to +21, after it was +31 two weeks ago.
Boris Johnson is intent on returning to work as soon as Monday to continue tackling the coronavirus crisis, it is reported.
Earlier this month, the Prime Minister was discharged from St Thomas’ Hospital following his own battle with coronavirus. He has since been recovering at Chequers, his countryside residence.
But Johnson – who spent three days in intensive care and seven in hospital overall – is now said to have told aides to schedule meetings with cabinet ministers to get him up to speed.
The Telegraph reported Boris Johnson could return to Downing Street on Monday.
As part of a gradual return to work, Johnson had a telephone audience with the Queen on Wednesday night and spoke with Donald Trump on Tuesday.
At a coronavirus press conference in Washington DC, Trump suggested Johnson was on the road to recovery, saying: “I will tell you he sounded incredible.”
“I’m very surprised to tell you this. It’s like the old Boris, tremendous energy, tremendous drive,” Trump added.
And health secretary Matt Hancock told BBC’s Today programme this morning: “I spoke to the Prime Minister yesterday. He is cheerful. He is ebullient. He is definitely on the mend in a big way.”
A No 10 spokesman nonetheless stressed earlier this week that the prime minister was not “formally doing government work” and would take advice from his medical team regarding any return to Downing Street.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has been deputising for Johnson for the last few weeks. But reports suggest the cabinet has been split over when and how to ease lockdown measures.
Senior ministers are thought to be divided over whether to ease the lockdown measures to open up the economy, or continue with a strict suppression strategy.
Hancock today said the government would not remove the current measures until “it is safe to do so”.
“The point is, the improvement in people’s health from getting the number of new cases down, and getting it right down, is also the best thing for the economy,” the health secretary said.
He added: “The worst thing for the economy would be a second spike and, instead, if you get the number of new cases right down, then you can hold it down through testing, tracking and tracing and that allows you to release more of the measures.”
Meanwhile, medical officers have said UK is at or near the peak of the coronavirus crisis.
The number of deaths related to coronavirus hit 18,738 yesterday – though this number does not account for many recent deaths in care homes and outside hospitals.
The death toll rose by 638, up from 18,100 the day before.
The UK currently has the fifth-highest official death toll from the virus.


cityam--2020-04-24--Chancellor Rishi Sunak preparing  100 per cent coronavirus loan guarantees for smallest firms

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is preparing to launch a new coronavirus support scheme that offers 100 per cent guarantees on loans to the smallest UK businesses , amid criticism that the current programme is not getting cash to firms fast enough .
The coronavirus business interruption loan scheme ( CBILS ) offers loans of up to £5m to companies with an annual turnover of up to £45m .
The government guarantees 80 per cent of each loan .
Read more : Government urged to guarantee 100 per cent of coronavirus loans However , the scheme has drawn criticism from firms who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ criteria to get the loans .
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey , Labour shadow business secretary Ed Miliband and former chancellor George Osborne have all suggested upping the guarantee to 100 per cent , to calm banks ’ nerves about risky lending .
Sunak has argued against the idea but is now “ weighing up ” a new scheme that would offer 100 per cent guarantees on lending to the smallest businesses , according to the Financial Times .
The Treasury declined to comment but said the whole package of lending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FT reported that senior bankers are working with the Treasury on a possible scheme that might be launched as early as next week .
It would target roughly 1m of the smallest businesses in the UK , which typically have only a handful of workers .
A Treasury source said no decision had been taken but underlined that the chancellor will not make changes to the CBILS scheme , where the 80 per cent guarantee will remain in place .
Sunak has come under pressure over the scheme from all sides .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breakdown of the lending through the scheme as it emerged Natwest had made roughly half of the loans , despite 40 or so other banks being involved .
Read more : Coronavirus loans double to £2.8bn but only half are approved However , Sunak has resisted calls for a 100 per cent guarantee , saying on Monday he is “ not persuaded ” by the idea .
He added : “ When you look at the totality of what we ’ re doing , it ’ s more significant in scope and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ offering 100 per cent loan guarantees ] .
” The Treasury has tweaked the scheme and says the scheme is ramping up .
Loans for businesses increased £1.45bn in the week from 14 April to 21 April , UK Finance data showed yesterday .
It brings total lending to £2.8bn .

Chancellor Rishi Sunak preparing 100 per cent coronavirus loan guarantees for smallest firms
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has faced criticism over the coronavirus business loan scheme
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is preparing to launch a new coronavirus support scheme that offers 100 per cent guarantees on loans to the smallest UK businesses, amid criticism that the current programme is not getting cash to firms fast enough.
The coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS) offers loans of up to £5m to companies with an annual turnover of up to £45m. The government guarantees 80 per cent of each loan.
However, the scheme has drawn criticism from firms who say they have struggled to meet banks’ criteria to get the loans. Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, Labour shadow business secretary Ed Miliband and former chancellor George Osborne have all suggested upping the guarantee to 100 per cent, to calm banks’ nerves about risky lending.
Sunak has argued against the idea but is now “weighing up” a new scheme that would offer 100 per cent guarantees on lending to the smallest businesses, according to the Financial Times.
The Treasury declined to comment but said the whole package of lending schemes is constantly under review.
The FT reported that senior bankers are working with the Treasury on a possible scheme that might be launched as early as next week. It would target roughly 1m of the smallest businesses in the UK, which typically have only a handful of workers.
A Treasury source said no decision had been taken but underlined that the chancellor will not make changes to the CBILS scheme, where the 80 per cent guarantee will remain in place.
Sunak has come under pressure over the scheme from all sides. On Tuesday, businesses called for a bank-by-bank breakdown of the lending through the scheme as it emerged Natwest had made roughly half of the loans, despite 40 or so other banks being involved.
However, Sunak has resisted calls for a 100 per cent guarantee, saying on Monday he is “not persuaded” by the idea. He added: “When you look at the totality of what we’re doing, it’s more significant in scope and in scale of most of those other countries [offering 100 per cent loan guarantees].”
The Treasury has tweaked the scheme and says the scheme is ramping up. Loans for businesses increased £1.45bn in the week from 14 April to 21 April, UK Finance data showed yesterday. It brings total lending to £2.8bn.


cityam--2020-04-24--Investors believe coronavirus lockdown will return with a rocky road to recovery

