6:40 am, August 11, 2020
- Here’s your business, motoring and news round-up for Tuesday, August 11
£300m for NHS upgrades to prepare for winter pressures
NHS trusts across England will receive £300m to upgrade facilities ahead of the winter amid fears of a second wave of coronavirus, Boris Johnson has announced.
The Prime Minister said the additional cash would enable hospitals to maintain essential services and reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection during the coming months.
The move comes amid reports that scientists at Public Health England (PHE) have warned secondary school pupils are as likely to transmit coronavirus as easily as adults.
One in 10 ‘still waiting for refunds’
More than one in 10 people who have requested a return for items and services bought during the coronavirus lockdown are yet to get their money back, a survey has found.
Meanwhile, more than a third (36 per cent) of people are avoiding making big purchases due to fears that their money would not be returned, and more than a quarter (28 per cent) are more worried about securing a refund since the pandemic started.
Some 11 per cent of those surveyed who have requested their money back are still waiting for a refund or a voucher, or claim they have been denied access to it, the research from Visa found.
Maserati announces new Trofeo models
Maserati has unveiled new high-performance Trofeo versions of its Ghibli and Quattroporte models.
Both utilise the same 3.8-litre V8 engine with 572bhp, allowing both to crack a top speed of 203mph. Power is sent to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
The Trofeo-badged Ghibli will manage the 0-60mph sprint in four seconds, while the larger Quattroporte Trofeo takes a fraction over four seconds.
More than 7m people missed their MOT renewal last year
Some seven million motorists in 2019 risked a £1,000 fine by missing their MOT renewal, according to new data.
Of these drivers, 81 per cent renewed within three months of their expiry date, with MOTs expiring in May the least likely to be renewed on time.
Insurance comparison site MoneySupermarket analysed data from the DVSA, DVLA and Department of Transport, and also found that 634,000 untaxed vehicles were on the road last year.
Markets cautiously positive
Monday was subdued on global markets as tensions over how China is cracking down on pro-democracy elements in Hong Kong were not enough to push the dial.
The FTSE 100 ended the day up 18.41 points at 6050.59, a 0.3 per cent rise. The Dow Jones was up one per cent, while the S&P 500 increased 0.1 per cent, just after European markets closed.
On the continent, the Dax in Germany rose 0.1 per cent and the Cac in France was up 0.4 per cent.
Capita to hire 900 for congestion charge contracts
Outsourcing giant Capita has said it will hire 900 people to help it run London’s congestion charge and low emission zones, as it extended its contracts with Transport for London (TfL) for another five years.
The company said that the £355m deal would see it continue work on the congestion charge and low emission zone (LEZ), but also added work with the expanded ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) and other TfL plans.
One of these is to run registration and monitoring for the direct vision standards – a set of new rules to make sure that lorries are safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
McDonald’s to sue former CEO
McDonald’s says it is suing Steve Easterbrook, the British former CEO it ousted last year over an inappropriate relationship with an employee.
The fast food chain is alleging that Easterbrook covered up relationships with other employees and destroyed evidence.
McDonald’s fired Easterbrook last November after he acknowledged exchanging videos and text messages with an employee. He told the company that there were no other similar instances.
Heatwave continues
Today, Scotland and northern England will see thunderstorms spread northwards, but it will be drier elsewhere with sunny spells and the odd thunderstorm.
It will be hot and humid across southern England, said the BBC, and into tonight sharp showers and thunderstorms will continue for northern England and Scotland, and it will feel muggy elsewhere.
Tomorrow will be humid for most with sunny spells and further thunderstorms breaking out later in the day for the south. Top temperatures today and tomorrow will be 35C.
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