Author: LoveWorld UK

The British government is working with regulators on how to resolve an escalating row over the way pupils in England were awarded grades after their exams were cancelled due to COVID-19, with media reports suggesting a change in policy was imminent. The government has faced days of criticism after its exam regulator used an algorithm to assess grade predictions made by teachers, and lowered those grades for almost 40% of students taking their main school-leaving exams. A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government was continuing to work on a solution, and that Johnson had spoken with education…

Employers in Britain have posted the most job advertisements since the country went into its coronavirus lockdown but there were some warning signals about the economy’s recovery prospects in the increase in demand for workers. Among the most sought-after staff in early August were childminders, suggesting more people working from home heeded the government’s call for them to return to their workplaces, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) said. Gardeners, construction workers and light goods vehicle drivers were also high on the list of recruiters. But debt collectors were in demand too, reflecting the struggles faced by many households whose…

Perhaps the Champions League has, inadvertently, found the right formula for the Netflix era. Rather than having to wait two weeks for the second episode of two-legged knockout games, allowing for distractions and loss of attention, fans have been binge watching the action every night. The COVID-enforced final eight mini-tournament in the Portuguese capital has delivered real drama, with unexpected plot twists in every instalment. The only pity is that the four single-leg knockout games have been played out in empty stadiums in front of only a handful of team staff, medical officials, security guards and a few, very fortunate,…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he could exert pressure on more Chinese companies such as technology giant Alibaba (BABA.N) after he moved to ban TikTok. Asked at a news conference whether there were other particular China-owned companies he was considering a ban on, such as Alibaba, Trump replied: “Well, we’re looking at other things, yes.” Trump has been piling pressure on Chinese-owned companies, such as by vowing to ban short-video app TikTok from the United States. The United States ordered its Chinese owner ByteDance on Friday to divest the U.S. operations of TikTok within 90 days, the latest…

Britons bought and sold a record number of homes between mid July and early August as pent-up demand from the coronavirus lockdown and a desire to leave London bucked the usual summer slowdown, industry data showed on Monday. Property website Rightmove, which says it is used by 90% of British estate agents, reported the highest number of home sales agreed since it began tracking the data more than 10 years ago, with transactions more than 20% higher than the previous record. The most recent figures from the Bank of England – which cover June, before July’s announcement of a tax…

The financial health of British households deteriorated in August at a faster pace than last month, in an unpromising sign for the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey showed on Monday. The Household Finance Index from data company IHS Markit fell to 40.8 in August from 41.5 in July, dragged down by the biggest drop in job security since 2011. A wave of lay-offs is already underway and economists fear worse will come when the government’s furlough scheme closes at the end of October. Although economic output collapsed by a historic 20% in the second quarter of 2020,…

Britons rushed to get back from summer holidays in France on Friday after their government said it would soon impose a 14-day quarantine on travellers from across the Channel due to rising coronavirus infections. Britain’s government announced late on Thursday that it would impose a quarantine from 0300 GMT on Saturday on arrivals from France, giving an estimated 160,000 UK holidaymakers there just over 24 hours to try to get home to avoid isolating. The sudden rule change dealt a fresh blow to tourists, airlines and tour operators all hoping for holidays after the pandemic, which has left many travel…

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the reopening of the economy in England to resume, saying a rise in infections that prompted caution two weeks ago had now levelled off, but warning of harsher punishment for those who breach the remaining rules. Last month, amid rising case numbers, Johnson said there was “a warning light on the dashboard” and paused the reopening of casinos, bowling alleys and skating rinks just hours before they opened their doors. He said that phase of his reopening plan can now go ahead. “Today, we are able to announce some further changes which will allow more…

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Britain has no choice but to impose a 14-day quarantine on all travellers arriving from France due to rising coronavirus infection rates there, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Friday. Britain announced late on Thursday that it would impose a quarantine, from 0300 GMT on Saturday, on arrivals from France, the Netherlands and Malta because infection rates there were too high, dealing a new blow to the travel industry. France warned that it would reciprocate. On Friday Shapps said he sympathised with travellers but that they should not be entirely surprised, given the fluid situation around the pandemic. “It’s a…