The majority of investors believe the coronavirus lockdown will return , implying a precarious road to economic recovery .
A Peel Hunt survey of investors and corporate managers reveals uncertainty over timing and severity of the lockdown , but the strong view is that it will likely return .
Read more : Consumer confidence teeters on brink of record low during coronavirus lockdown Last week the foreign secretary Dominic Raab extended the UK ’ s lockdown by another three weeks .
Health secretary Matt Hancock has said it is too soon to lift lockdown measures , but has indicated building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The survey found that 94 per cent of respondents believe lockdown in its current form will end in May ( 60 per cent ) or June ( 34 per cent ) .
A significant minority – 21 per cent – believe the lockdown will end in more than three months .
It suggests that companies will be more risk-averse in managing their businesses and balance sheets .
It also supports the view that the economic recovery may be W-shaped .
Investors are clear that responses to the current coronavirus crisis are important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found 58 per cent believe companies who have not prioritised employee health will face a negative revenue impact in the short term .
Nearly a quarter believe the damage will be long term .
For companies who have accepted government support , 81 per cent of respondents believe they should suspend dividends .
The vast majority also think bonuses should be suspended , while management should take pay cuts .
When the coronavirus lockdown is eventually lifted , investors anticipate a drastic change to working life with 69 per cent expecting to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shift to homeworking will have an effect on how people approach the necessity of working five days in the office .
Communication will change as 63 per cent plan to have less face to face meetings .
Three quarters of respondents said they will continue to use virtual technology .
Similarly , 62 per cent of respondents expect due to travel less in part because of virtual meetings .
Eighteen per cent of respondents said they would cut down on travel due to health concerns .
Get the news as it happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Investors believe coronavirus lockdown will return with a rocky road to recovery
The majority of investors believe the coronavirus lockdown will return, implying a precarious road to economic recovery.
A Peel Hunt survey of investors and corporate managers reveals uncertainty over timing and severity of the lockdown, but the strong view is that it will likely return.
Last week the foreign secretary Dominic Raab extended the UK’s lockdown by another three weeks. Health secretary Matt Hancock has said it is too soon to lift lockdown measures, but has indicated building sites and hardware stores can resume work.
The survey found that 94 per cent of respondents believe lockdown in its current form will end in May (60 per cent) or June (34 per cent). A significant minority – 21 per cent – believe the lockdown will end in more than three months.
It suggests that companies will be more risk-averse in managing their businesses and balance sheets. It also supports the view that the economic recovery may be W-shaped.
Investors are clear that responses to the current coronavirus crisis are important in assessing corporate outlook. The survey found 58 per cent believe companies who have not prioritised employee health will face a negative revenue impact in the short term. Nearly a quarter believe the damage will be long term.
For companies who have accepted government support, 81 per cent of respondents believe they should suspend dividends. The vast majority also think bonuses should be suspended, while management should take pay cuts.
The new normal
When the coronavirus lockdown is eventually lifted, investors anticipate a drastic change to working life with 69 per cent expecting to work from home more.
Some respondents thought the shift to homeworking will have an effect on how people approach the necessity of working five days in the office.
Communication will change as 63 per cent plan to have less face to face meetings. Three quarters of respondents said they will continue to use virtual technology.
Similarly, 62 per cent of respondents expect due to travel less in part because of virtual meetings. Eighteen per cent of respondents said they would cut down on travel due to health concerns.
Get the news as it happens by following City A.M. on Twitter.


cityam--2020-04-24--Burberry to keep paying furloughed staff during Covid-19 crisis

Burberry today said it will keep paying employees who are unable to work because of store or site closures during the coronavirus crisis .
The luxury brand said it would not make use of the government ’ s furlough scheme — which pays 80 per cent of salaries for non-working staff — for jobs in the UK , where more than a third of its employees are based .
Read more : Burberry sales down 50 per cent as coronavirus spreads globally Burberry , which last month warned the pandemic would reduce fourth-quarter sales by 30 per cent , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by cutting spend in non-essential areas .
The fashion house said executives and directors would take a 20 per cent pay cut between April and June , with the fees donated to a charity fund .
Shares in Burberry were down more than 2.5 per cent this morning .
Burberry has been forced to shutter all its UK stores as a result of the lockdown as the country battles to halt the spread of the virus .
However , the designer has begun producing protective gowns at its trench coat factory in Castleford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment ( PPE ) provisions for healthcare workers .
Read more : Burberry shares fall as spread of coronavirus spooks investors It is also sourcing surgical masks through its supply chain and donating them to the NHS and charities such as Marie Curie .
To date Burberry has donated more than 100,000 pieces of PPE .

Burberry to keep paying furloughed staff during Covid-19 crisis
Burberry today said it will keep paying employees who are unable to work because of store or site closures during the coronavirus crisis.
The luxury brand said it would not make use of the government’s furlough scheme — which pays 80 per cent of salaries for non-working staff — for jobs in the UK, where more than a third of its employees are based.
Burberry, which last month warned the pandemic would reduce fourth-quarter sales by 30 per cent, said it would instead look to reduce costs by cutting spend in non-essential areas.
The fashion house said executives and directors would take a 20 per cent pay cut between April and June, with the fees donated to a charity fund.
Shares in Burberry were down more than 2.5 per cent this morning.
Burberry has been forced to shutter all its UK stores as a result of the lockdown as the country battles to halt the spread of the virus.
However, the designer has begun producing protective gowns at its trench coat factory in Castleford to support efforts to increase personal protective equipment (PPE) provisions for healthcare workers.
It is also sourcing surgical masks through its supply chain and donating them to the NHS and charities such as Marie Curie.
To date Burberry has donated more than 100,000 pieces of PPE.


cityam--2020-04-24--Government's coronavirus website runs out of tests within minutes

