Wales keeps strict lockdown measures as England reopens

Despite low COVID-19 rates, Wales says harsher restrictions will remain in place because they are working.

Airbus planning to cut 1,700 jobs in UK as result of coronavirus crisis

Aerospace giant Airbus is planning to cut 1,700 jobs in the UK as a result of the coronavirus crisis, the company announced.The news is a huge blow to its site at Broughton in north Wales, where wings are manufactured, and its other factory at Filton in Bristol.The company is cutting 15,000 jobs across its global operations.A company statement said: “Airbus has announced plans to adapt its global workforce and resize its commercial aircraft activity in response to the Covid-19 crisis.

Loneliness makes it harder to quit smoking: Study

Researchers have found evidence for a causal link between the prolonged experience of loneliness and smoking in a recent study. The study led by researchers from the University of Bristol was published in the journal Addiction. Although numerous studies have shown there is an association, it has been difficult to disentangle whether being lonely leads to substance abuse or if substance abuse leads to loneliness. By applying a novel research method to the question - Mendelian randomisation - which uses genetic and surveys data from hundreds of thousands of people, the team found that loneliness appears to lead to an increased likelihood of smoking behaviour. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), during the first month of the lockdown, the equivalent of 7.4 million people said their well-being was affected through feeling lonely.

Workers on UK payrolls tumble and benefit claims soar during lockdown

UK workers on company payrolls slumped by more than 600,000 between March and May and benefit claims soared by 1.6 million as the coronavirus lockdown hammered Britain’s labour market, official figures have revealed. The Office for National Statistics said early estimates showed the number of paid employees dropped by 2.1% or 612,000 in May compared with March, while job vacancies also slumped to a record low last month.

UK economy shrinks by record 20.4% in April

Britain's economy shrank by a record 20.4% in April from March as the country spent the month in a tight coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Friday. Ciara Lee reports