Author: LoveWorld UK

British grocery sales growth accelerated in September as shoppers geared up for new lockdown restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19, though there was “limited evidence” of a new wave of stockpiling, industry data showed on Tuesday. Market researcher Kantar said sales rose 10.6% year-on-year in the four weeks to Oct. 4 as shoppers moved a greater proportion of their eating and drinking back into the home. “This is likely a response to rising COVID-19 infection rates, greater restrictions on opening hours in the hospitality sector, and the end of the government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme,” said Fraser…

Marcus Rashford’s penalty and a deflected strike from Mason Mount helped England come from a goal down to overcome top-ranked Belgium 2-1 at Wembley on Sunday and climb above them in their UEFA Nations League group Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring for the visitors from the penalty spot in the 16th minute after being brought down by a lunging tackle from England’s Eric Dier. It was the Inter Milan striker’s 13th goal in his last 11 matches for his country. The Belgians pressed forward, with Yannick Carrasco and Kevin de Bruyne finding space and time to create seven shots on…

Michigan’s Supreme Court ruled Friday that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lacks the authority to extend or declare states of emergency in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democratic governor issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in March and expanded it via another executive order in April. The Republican-controlled legislature passed a resolution to extend the state of emergency, but only until April 30. Whitmer has since issued many more orders related to the pandemic. Whitmer cited two state laws — the Emergency Management Act of 1976 and the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act from 1945 — as granting her…

President Trump on Sunday said in a phone call to a group of supporters that he’s “tested totally negative” for the novel coronavirus, despite White House physcian, Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley, releasing no new statements on the president’s health. “I’ve been tested totally negative,” Trump said in an audio message his campaign posted on YouTube. “I’m going to be out in Florida tomorrow, working very hard because this is an election we have to win.” Despite Trump’s claim that he has tested negative for the virus, the White House has not released any information since Conley sent out a memo on Saturday…

European shares crept higher on Monday, tracking gains in Asia that were fuelled by optimism over a rebound in China’s economy, while investors remained cautious about a surge in domestic coronavirus cases. The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX was up 0.3% at 0702 GMT, with telecom .SXKP and auto .SXAP stocks leading gains. The benchmark index ended Friday with its second consecutive week of gains on bets of more U.S. fiscal stimulus and growing expectations of a Democratic victory in the U.S. presidential election. Still, gains on Monday were capped by a jump in new COVID-19 cases that have raised the spectre of more lockdowns. UK Prime…

South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd 051910.KS, an electric vehicle (EV) battery supplier for Tesla TSLA.O and a petrochemicals maker, said on Monday its third-quarter operating profit likely jumped to a record high, beating analysts’ estimates. The company did not elaborate on the reasons for its upbeat outlook but analysts attributed it to orders from Tesla and the coronavirus pandemic that lifted demand for home appliances – one of the applications for petrochemicals products. LG Chem estimated that its operating profit jumped 159% to 902 billion won ($788.94 million) in the quarter ended September, above the 746 billion won analyst forecast by Refinitiv SmartEstimate.…

The United Kingdom’s hospitality industry is mounting a legal challenge to the government’s lockdown restrictions, aiming to stop its plans to close pubs and other venues to tackle the rise in coronavirus cases. The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), a UK trade body, told Reuters late Sunday that the industry has taken legal action to prevent lockdown measures from being imposed. The judicial review, reported earlier by the Financial Times, will argue that no evidence supports hospitality venues having contributed to the spread of COVID-19. “The industry has been left with no other option but to legally challenge the so…

European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier wants a few more concessions from Britain before entering the last intense phase of negotiations on a trade deal, an EU diplomat said on Friday, as an Oct. 15 deadline looms. The United Kingdom formally left the EU on Jan. 31, but more than fours years since voting 52%-48% for Brexit in a 2016 referendum, the two sides are haggling over a trade deal that would kick in when informal membership ends on Dec. 31. The two chief negotiators, Barnier and Britain’s David Frost, say they are inching towards a deal, though they…

British finance minister Rishi Sunak will announce on Friday his latest plan to support jobs hit by the expected closure of bars, restaurants and other businesses as the government tries to slow the spread of COVID-19. The second wave of the coronavirus is threatening to derail Britain’s economic recovery which was already starting to wane, according to official data. With the government’s main furlough scheme closing at the end of the month and health restrictions tightening by the day, swathes of workers in hospitality, arts and other sectors face unemployment and Sunak has come under pressure to help them. “The…

The Washington Post offered a sharp rebuke to the “little history lesson” Sen. Kamala Harris shared during Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate, which apparently “wasn’t exactly true.” During a heated exchange with Vice President Mike Pence on the confirmation Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Harris suggested that one of the most revered Republican presidents would be in favor of allowing a newly-elected president to fill a vacant seat instead of rushing a confirmation in the heat of an election in response to Pence’s argument that President Trump’s appointment is following precedent.  “I’m so glad we went through a little history lesson. Let’s do…