The government ’ s online coronavirus testing scheme for essential workers was closed within minutes of opening this morning .
At Thursday ’ s daily Downing Street briefing , health secretary Matt Hancock announced the expansion of the testing programme to include key workers and people from their households .
Read more : Coronavirus testing expanded to all essential workers He said millions of people could book an appointment for a drive-through test .
A daily allowance of 1,000 home test kits were also made available but the government ’ s flagship website ran out almost straightaway .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website said : “ We ’ ve issued today ’ s allocation of home test kits .
If you need a home test kit check back here tomorrow , when more will be available .
You can continue if you ’ re able to visit a drive through test centre.
” Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
It comes as the government tries to hit its target of administering 100,000 tests by the end of the month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for coronavirus was now at 51,000 , which was “ ahead of our plans ” .
However there were only 22,814 Covid-19 tests administered in the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday .
Read more : UK less than a quarter of the way to 100,000 coronavirus tests target Professor John Newton , who is co-ordinating the government ’ s testing programme , said that “ we are ahead of where we thought we ’ d be at this stage ” .
Hancock also announced plans for a coronavirus testing and tracing app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
The government will recruit 18,000 people , including 3,000 health workers and specialists , to build and administer the initiative .
He said : “ If you become unwell , you will be able to tell the app , the app will then send an alert to other app users that you have been in significant contact with in recent days , even before you had symptoms , so they know and they can act accordingly so we can get tests to people even if they ’ re asymptomatic.
” Get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City A.M. on Twitter .

Government’s coronavirus website runs out of tests within minutes
(Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
The government’s online coronavirus testing scheme for essential workers was closed within minutes of opening this morning.
At Thursday’s daily Downing Street briefing, health secretary Matt Hancock announced the expansion of the testing programme to include key workers and people from their households.
He said millions of people could book an appointment for a drive-through test. A daily allowance of 1,000 home test kits were also made available but the government’s flagship website ran out almost straightaway.
However, a message on the government’s website said: “We’ve issued today’s allocation of home test kits. If you need a home test kit check back here tomorrow, when more will be available. You can continue if you’re able to visit a drive through test centre.”
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Government ramps up coronavirus testing
It comes as the government tries to hit its target of administering 100,000 tests by the end of the month.
Yesterday, Hancock said daily testing capacity for coronavirus was now at 51,000, which was “ahead of our plans”. However there were only 22,814 Covid-19 tests administered in the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday.
Professor John Newton, who is co-ordinating the government’s testing programme, said that “we are ahead of where we thought we’d be at this stage”.
Hancock also announced plans for a coronavirus testing and tracing app to be released in a matter of weeks. The government will recruit 18,000 people, including 3,000 health workers and specialists, to build and administer the initiative.
He said: “If you become unwell, you will be able to tell the app, the app will then send an alert to other app users that you have been in significant contact with in recent days, even before you had symptoms, so they know and they can act accordingly so we can get tests to people even if they’re asymptomatic.”
Get the news as it happens by following City A.M. on Twitter.


cityam--2020-04-24--PM's ex-economic adviser urges govt to go 'further' on coronavirus loans

A former chief economic adviser to Boris Johnson has urged the government to underwrite 100 per cent of coronavirus business loans .
Speaking exclusively to City A.M. editor Christian May on the City View podcast , Dr Gerard Lyons called on the government to do more to funnel loans to small businesses hit by coronavirus .
Read more : The City View podcast from City A.M. , with Dr Gerard Lyons Lyons said he was “ quite constructive ” about measures to pay staff wages and help the self-employed .
But he warned there are problems “ with the policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” concerning lending cash to SMEs struggling to survive the lockdown .
“ The government is underwriting 80 per cent of the loan when what we really need to see at the moment is money directed to those firms straight away , ” he told City A.M. ’ s City View podcast .
Read more : CBILS application process ‘ soul destroying ’ , says director of film industry business “ Ideally those firms want a grant , they don ’ t want to take on [ debt ] but in terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 per cent of it .
It ’ s either an area where the execution is wrong because of the banks or the policy itself , and i think the policy needs to be taken one step further.
” The latest coronavirus loans data showed banks have doubled lending in the past week to £2.8bn .
But so far only 16,624 applications have been approved out of 36,000 .
Lyons , who served as Johnson ’ s adviser when the Prime Minister was mayor of London , welcomed other government measures to contain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bank of England was right to cut interest rates to historic lows of 0.1 per cent recently , and to bolster liquidity .
But he urged the Treasury to follow Europe ’ s example and cover 100 per cent of coronavirus loans , to ensure banks lend more freely to small businesses .
Read more : Coronavirus loans double to £2.8bn but only half are approved “ Those who say it ’ s a policy problem itself say it needs to be sorted by the government absorbing 100 per cent of the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think we need to go down , ” he said .
“ So there is a longer standing issue that we need to still address in the future when we come out of this crisis about banks lending to the domestic economy more .
“ The government needs to follow the example of… Spain , Switzerland , Germany , they had a package that got the money very quickly to the firms in need and we haven ’ t done that yet .
”

PM’s ex-economic adviser urges govt to go ‘further’ on coronavirus loans
Gerard Lyons, Boris Johnson’s ex-economic adviser, has called on government to guarantee 100 per cent of coronavirus loans to boost SME lending rates
A former chief economic adviser to Boris Johnson has urged the government to underwrite 100 per cent of coronavirus business loans.
Speaking exclusively to City A.M. editor Christian May on the City View podcast, Dr Gerard Lyons called on the government to do more to funnel loans to small businesses hit by coronavirus.
Lyons said he was “quite constructive” about measures to pay staff wages and help the self-employed. But he warned there are problems “with the policy itself and the execution of the policy” concerning lending cash to SMEs struggling to survive the lockdown.
“The government is underwriting 80 per cent of the loan when what we really need to see at the moment is money directed to those firms straight away,” he told City A.M.’s City View podcast.
“Ideally those firms want a grant, they don’t want to take on [debt] but in terms of the loans the government needs to underwrite 100 per cent of it. It’s either an area where the execution is wrong because of the banks or the policy itself, and i think the policy needs to be taken one step further.”
The latest coronavirus loans data showed banks have doubled lending in the past week to £2.8bn. But so far only 16,624 applications have been approved out of 36,000.
Lyons, who served as Johnson’s adviser when the Prime Minister was mayor of London, welcomed other government measures to contain the crisis. And he said the Bank of England was right to cut interest rates to historic lows of 0.1 per cent recently, and to bolster liquidity.
But he urged the Treasury to follow Europe’s example and cover 100 per cent of coronavirus loans, to ensure banks lend more freely to small businesses.
“Those who say it’s a policy problem itself say it needs to be sorted by the government absorbing 100 per cent of the risk and that’s the route I think we need to go down,” he said.
“So there is a longer standing issue that we need to still address in the future when we come out of this crisis about banks lending to the domestic economy more.
“The government needs to follow the example of… Spain, Switzerland, Germany, they had a package that got the money very quickly to the firms in need and we haven’t done that yet.”


