School closures during the Spring coronavirus lockdown shortened the average child’s lifespan by THREE MONTHS, study finds Average US pupil lost 54 days of instruction, almost 11 weeks of schooling Worsened schooling led to drop in academic attainment for youngsters As a result, a total of 5.53 million years of life have been lost across … Read more
Australians could soon be able to travel abroad for the first time since March with New Zealand preparing to open its borders within the next four weeks, sources say. Millions of Australians are expected to pack their bags and go on holiday as the states with the strictest border closure, Western Australia and Queensland, begin … Read more
Pub and restaurant closures across Scotland and Wales are not backed by ‘sound evidence’, according to a top academic. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today unveiled her nation’s new tiered lockdown approach while Wales begins a 17-day ‘firebreak’ at 6pm this evening. The rules mean the shutters are coming down on many sections of the … Read more
Some 211,381 job losses have been announced by major British employers since the start of the coronavirus lockdown in March as follows: October 17 – Edinburgh Woollen Mill – 600 October 16 – Pret A Manger – 400 October 14 – Gourmet Burger Kitchen – 362 October 7 – Greene King – 800 October 6 – … Read more
Boris Johnson‘s plans to introduce tough new lockdown measures in England were going down to the wire on Saturday as discussions between No 10 and local leaders continued late into the evening. Millions of people in the Midlands and the North are facing travel bans and the shutting of pubs, with local communities tasked with … Read more
Shares in FTSE 250-listed Cineworld have more than halved today after the giant said it will temporarily shut down all of its cinemas in the UK and the US, affecting around 45,000 employees in the two countries. The cinema giant, which blamed the decision on delays of major film releases and an ‘increasingly challenging’ situation … Read more
Banks set for ‘mass branch closures’ as pandemic pushes more people online 55 branches are being closed on average every month for the past five years Derek French says banks are keen to shrink their networks even further TSB is shutting 164 of its outlets due to a decline in customers using branches By Jeff … Read more
We need to fight back against bank branch closures, says former bank executive DEREK FRENCH By Derek French For Financial Mail On Sunday Published: 22:02 BST, 5 September 2020 | Updated: 22:02 BST, 5 September 2020 Derek French is a former bank executive and founder of the campaign for community banking services The devastating loss … Read more
House of Fraser owner Frasers Group has warned that further department store closures could be on the cards amid dwindling profits and lower in-store shopper numbers. Frasers, which is owned by Mike Ashley, said in its delayed results today: ‘There are anticipated to be further closures over the coming period, the number of which will … Read more
Thunderstorms and heavy rain are in place for most of England and all of Wales until Monday after flash flooding brought disruption to parts of the M25 and M23 last night. The Met Office has issued yellow thunderstorm warnings until early next week, with the potential for more flooding and damage to buildings from lightning … Read more