Author: LoveWorld UK

British mortgage approvals slumped to the lowest on record in May, data from the Bank of England showed on Monday, underscoring the scale of the hit to the housing market from the coronavirus lockdown. The number of mortgage approvals fell to 9,273 – the lowest since comparable records began in October 1997 – from 15,851 in April which was already sharply lower than in previous months. Economists polled by Reuters had expected approvals to rise to 25,000 in May. Before the coronavirus pandemic and the government’s closure of the housing market – which was only lifted in mid-May in England…

Britain has imposed a stringent lockdown on the English city of Leicester following a local flare-up of the novel coronavirus just as Prime Minister Boris Johnson attempts to nudge the United Kingdom back to normality. The United Kingdom has been one of the world’s worst-hit areas, with more than 54,000 suspected deaths, though infections have been waning in recent weeks and Johnson is rolling back nationwide restrictions to revive the economy. However, in Leicester, in the eastern Midlands of England, the seven-day infection rate was 135 cases per 100,000 people, three times higher than the next highest city. Leicester accounted…

Watford were dealt a major blow in their bid to avoid relegation as they suffered a 3-1 home defeat by Southampton after a Danny Ings double and James Ward-Prowse’s stunning late free kick for the visitors in their Premier League game on Sunday. Saints started strongly and took a well-deserved lead in the 16th minute when Ings glided past the challenge of two Watford defenders before curling a low effort into the far corner. Ralph Hasenhuettl’s side were unlucky not to grab a second in the 24th minute when Ward-Prowse skied his effort from close range after latching on to…

Beijing said on Monday it will impose visa restrictions on U.S. individuals with “egregious conduct” on Hong Kong-related issues, mirroring U.S. sanctions against unnamed Chinese officials deemed responsible for curbing freedoms in the city. The announcement comes as the top decision-making body of China’s parliament deliberates a draft national security law for Hong Kong that pro-democracy activists in the city fear will be used to eliminate dissent and tighten Beijing’s control. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, who announced the new sanctions during a press briefing in response to a question about Washington’s new visa restrictions, did not specify which…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised a “Rooseveltian” boost to public spending to help the country’s economy recover from the coronavirus shock and said a return to austerity would be a mistake. Johnson said he would double down on his plans to increase investment and said his government – which has already announced emergency spending and tax measures worth an estimated 133 billion pounds – would continue to help people and businesses. “This is the moment for a Rooseveltian approach to the UK,” Johnson told Times Radio on Monday. Former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” programme, which included…

Airbus (AIR.PA) plane output will be 40% lower for two years compared to pre-crisis plans, its chief executive said in remarks published on Monday, underscoring the threat to jobs as it draws up rapid restructuring plans due to a travel slump. Reuters reported on June 3 that Airbus was looking to hold underlying jet output at 40% below pre-coronavirus pandemic plans for two years as the basis for the restructuring. “For the next two years – 2020/21 – we assume that production and deliveries will be 40% lower than originally planned,” CEO Guillaume Faury told Die Welt newspaper, saying output…

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is to make his first international trip since the coronavirus crisis to west Africa on Tuesday for a summit on Sahel region issues with other heads of state including France’s President Emmanuel Macron. The European leaders will be joined in Mauritania by heads of the so-called G5 Sahel states – also including Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger – and U.N. boss Antonio Guterres, Sanchez’s office said in a statement. The region is plagued by jihadi violence. In another sign of travel slowly resuming after months of coronavirus lockdowns, Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya…

Thousands of Liverpool fans celebrated their Premier League title win outside the club’s Anfield Stadium on Thursday as their 30 year wait for the league crown finally came to an end. Juergen Klopp’s side secured the title after second-placed Manchester City lost 2-1 to Chelsea in London, meaning the Merseyside club could not be caught with a 23 point lead over City with seven games remaining. Despite social distancing rules and restrictions on public gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Liverpool supporters flocked to Anfield to show their joy at the team’s success. Fans turned the sky red with flares…

Britain’s biggest retailer, saw underlying UK sales rise 8.7% in its first quarter to May 30, boosted by the coronavirus lockdown, but reiterated a flat profit outlook due to the costs of the crisis. The supermarket group cautioned costs would be at the upper end of previous guidance and also said it had increased Tesco Bank’s provision for potential bad debts, forecasting the division would make a loss of up to 200 million pounds in 2020-21. Shares in Tesco, which has a 27% share of Britain’s grocery market, were up 1% at 0800 GMT, paring 2020 losses to 11%. Prime…

Five-year-old Tony Hudgell has raised more than 1 million pounds ($1.24 million) for the London hospital that saved his life by walking 10 km on his new prosthetic legs after being inspired by Captain Tom’s record-breaking challenge. Tony suffered near-fatal abuse from his birth parents when he was a baby that resulted in the amputation of his legs. His adoptive mother Paula Hudgell said he received a set of new limbs in February, and from walking barely a step a month ago he could now power through hundreds of metres every day. The challenge had been “really fun”, Tony said,…