cityam--2020-04-24--We must understand China to manage the threat of this rising superpower

Tom Tugendhat MP is Chair of the Commons ’ Foreign Affairs Committee As the world gets to grips with Covid-19 , it is increasingly clear that this unprecedented crisis will have a huge impact on almost all aspects of our lives .
And while some changes may take years to fully appreciate , others are already staring us in the face – and requiring immediate action .
One of the biggest and most obvious is the need for a complete rethink in how we understand , and engage with , China .
Not just in terms of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat of this rising superpower .
We all know , for example , that Beijing ’ s long history of information suppression and disinformation at home , as well as abroad , contributed to the scale of the Coronavirus crisis .
But have we thought about what that means in future : to have vast swathes of the global economy under the control of a Communist Party that prioritises its own political survival above all else .
Read more : China ups death toll estimates amid accusations of cover up Likewise , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its responsibility in contributing to the current situation – is using the coronavirus as an opportunity to expand its influence in the world – recently spreading anti-US and anti-Italian propaganda .
Have we stopped to think about how to cope with a sophisticated super power competing for influence like this on the world stage ?
Whatever happens next , dealing with the coronavirus is likely to prove an important test case as to how we engage with China from now on – one that will likely inform how we go about dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future .
In short , we can not afford to get it wrong .
The challenge is unlike any before .
We can not isolate ourselves from China .
We need to engage not just to contain this deadly virus but to work together on the challenges we all face .
automation , climate change , demographics and much more will have a dramatic impact on China as well as everywhere else , and we need to find ways to work together .
But cooperation can only come from understanding .
Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have not invested in understanding what is happening in China and how the Communist Party is shaping the future .
To enable us work with China as a partner not just a rival , we need to know what the General Secretary is planning but too few of us read his speeches .
Getting that relationship right will be the foreign policy challenge of our generation .
This is why I and fellow Conservative MPs have formed a new China Research Group : a dedicated forum in Westminster to provide information and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our relationship with China .
We have known about unfair trade practices , commercial espionage , and human rights abuses for years but while we have sought to address some of these , there are many areas of trade links , international outreach and engagement that have passed us by .
We need to appreciate the bigger strategy .
The Communist Party has a clear plan for China .
Its quest for technological primacy , acquisition of global rivals and growing domination of global institutions show Beijing ’ s plans in action .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused on this .
The China Research Group will look in particular at three challenges arising from China ’ s rise – its diplomatic influence , industrial policy , and role in future technologies .
We want to understand how Beijing uses diplomatic tools to try re-shape the world in its own image ; how it is seeking to win the technological arms race , mastering tools like artificial intelligence to secure future advantage ; and how its ambitious foreign policy is likely to play out in practice .
While these might be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have a direct impact on our lives .
We need to understand what is going on in China so that we can engage with caution and defend our interests .
That in turn demands knowledge and research we aim to help provide .

We must understand China to manage the threat of this rising superpower
Tom Tugendhat MP is Chair of the Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee
As the world gets to grips with Covid-19, it is increasingly clear that this unprecedented crisis will have a huge impact on almost all aspects of our lives. And while some changes may take years to fully appreciate, others are already staring us in the face – and requiring immediate action.
One of the biggest and most obvious is the need for a complete rethink in how we understand, and engage with, China. Not just in terms of the virus, but how we manage the longer term threat of this rising superpower.
We all know, for example, that Beijing’s long history of information suppression and disinformation at home, as well as abroad, contributed to the scale of the Coronavirus crisis. But have we thought about what that means in future: to have vast swathes of the global economy under the control of a Communist Party that prioritises its own political survival above all else.
Read more: China ups death toll estimates amid accusations of cover up
Likewise, we are already seeing how China – despite its responsibility in contributing to the current situation – is using the coronavirus as an opportunity to expand its influence in the world – recently spreading anti-US and anti-Italian propaganda. Have we stopped to think about how to cope with a sophisticated super power competing for influence like this on the world stage?
Whatever happens next, dealing with the coronavirus is likely to prove an important test case as to how we engage with China from now on – one that will likely inform how we go about dealing with pivotal issues like trade and security in future. In short, we cannot afford to get it wrong.
The challenge is unlike any before. We cannot isolate ourselves from China. We need to engage not just to contain this deadly virus but to work together on the challenges we all face. automation, climate change, demographics and much more will have a dramatic impact on China as well as everywhere else, and we need to find ways to work together. But cooperation can only come from understanding.
Some of our current difficulties are made worse because we have not invested in understanding what is happening in China and how the Communist Party is shaping the future. To enable us work with China as a partner not just a rival, we need to know what the General Secretary is planning but too few of us read his speeches.
Getting that relationship right will be the foreign policy challenge of our generation.
This is why I and fellow Conservative MPs have formed a new China Research Group: a dedicated forum in Westminster to provide information and informed debate leading to fresh thinking on our relationship with China.
We have known about unfair trade practices, commercial espionage, and human rights abuses for years but while we have sought to address some of these, there are many areas of trade links, international outreach and engagement that have passed us by. We need to appreciate the bigger strategy.
The Communist Party has a clear plan for China. Its quest for technological primacy, acquisition of global rivals and growing domination of global institutions show Beijing’s plans in action. But too few in the UK are focused on this.
The China Research Group will look in particular at three challenges arising from China’s rise – its diplomatic influence, industrial policy, and role in future technologies.
We want to understand how Beijing uses diplomatic tools to try re-shape the world in its own image; how it is seeking to win the technological arms race, mastering tools like artificial intelligence to secure future advantage; and how its ambitious foreign policy is likely to play out in practice.
While these might be seen as questions of foreign policy, they have a direct impact on our lives. We need to understand what is going on in China so that we can engage with caution and defend our interests. That in turn demands knowledge and research we aim to help provide.


cityam--2020-04-24--Facebook launches group video chat feature in blow to Houseparty

