International
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New Zealand to ease some coronavirus restrictions from Thursday
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May 11th, 2020viaReuters UK - Top News
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New Zealand will allow restaurants, cafes, cinemas, malls and travel within the country to resume from Thursday as it eases most restrictions that were put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.
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Saudi Arabia triples VAT to support coronavirus-hit economy
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May 11th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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Saudi Arabia is tripling its value added tax (VAT) as part of austerity measures to support its coronavirus-hit economy. The government in Riyadh also said it will suspend its cost of living allowance to shore up state finances.
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Coronavirus: Airlines warned over passenger refund rights
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May 10th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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The aviation watchdog has warned airlines that they are legally required to provide refunds to customers who had their flights cancelled because of the coronavirus. By law, plane operators must refund customers within seven days if their flight is cancelled.
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Mexico to unveil economic restart next week after coronavirus lockdown
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May 9th, 2020viaReuters UK - World News
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Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday he aims to present plans next week to reopen the economy, as key sectors like carmaking look to begin business again after over a month of quarantine measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak.
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Irish unemployment hits record 28% in wake of coronavirus
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May 8th, 2020viaReuters UK - Business News
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Ireland’s unemployment rate shot up to 28.2% at the end of April including those receiving emergency jobless benefits due to the coronavirus pandemic, the highest rate on record and up from just 4.8% two months ago, the statistics office said on Friday.
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German exports plunge in March as coronavirus crisis hits demand
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May 8th, 2020viaReuters UK - Business News
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German exports slumped in March as the coronavirus crisis slashed demand for goods from Europe’s biggest economy, the Federal Statistics Office said on Friday. Seasonally adjusted exports dived 11.8% on the month while imports fell by 5.1%.
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UK
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Coronavirus: Ministers set to discuss recovery plan
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May 11th, 2020viaBBC News - UK
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The Stormont executive is to meet later on Monday to consider a plan to slowly take NI out of lockdown. Ministers insist any changes to restrictions will be gradual and must be supported by scientific advice.
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Coronavirus: PM to reveal further details on lockdown roadmap
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May 11th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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Boris Johnson: "We are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures" Boris Johnson will reveal more detail on his plans to reopen society in England, after unveiling the "first sketch" of his "road map" out of the coronavirus lockdown.
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Coronavirus: High Streets see 'fastest ever' footfall drop
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May 10th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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The number of shoppers visiting UK High Streets, retail parks and shopping centres fell at its fastest rate ever in April as the lockdown forced people to stay indoors, industry figures show. Footfall fell by more than 80% after all but essential shops closed their doors, according to Springboard.
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Coronavirus: Businesses want 'clear guidance' on return to work
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May 10th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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Business groups have called for clarity on what will need to change in the workplace as Boris Johnson unveils a "conditional plan" to reopen society. "Businesses need their practical questions answered so they can plan to restart, rebuild and renew," said the British Chambers of Commerce.
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Coronavirus lockdown: Boris Johnson tells millions to get back to work
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May 10th, 2020viaCity AM - Business
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Thousands of workplaces across England have been told to open up from Monday and people will be able to spend more time outside from Wednesday, after Boris Johnson outlined the government’s three-stage roadmap for easing the coronavirus lockdown.
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Coronavirus: NI message remains 'stay at home'
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May 10th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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Politicians in Northern Ireland have emphasised the "stay at home message" ahead of the prime minister's address on Sunday. Health officials in England have changed their message to "stay alert" with regard to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
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Coronavirus: Claim pregnant women put on sick pay
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May 10th, 2020viaBBC News - UK
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Many pregnant women have been wrongly sent home on sick pay or unpaid leave during the coronavirus crisis, a Welsh MP has claimed. The Gower MP Tonia Antoniazzi says she is handling cases from constituents about employers believed to be in breach of health and safety law.
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Coronavirus 'hardship package' for Wales' dairy farmers
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May 9th, 2020viaBBC - Wales
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Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has announced funding for Welsh dairy farmers hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Eligible farmers who have lost more than 25% of their April and May income will be entitled to up to £10,000, to cover 70% of their lost income.
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Coronavirus: Garden centres in England can reopen next week
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May 9th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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Garden centres in England will be allowed to reopen next week as one of the early steps to ease coronavirus lockdown measures. A senior government source told the BBC centres can reopen from Wednesday, if they comply with social distancing.
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Coronavirus: Key supermarket workers denied bonus
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May 9th, 2020viaBBC News - UK
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A major UK supermarket has offered bonuses to its frontline staff - but not those taken on to help during the coronavirus pandemic. The union GMB described Tesco's decision as "a disgrace" and called on the company to rethink only paying the sum to permanent staff.
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Wales announces modest changes to coronavirus lockdown
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May 8th, 2020viaReuters UK - UK News
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Wales has announced plans to modify the coronavirus lockdown so that from Monday people can exercise more than once a day, garden centres can reopen, and the government will look at reopening libraries and recycling centres.
