December, 2020

• 27 December

  The silver lining of the year 2020

  

  For obvious reasons, 2020 will not go down as a good year. At the same time, it has brought more scientific progress than any year in recent memory — and these advances will last long after Covid-19 as a major threat is gone. Two of the most obvious and tangible signs of progress are the mRNA vaccines now being distributed ...

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• 27 December

  Forgiving student loans is not a lasting solution

  Canceling student loans as a way of getting relief out to Americans who are struggling financially is a hot topic these days as Congress dickers. Speculation is rising that President-elect Joe Biden will issue an executive order to cancel a portion of the $1.7 trillion in student debt outstanding after he takes office in January. One-time forgiveness of these loans ...

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• 27 December

  Republicans should tell Trump enough is enough

  President Donald Trump has, in effect, challenged Republicans in Congress to exert their independence and do the right thing for the country. His veto of a bipartisan $740 billion defense-policy bill is one such test. His demand that Congress rethink the Covid relief bill — also supported by big bipartisan majorities — is another. Republicans should have distanced themselves from ...

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• 27 December

  GE case hints at secret Airbus narrow-body in development

  

  Bloomberg Airbus SE has solicited engine ideas for a narrow-body jetliner in development, drawing a proposal for a new geared design from General Electric Co. GE’s preliminary proposal, disclosed in a court opinion, reveals previously unreported talks between the engine maker and Airbus for a “next-generation” plane. The court decision was later sealed, indicating the high level of interest in ...

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• 27 December

  US requires tests for UK flyers over Covid variant

  

  Bloomberg The US will require passengers flying from the UK to show proof of a negative test for coronavirus, amid rising concerns over a more-contagious Covid-19 strain that is spreading after first emerging in England. Travelers arriving from the UK need to get a negative polymerase chain reaction or antigen test no more than 72 hours before leaving, according to ...

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• 27 December

  Seven labour groups accept South African Airways pay settlement

  

  Bloomberg Seven labour groups representing workers at South African Airways (SAA) who’ve not been paid since March agreed to accept a settlement offer of three months’ wages, a move that will aid the government’s efforts to revive the bankrupt state airline. Members of the groups, including the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union and the Solidarity union, will also ...

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• 27 December

  Air Canada Boeing 737 Max faces engine issues

  Bloomberg An Air Canada Boeing 737-8 Max on a test flight suffered engine issues that forced the crew to shut down one of the plane’s engines and make an emergency landing in Tucson, Arizona, Aviation24.be has reported. Shortly after takeoff, the crew received an indication of hydraulic low pressure in the left engine, the website said. The three-member crew of ...

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• 27 December

  Japan retail sales dip as Tokyo prices fall most since 2010

  

  Bloomberg Japanese retail sales resumed falling and Tokyo consumer prices slid the most in a decade amid slumping energy costs and record virus cases that kept shoppers home and darken the recovery outlook. Retail sales fall 2% in November from the prior month, as consumers continued to cut back on apparel purchases, the economy ministry reported. Analysts had forecast an ...

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• 27 December

  Boeing plans Seattle-area 787 inspections

  Bloomberg Boeing Co. plans to extend work on 787 Dreamliner jetliners at its main widebody factory north of Seattle for months after it shutters production there next year and shifts final assembly to South Carolina. The planemaker intends to used the freed up space at the Everett, Washington plant to inspect and repair any defects in the carbon-composite airframes of ...

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• 27 December

  EU, UK clinch Brexit accord to avoid chaotic rupture

  

  Bloomberg The UK clinched a historic trade deal with the European Union (EU), avoiding a bitter breakup and preparing the ground for a new relationship with its biggest commercial partner. Negotiators finalised the accord to complete Britain’s separation from the bloc on Christmas Eve, just a week before the country leaves the EU’s single market and customs union. It brings ...

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