Facebook today unveiled a new group video call feature for its Messenger app in a move that could sound the death knell for pandemic rival Houseparty .
The joinable group calls , dubbed Messenger Rooms , will allow up to 50 people to discover and drop into “ rooms ” .
Read more : Houseparty offers $ 1m reward amid claims of smear campaign The rooms , which can be created directly from Facebook or Messenger , will boast augmented reality filters , backgrounds and lighting .
The concept is almost identical to video chat app Houseparty , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus lockdown .
Facebook also said it will expand the maximum number of users on Whatsapp video calls from four to eight .
In a blog post today Stan Chudnovsky , vice president of Messenger , said Facebook has experienced surging demand for video services due to Covid-19 , with video calling on Messenger and Whatsapp more than doubling .
“ Spending time with each other should be spontaneous , not strained , ” he said .
“ So to help people feel like they ’ re together , even when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physically apart , we ’ re announcing features across our products that make video chat and live video more easy , useful and natural.
” Facebook stressed that Messenger Rooms had been designed with privacy and safety “ top of mind ” , stating that the company would not view or listen to calls , while the call creator can control who joins the call .
It comes amid rising scrutiny over video conferencing app Zoom following a spate of so-called Zoombombing incidents , where intruders gain access to private calls .
Houseparty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security flaws , with social media users claiming their Netflix and Spotify accounts had been hacked after downloading the app .
Houseparty has denied the claims and said it is investigating a potential “ paid commercial smear campaign ” , offering a $ 1m ( £810,000 ) reward to anyone who could unmask the alleged perpetrators .
Read more : Standard Chartered bans staff from using Zoom and Google Hangouts Facebook today also announced new live video features for its platform , Instagram and Portal amid rising demand for streamed events such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rooms is rolling out in some countries this week and will expand to the rest of the world in coming weeks .
Facebook said it will also add ways to access the service through Instagram Direct , Whatsapp and Portal .

Facebook launches group video chat feature in blow to Houseparty
Facebook today unveiled a new group video call feature for its Messenger app in a move that could sound the death knell for pandemic rival Houseparty.
The joinable group calls, dubbed Messenger Rooms, will allow up to 50 people to discover and drop into “rooms”.
The rooms, which can be created directly from Facebook or Messenger, will boast augmented reality filters, backgrounds and lighting.
The concept is almost identical to video chat app Houseparty, which has benefited from a surge in usage during the coronavirus lockdown.
Facebook also said it will expand the maximum number of users on Whatsapp video calls from four to eight.
In a blog post today Stan Chudnovsky, vice president of Messenger, said Facebook has experienced surging demand for video services due to Covid-19, with video calling on Messenger and Whatsapp more than doubling.
“Spending time with each other should be spontaneous, not strained,” he said. “So to help people feel like they’re together, even when they are — or have to be — physically apart, we’re announcing features across our products that make video chat and live video more easy, useful and natural.”
Facebook stressed that Messenger Rooms had been designed with privacy and safety “top of mind”, stating that the company would not view or listen to calls, while the call creator can control who joins the call.
It comes amid rising scrutiny over video conferencing app Zoom following a spate of so-called Zoombombing incidents, where intruders gain access to private calls.
Houseparty has also been subject to allegations of security flaws, with social media users claiming their Netflix and Spotify accounts had been hacked after downloading the app.
Houseparty has denied the claims and said it is investigating a potential “paid commercial smear campaign”, offering a $1m (£810,000) reward to anyone who could unmask the alleged perpetrators.
Facebook today also announced new live video features for its platform, Instagram and Portal amid rising demand for streamed events such as workout classes and cooking lessons.
Messenger Rooms is rolling out in some countries this week and will expand to the rest of the world in coming weeks. Facebook said it will also add ways to access the service through Instagram Direct, Whatsapp and Portal.
Main image credit: Facebook


cityam--2020-04-24--How and when will the UK coronavirus lockdown end?

This week health secretary Matt Hancock confirmed the coronavirus outbreak has passed its peak , sparking speculation about an exit strategy from the UK lockdown .
However , officials have poured cold water on the idea that Britain could return to normal soon .
Last week the government said the UK coronavirus lockdown would continue for at least another three weeks .
But when — and how — will this state of quarantine end ?
Read more : UK coronavirus outbreak has reached peak , says health secretary Matt Hancock Ministers have outlined five key tests that must be met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Making sure the NHS can cope • A ‘ sustained and consistent ’ fall in the daily death rate • Ensuring supplies of personal protection equipment ( PPE ) and tests can meet demand • No risk of a second peak in the virus Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
So far , the NHS appears to have coped well with the crisis .
Cancellations of routine appointment and procedures — as well as the new Nightingale field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beds .
The daily coronavirus death rate is also beginning to fall .
Testing is now available to essential workers , but the government is still less than a quarter of a way to its target of 100,000 tests per day by the end of April .
Read more : UK less than a quarter of the way to 100,000 coronavirus tests target Moreover , eliminating the risk of a second peak — one of the key factors for lifting restrictions — will prove difficult .
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to normal would be the widespread availability of a vaccine or drug .
The chances of having one of these in the next calendar year are “ incredibly small ” , Whitty said .
He warned social distancing would have to be in place for at least the rest of 2020 .
While the UK government is yet to confirm an exit strategy , it seems likely that any lifting of coronavirus lockdown measures will happen gradually .
According to reports , ministers are drawing up a three-stage approach to easing restrictions between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some shops and businesses could be allowed to reopen in early to mid-May .
Restrictions on people leaving their homes would be gradually relaxed .
Pubs and restaurants could then be reopened later in the summer .
And so-called shielding arrangements to protect elderly and vulnerable people could be kept in place for the longer term .
But any decision on when and how to lift the UK coronavirus lockdown will depend on whether the virus transmission rate — known as the R number — has reduced to a manageable level .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK coronavirus lockdown would depend on the launch and widespread uptake of an NHS contact tracing app .
This would notify people if they have come close to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 .
First minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned the lifting of restrictions in Scotland would be “ incremental ” rather than a “ flick-of-the-switch moment ” .
Wales has outlined a “ traffic light ” system to gradually ease lockdown , beginning at the end of the current three-week period .
While health concerns are central to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also take into account the economic impact of the pandemic .
Striking this balance has proved controversial , and Boris Johnson ’ s Cabinet is understood to be divided over the subject .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak , Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and trade secretary Liz Truss have all expressed concern about the impact of an extended lockdown on the economy .
Backbench Tory MPs have also weighed in on the debate , warning that thousands of businesses were on the verge of collapse .
Others , including Hancock , want to wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zero before easing restrictions , arguing that a second wave of infections would be more damaging .
Read more : Why investors believe coronavirus lockdown will return Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been out of action as he recovers from coronavirus at Chequers , but now plans on returning to work as soon as Monday .
Michael Gove has said he welcomed a “ public debate ” on the sensitive issue of when and how to lift the lockdown .
Ultimately , though , the government will need to overcome divisions in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