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Day-to-Day Impact
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Coronavirus: Changes to wedding rules 'under consideration'
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May 11th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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The justice secretary has indicated there may be changes to lockdown rules which has led to weddings being cancelled due to the coronavirus. Robert Buckland told BBC Radio 4 he was giving "anxious consideration" to the effect of potential changes.
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Coronavirus: French passengers exempt from UK quarantine plans
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May 10th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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French passengers will be exempt from quarantine measures that will come into force in the UK amid the pandemic. Boris Johnson said on Sunday they would be imposed on people arriving by air into the UK, to prevent Covid-19 being brought in from overseas.
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Coronavirus fines to rise to £100 under new lockdown rules
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May 10th, 2020viaThe Independent - News
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Fines for breaching coronavirus regulations will rise from £60 to £100 for first offenders under the lockdown-easing plans set out by Boris Johnson. Payment of the fixed penalty notice within 14 days will reduce the sum to £50, up from the present £30.
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Coronavirus: Churches may not be back to normal by end of year
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May 10th, 2020viaBBC - Front Page
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Social distancing will be impossible in some places of worship if government ministers allow them to reopen, religious leaders have warned. The Anglican Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, said churches might not return to normal services before the end of the year.
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Coastguard rescues soar despite Covid-19 lockdown
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May 9th, 2020viaBBC News - UK
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Two people had to be rescued after they defied the lockdown and got into difficulty on a boat while under the influence of alcohol. HM Coastguard said the incident happened on a day when the number of UK call outs soared by 54%.
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Coronavirus testing 'increasing every week' in Wales
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May 9th, 2020viaBBC - Wales
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The Welsh Government is "working very hard" to increase coronavirus testing capacity, the first minister has said. Mark Drakeford said a community testing regime will be put in place over the next three weeks. There is currently the capacity to do 2,350 tests a day in Wales..
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UK government Covid-19 testing target 'source of real frustration'
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May 9th, 2020viaBBC News - UK
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The UK government's new target of testing 200,000 people a day for Covid-19 is a source of "real frustration", according to a leading scientist. The president of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), said knowing where, how and how often people will be tested is more vital than goal setting.
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Coronavirus: CCEA publishes criteria for exam appeals
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May 9th, 2020viaBBC News - UK
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Pupils will not be able to appeal their A-level, AS and GCSE grades in 2020 just because they disagree with the result they think their teacher has given them. Instead, grades can only be appealed if the student's principal thinks a school or the exam board has made mistakes.
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Global Situation
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South Korea scrambles to contain Seoul nightclub coronavirus outbreak
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May 11th, 2020viaReuters UK - Top News
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South Korean officials scrambled on Monday to contain a new coronavirus outbreak, searching for thousands of people who may have been infected in a cluster of cases linked to nightclubs and bars in the densely populated capital city of Seoul.
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Men have high levels of enzyme key to COVID-19 infection, study finds
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May 11th, 2020viaReuters UK - Top News
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Men’s blood has higher levels than women’s of a key enzyme used by the new coronavirus to infect cells, the results of a big European study showed on Monday — a finding which may help explain why men are more vulnerable to infection with COVID-19.
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Obama: Donald Trump's coronavirus response a 'chaotic disaster'
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May 10th, 2020viaCity AM - News
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Barack Obama has labelled Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus crisis as a “chaotic disaster” in a private conference call to former staff. The former President was on the call to urge the former members of staff to join the Joe Biden presidential campaign, according to CNN.
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WHO readies coronavirus app for checking symptoms, possibly contact tracing
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May 8th, 2020viaReuters UK - Health News
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The World Health Organization (WHO) plans to launch an app this month to enable people in under-resourced countries to assess whether they may have the novel coronavirus, and is considering a Bluetooth-based contact tracing feature too, an official told Reuters on Friday.
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Plastic shields in place, Dutch schools to reopen amid coronavirus
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May 8th, 2020viaReuters UK - World News
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At the Springplank school in the Dutch city of Den Bosch, staff have installed plastic shields around students’ desks and disinfectant gel dispensers at the doorways as part of preparations to reopen amid the country’s coronavirus outbreak.
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China will strictly prevent rebound of coronavirus outbreak
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May 8th, 2020viaReuters UK - Top News
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China will resolutely prevent the rebound of the coronavirus outbreak as the country faces mounting pressure from imported cases, state television reported on Friday, quoting a top level meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping.
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Legal Developments
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Coronavirus: Bid to introduce notice periods for student halls
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May 10th, 2020viaBBC News - UK
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Students who cannot take up places in purpose-built accommodation due to the Covid-19 pandemic will be able to end their lease under new legislation. People under contract in halls of residence will be able to give seven days' notice to cancel their agreement.
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UK health watchdog may investigate coronavirus deaths
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May 8th, 2020viaThe Guardian – Law
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The deaths of more than 50 hospital and care home workers have been reported to Britain’s health and safety regulator, which is considering launching criminal investigations, the Guardian has learned.
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Official Guidance/Reports
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To read more from DWF on COVID-19 visit our insights hub > |