Government ends Oxford Nanopore Covid testing contract early August 9, 2021 The UK government has ended a contract with Oxford Nanopore worth £113m as the vaccination rollout continues apace. Last August Oxford Nanopore signed a contract with the Department of Health, to provide rapid LamPORE tests to NHS laboratories. At the time, former then-health secretary Matt Hancock said the rapid testing kits would “benefit thousands of [...]
Chinese tech tycoons lose $87bn amid Beijing crackdown August 9, 2021 A crackdown on Chinese tech giants by regulators in Beijing is estimated to have wiped $87bn (£63bn) off the personal fortunes of tycoons such as Alibaba’s Jack Ma in the last month alone. Authorities have launched a fierce campaign against some of the country’s biggest tech firms amid concerns about their escalating power, sparking sharp [...]
Future of work: ‘Freedom Day’ fails to trigger mass return to the office August 9, 2021 “Freedom Day” has failed to trigger a mass return to the office, according to new data published today. Research from Remit Consulting shows the proportion of staff in the office in the UK hit 11.7 per cent in July, a meager increase from 11.1 per cent before the Work From Home guidance was dropped by [...]
Ocado allows employees to work from abroad for a month August 9, 2021 Ocado Group has announced its employees will be allowed to work remotely from a country of their choosing for up to a month. The online grocer’s Chief People Officer, Claire Ainscough, confirmed the policy in comments to The Times, stating that the company is still encouraging a return to the office. The news comes as [...]
France’s health pass extension comes into effect after fourth weekend of protests August 9, 2021 From today, showing a health pass becomes a requirement to get into cafés, restaurants, hospitals and long-distance travel in France. The extension of the pass proving one’s coronavirus status was approved on Thursday by the French Constitutional Council and will be in place until at least November. In what was the fourth consecutive weekend of [...]
California feels the heat as wildfires sweep the Golden State August 9, 2021 More than 5,000 firefighters are battling wildfires across California, including the state’s largest ever standalone blaze. The Dixie Fire started on 13 July and has since consumed more than 463,000 acres (187,369 hectares), an area larger than Greater London. Just 21 per cent of the blaze is contained, according to officials. By Saturday evening, the [...]
Cabinet ministers plan big push to get civil servants back to Whitehall August 9, 2021 Cabinet ministers are planning a big drive to get civil servants back to the office after concerns grow regarding the lack of staff at desks. Senior cabinet ministers have expressed their concern at the number of those still working from home, with one telling The Times that career prospects should be mentioned in the drive [...]
Weekend Read: We may be about to find out what shape the recovery takes August 7, 2021 Since the first cases of Covid-19 began to disrupt the global economy, economists have not been shy of predictions. V-shaped, L-shaped, even hockey-stick recoveries have all been on the table. We may be about to find out who was right. While output growth and economic activity are still historically strong, in developed economies, those indicators [...]
Astrazeneca boss backs embattled GSK chief Walmsley August 6, 2021 The boss of drugs giant Astrazeneca has given his backing to Emma Walmsley, the chief executive of rival Glaxosmithkline (GSK), as she comes under pressure from investment firms. Walmsley is in the process of transforming the FTSE 100 firm by spinning off its consumer healthcare division into a separate firm. Her leadership has come under [...]
Wizz Air chief Váradi signs on for five more years after £100m bonus plan approved August 6, 2021 Wizz Air chief executive Joszef Váradi has today signed a new five-year contract with the Hungarian airline, a week after his whopping new bonus plan was approved by shareholders. With the exception of the bonus plan, which could see him take home a maximum of £100m, the other terms of Váradi’s deal remain the same. [...]