How and when will the UK coronavirus lockdown end?
This week health secretary Matt Hancock confirmed the coronavirus outbreak has passed its peak, sparking speculation about an exit strategy from the UK lockdown.
However, officials have poured cold water on the idea that Britain could return to normal soon.
Last week the government said the UK coronavirus lockdown would continue for at least another three weeks. But when — and how — will this state of quarantine end?
The five tests
Ministers have outlined five key tests that must be met before restrictions can be lifted:
Making sure the NHS can cope A ‘sustained and consistent’ fall in the daily death rate A decline in the infection rate Ensuring supplies of personal protection equipment (PPE) and tests can meet demand No risk of a second peak in the virus
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
So far, the NHS appears to have coped well with the crisis. Cancellations of routine appointment and procedures — as well as the new Nightingale field hospitals — have freed up thousands of beds.
The daily coronavirus death rate is also beginning to fall.
Testing is now available to essential workers, but the government is still less than a quarter of a way to its target of 100,000 tests per day by the end of April.
Moreover, eliminating the risk of a second peak — one of the key factors for lifting restrictions — will prove difficult.
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has warned the only way to ensure a return to normal would be the widespread availability of a vaccine or drug.
The chances of having one of these in the next calendar year are “incredibly small”, Whitty said.
He warned social distancing would have to be in place for at least the rest of 2020.
Phased approach to end UK coronavirus lockdown
While the UK government is yet to confirm an exit strategy, it seems likely that any lifting of coronavirus lockdown measures will happen gradually.
According to reports, ministers are drawing up a three-stage approach to easing restrictions between May and July.
Under these plans, some shops and businesses could be allowed to reopen in early to mid-May. Restrictions on people leaving their homes would be gradually relaxed.
Pubs and restaurants could then be reopened later in the summer. And so-called shielding arrangements to protect elderly and vulnerable people could be kept in place for the longer term.
But any decision on when and how to lift the UK coronavirus lockdown will depend on whether the virus transmission rate — known as the R number — has reduced to a manageable level.
Ministers have also said an easing of the UK coronavirus lockdown would depend on the launch and widespread uptake of an NHS contact tracing app. This would notify people if they have come close to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
First minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned the lifting of restrictions in Scotland would be “incremental” rather than a “flick-of-the-switch moment”.
Wales has outlined a “traffic light” system to gradually ease lockdown, beginning at the end of the current three-week period.
The economic impact of quarantine
While health concerns are central to the UK’s approach, authorities must also take into account the economic impact of the pandemic.
Striking this balance has proved controversial, and Boris Johnson’s Cabinet is understood to be divided over the subject.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and trade secretary Liz Truss have all expressed concern about the impact of an extended lockdown on the economy.
Backbench Tory MPs have also weighed in on the debate, warning that thousands of businesses were on the verge of collapse.
Others, including Hancock, want to wait until the R number is close to zero before easing restrictions, arguing that a second wave of infections would be more damaging.
Who makes the final decision?
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been out of action as he recovers from coronavirus at Chequers, but now plans on returning to work as soon as Monday.
Michael Gove has said he welcomed a “public debate” on the sensitive issue of when and how to lift the lockdown.
Ultimately, though, the government will need to overcome divisions in the Cabinet and come to a collective decision.


cityam--2020-04-24--CMA receives 16,000 consumer complaints over coronavirus refunds

Around four fifths of the complaints received by the Competition and Markets Authority ’ s ( CMA ) coronavirus taskforce have been related to refunds and cancellations .
As of the beginning of the week , the CMA has received a total of 21,000 complaints related to the disease .
Read more : FTSE 100 falls as doubts set in about coronavirus drug According to the competition watchdog , 14,000 of these complaints refer to the same 6,000 firms .
The CMA has written to 187 of these firms , which are responsible for 2,500 complaints , over issues such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as hand sanitiser .
The body said it would continue to collect evidence and would set out guidelines over how it would tackle refunds and cancellations issues next week .
It added that it would “ not hesitate to take enforcement action if there is evidence that businesses have breached competition or consumer protection law ” .
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
The CMA ’ s disclosures come after consumer rights group Which ?
revealed that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and airlines owed customers a collective £7bn in refunds due to coronavirus .
Which ?
said that many of the firms risked breaking their legal obligations to pay refunds within seven days .
The claims leave many companies in the industry , which has seen its revenues decimated by the coronavirus shutdown , at risk of going out of business if they are forced to pay out .
Which ?
said that none of the ten UK airlines it had contacted were currently giving out refunds within the legal timeframe of seven days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims at all .
Industry body the International Air Transport Association has lobbied global governments to allow airlines to issue vouchers instead of refunds in order to survive the current crisis .
Christian Nielsen , board member of the Association of Passenger Rights Advocates ( APRA ) said that those firms which were not making customers aware of their choices were “ undermining their legal rights ” .

CMA receives 16,000 consumer complaints over coronavirus refunds
Around four fifths of the complaints received by the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) coronavirus taskforce have been related to refunds and cancellations.
As of the beginning of the week, the CMA has received a total of 21,000 complaints related to the disease.
According to the competition watchdog, 14,000 of these complaints refer to the same 6,000 firms.
The CMA has written to 187 of these firms, which are responsible for 2,500 complaints, over issues such as price gouging for domestic products such as hand sanitiser.
The body said it would continue to collect evidence and would set out guidelines over how it would tackle refunds and cancellations issues next week.
It added that it would “not hesitate to take enforcement action if there is evidence that businesses have breached competition or consumer protection law”.
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Travel firms owe £7bn in refunds
The CMA’s disclosures come after consumer rights group Which? revealed that the UK’s twenty largest travel firms and airlines owed customers a collective £7bn in refunds due to coronavirus.
Which? said that many of the firms risked breaking their legal obligations to pay refunds within seven days.
The claims leave many companies in the industry, which has seen its revenues decimated by the coronavirus shutdown, at risk of going out of business if they are forced to pay out.
Which? said that none of the ten UK airlines it had contacted were currently giving out refunds within the legal timeframe of seven days, with one refusing to process remuneration claims at all.
Industry body the International Air Transport Association has lobbied global governments to allow airlines to issue vouchers instead of refunds in order to survive the current crisis.
Christian Nielsen, board member of the Association of Passenger Rights Advocates (APRA) said that those firms which were not making customers aware of their choices were “undermining their legal rights”.


cityam--2020-04-24--Coronavirus: Executives pessimistic about quick rebound for their firms

The majority of executives think it will take longer than a year for their firms to bounce back from the coronavirus crash , a report has said .
Bosses are also deeply pessimistic about the prospects of the global economy .
They are slightly less pessimistic about their own companies and industries , however .
Read more : Eurozone output and employment suffer record falls in April The report , from the Economist Intelligence Unit ( EIU ) , came a day after survey data showed that Europe ’ s economies had crashed in April as service sectors all but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IMF ) has said coronavirus will cause the worst economic performance in 2020 since the 1930s .
Analysts are deeply divided about whether the economy can expect to rebound strongly in 2021 , however .
The EIU report , based on a survey of executives , today found that 40 per cent of bosses think a recovery for their firms will take “ less than a year ” .
However , 46 per cent of bosses think a meaningful recovery will take between one and two years .
Meanwhile , 10 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years .
“ The former seems realistic , the latter disastrous , ” the report ’ s authors said .
Markets have rebounded in recent weeks amid signs that the virus is slowing .
Sentiment has been helped by tentative steps by some governments to “ reopen ” economies .
“ For both basic humanitarian and cynical political reasons , leaders around the world are pressing to re-open closed societies , the WHO ’ s counsel to stay the course notwithstanding , ” the EIU report said .
“ But the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and continue as though nothing has happened.
” The EIU ’ s business barometer also showed that executives are deeply pessimistic about the health of the global economy .
On a scale of minus 50 ( much worse ) to 50 ( much better ) , the reading for the direction of the global economy for the next three months was minus 39.2 .
However , that reading was much improved when it came to their views on the health of their own industries and firms , although it was still in negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the barometer stood at minus 22 and minus 17.8 for individual firms .
Read more : Bank of England policymaker : UK economy in worst slump ‘ in centuries ’ The EIU report said : “ Executives may feel they can exert more influence on the fate of their company and industry than on the economy , making them less pessimistic.
” It also suggested they “ may be experiencing a kind of short- term cognitive dissonance brought on by the pandemic ” .

Coronavirus: Executives pessimistic about quick rebound for their firms
The majority of executives think it will take longer than a year for their firms to bounce back from the coronavirus crash, a report has said.
Bosses are also deeply pessimistic about the prospects of the global economy. They are slightly less pessimistic about their own companies and industries, however.
The report, from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), came a day after survey data showed that Europe’s economies had crashed in April as service sectors all but imploded.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said coronavirus will cause the worst economic performance in 2020 since the 1930s. Analysts are deeply divided about whether the economy can expect to rebound strongly in 2021, however.
The EIU report, based on a survey of executives, today found that 40 per cent of bosses think a recovery for their firms will take “less than a year”.
However, 46 per cent of bosses think a meaningful recovery will take between one and two years. Meanwhile, 10 per cent think it will take between three and five years. “The former seems realistic, the latter disastrous,” the report’s authors said.
Markets have rebounded in recent weeks amid signs that the virus is slowing. Sentiment has been helped by tentative steps by some governments to “reopen” economies.
“For both basic humanitarian and cynical political reasons, leaders around the world are pressing to re-open closed societies, the WHO’s counsel to stay the course notwithstanding,” the EIU report said.
“But the world is not going to suddenly spring back and continue as though nothing has happened.”
The EIU’s business barometer also showed that executives are deeply pessimistic about the health of the global economy.
On a scale of minus 50 (much worse) to 50 (much better), the reading for the direction of the global economy for the next three months was minus 39.2.
However, that reading was much improved when it came to their views on the health of their own industries and firms, although it was still in negative territory. At the industry level, the barometer stood at minus 22 and minus 17.8 for individual firms.
The EIU report said: “Executives may feel they can exert more influence on the fate of their company and industry than on the economy, making them less pessimistic.”
It also suggested they “may be experiencing a kind of short- term cognitive dissonance brought on by the pandemic”.


cityam--2020-04-24--Coronavirus: Sainsbury’s to extend supermarket opening hours from Monday

Sainsbury ’ s will extend its supermarket opening hours from Monday in a bid to keep its staff and customers safe from coronavirus .
It is one of a number of measures boss Mike Coupe announced yesterday to help Sainsbury ’ s cope with increased demand .
Read more : Coronavirus : When are supermarket opening times for NHS and pensioners ?
Currently Sainsbury ’ s is open from 7:30am to 8am Monday to Saturday for NHS workers .
And from 8am to 9am – the first hour of Sainsbury ’ s opening hours – only elderly and social care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Fridays .
Sainsbury ’ s is then open to all shoppers until 8pm .
Under new plans , Sainsbury ’ s will extend opening hours from 8am until 10pm across most supermarkets , with their convenience stores closing at 11pm .
Coupe , who is due to retire on 1 June after 15 years at Sainsbury ’ s , said : “ We are doing our best to reduce queuing times both inside and outside our stores .
“ To help with queuing inside our stores we are installing additional protective screens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reduce the pressure across Sainsbury ’ s supermarkets as well as taking extra social distancing precautions .
The supermarket is also ramping up delivery services to help vulnerable shoppers who can not leave the house .
Coupe reiterated Sainsbury ’ s concern and action taken for elderly people and said 725,000 have already been offered priority delivery slots .
With the goal of offering 600,000 delivery slots a week by the end of April , Sainsbury ’ s has also announced a volunteer shopping card scheme designed to help those shopping for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordering service is also available for those unable to book online or take advantage of Sainsbury ’ s extended opening hours .
The call service has “ five times the number of colleagues ” as usual to help .
Read more : Food sales jump 10 per cent in lockdown as booze sales soar Coupe warned shoppers that queues outside Sainsbury ’ s supermarkets will continue during the coronavirus lockdown to ensure shoppers are not crowded in aisles .
“ Our colleagues are working in really challenging circumstances , constantly trying to balanc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to keep shelves stocked and to help people get in and out of shops as quickly as possible , ” he told customers .
“ Unfortunately this means they will ask you to queue outside shops when they are busy .
”

Coronavirus: Sainsbury’s to extend supermarket opening hours from Monday
Sainsbury’s will extend its supermarket opening hours from Monday in a bid to keep its staff and customers safe from coronavirus.
It is one of a number of measures boss Mike Coupe announced yesterday to help Sainsbury’s cope with increased demand.
Currently Sainsbury’s is open from 7:30am to 8am Monday to Saturday for NHS workers. And from 8am to 9am – the first hour of Sainsbury’s opening hours – only elderly and social care workers can shop on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Sainsbury’s is then open to all shoppers until 8pm.
Under new plans, Sainsbury’s will extend opening hours from 8am until 10pm across most supermarkets, with their convenience stores closing at 11pm.
Coupe, who is due to retire on 1 June after 15 years at Sainsbury’s, said: “We are doing our best to reduce queuing times both inside and outside our stores.
“To help with queuing inside our stores we are installing additional protective screens between manned checkouts.”
The hope is to reduce the pressure across Sainsbury’s supermarkets as well as taking extra social distancing precautions.
The supermarket is also ramping up delivery services to help vulnerable shoppers who cannot leave the house.
Coupe reiterated Sainsbury’s concern and action taken for elderly people and said 725,000 have already been offered priority delivery slots.
With the goal of offering 600,000 delivery slots a week by the end of April, Sainsbury’s has also announced a volunteer shopping card scheme designed to help those shopping for others such as neighbours.
A telephone ordering service is also available for those unable to book online or take advantage of Sainsbury’s extended opening hours.
The call service has “five times the number of colleagues” as usual to help.
Coupe warned shoppers that queues outside Sainsbury’s supermarkets will continue during the coronavirus lockdown to ensure shoppers are not crowded in aisles.
“Our colleagues are working in really challenging circumstances, constantly trying to balanc the need to serve our customers well, to keep shelves stocked and to help people get in and out of shops as quickly as possible,” he told customers.
“Unfortunately this means they will ask you to queue outside shops when they are busy.”


cityam--2020-04-24--Coronavirus: First Group receives £300m from Bank of England

Transport operator First Group today announced it had received £300m from the Bank of England to help deal with the financial damage of the coronavirus pandemic .
First is currently running its bus services at 40 per cent of normal capacity , although passenger numbers have dropped 90 per cent , the firm said .
Read more : First Group begins sale of North American businesses after investor pressure The company ’ s rail franchises are operating under the government ’ s emergency measures agreement , which means the company will be paid a fixed sum for until 20 September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that it expected to take advantage of the US government ’ s Cares Act funding , which will help it protect its North American businesses such as Greyhound .
Shares in the company rose nearly five per cent today to 62.00p .
Including today ’ s loan from the Bank of England ’ s Covid Corporate Finance Facility , First now has undrawn committed headroom and free cash of around £800m .
The additional steps to bolster the firm ’ s financial position comes after chief executive Matthew Gregory and his senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent pay cut .
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
At the beginning of April the Department for Transport agreed a £167m package to help the UK ’ s bus operators , which have seen passenger numbers implode due to the pandemic .
Gregory said : “ As an organisation we have taken rapid action to manage our costs , preserve cash and protect the group ’ s financial position in order to ensure we are able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so essential to governments , local communities and our customers both now and once the present crisis is overcome .
“ The support we have received from governments and our customers is testament to the importance of the services we provide ” .
Gregory also paid tribute to a number of First Group employees who have died from the coronavirus : Read more : London coronavirus lockdown : Which Tubes and buses are still operating ?
“ I am deeply saddened that the coronavirus pandemic has now tragically claimed the lives of colleagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in North America and the UK .
“ Their families , friends and co-workers have our heartfelt condolences and support , and the thoughts of everyone at First Group are with all those affected by the global pandemic ” .

Coronavirus: First Group receives £300m from Bank of England
Transport operator First Group today announced it had received £300m from the Bank of England to help deal with the financial damage of the coronavirus pandemic.
First is currently running its bus services at 40 per cent of normal capacity, although passenger numbers have dropped 90 per cent, the firm said.
The company’s rail franchises are operating under the government’s emergency measures agreement, which means the company will be paid a fixed sum for until 20 September at the earliest.
First Group also added that it expected to take advantage of the US government’s Cares Act funding, which will help it protect its North American businesses such as Greyhound.
Shares in the company rose nearly five per cent today to 62.00p.
Including today’s loan from the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Finance Facility, First now has undrawn committed headroom and free cash of around £800m.
The additional steps to bolster the firm’s financial position comes after chief executive Matthew Gregory and his senior leadership team agreed to a 20 per cent pay cut.
Listen to our daily City View podcast as we chart the economic fallout and business impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
At the beginning of April the Department for Transport agreed a £167m package to help the UK’s bus operators, which have seen passenger numbers implode due to the pandemic.
Gregory said: “As an organisation we have taken rapid action to manage our costs, preserve cash and protect the group’s financial position in order to ensure we are able to deliver the continuity of transport that is so essential to governments, local communities and our customers both now and once the present crisis is overcome.
“The support we have received from governments and our customers is testament to the importance of the services we provide”.
Gregory also paid tribute to a number of First Group employees who have died from the coronavirus:
“I am deeply saddened that the coronavirus pandemic has now tragically claimed the lives of colleagues from within each of our five divisions in North America and the UK.
“Their families, friends and co-workers have our heartfelt condolences and support, and the thoughts of everyone at First Group are with all those affected by the global pandemic”.