Microsoft ‘made takeover approach’ for social media site Pinterest February 11, 2021 Microsoft is said to have approached Pinterest over a potential deal to buy the $51bn (£27bn) social media platform. The US tech giant held talks with Pinterest in recent months but negotiations are not currently active, the Financial Times reported, citing people briefed on the matter. The approach comes at the height of a pandemic-induced [...]
Coronavirus: Kent variant will ‘sweep the world’ February 11, 2021 The more virulent variant of coronavirus first identified in Kent will become the world’s dominant strain of the virus, according to the the director of the UK’s genetic surveillance programme. The Kent variant is now the most common form of the virus in the UK, after it was first detected in September. It has been [...]
Uber losses mount even as it expands delivery business February 10, 2021 A strong showing from Uber’s delivery service has not helped to offset huge losses amid dwindling demand for rideshares. The ride-hailing app has faced huge setbacks as lockdown restrictions all but decimated its core business. In the third quarter the company posted losses of more than £1bn and revenue also missed analysts’ estimates. Uber reported [...]
Why have almost half EU countries restricted use of the Astrazeneca vaccine? February 10, 2021 The World Health Organization (WHO) this afternoon recommended the rollout of Astrazeneca’s Covid vaccine for use in all age groups, after a slew of European countries slapped limitations on the jab’s distribution. WHO officials said a “preponderance of evidence weighed in favour of not constraining the vaccine for certain age groups”, and refused to recommend [...]
Mike Lynch: Live updates as British tech entrepreneur fights extradition to US February 10, 2021 British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, the founder of software firm Autonomy, today begins the second day of his fight against his extradition to the US. Yesterday, the court heard opening arguments from Lynch’s defence team and lawyers representing the US. Lynch is facing charges of securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy in the US related [...]
Breaking: World Health Organization recommends Astrazeneca vaccine for all age groups February 10, 2021 The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of the Astrazeneca/Oxford University vaccine for use by all countries around the world, with a 8 to 12 week interval between doses. In a major snub to European countries that have applied age limits to the vaccine, WHO said there was enough evidence to recommend vaccines [...]
Tiktok’s forced sale to Oracle halted as Biden reviews China policy February 10, 2021 Tiktok’s sale of its US business to Oracle and Walmart has reportedly been put on ice as President Joe Biden reviews the Trump administration’s crackdown on Chinese firms. The video platform had been forced into offloading its American unit by former president Trump, who argued user data could be shared with Beijing. Tiktok has always [...]
Italy blocks Astrazeneca vaccine for over-65s February 10, 2021 Italy has become the latest European country to slap age restrictions on the Astrazeneca vaccine, after officials said there was “insufficient data” to prove it will help protect over-65s against Covid-19. The Italian government said it would only use the jab made by the Anglo-Swedish firm on people aged between 18 and 65 and in [...]
Google to pay UK publishers for news as global pressure mounts February 10, 2021 Google has inked a licensing deal with more than 120 UK publications as pressure mounts on tech giants to pay publishers for news. The launch of Google News Showcase, part of the company’s pledge to invest $1bn (£750m) in news worldwide, means publishers will be paid for excerpts that appear in its search results. The [...]
Huawei launches legal challenge against US national security threat label February 10, 2021 Huawei has mounted a legal challenge against the decision to designate the telecoms giant a threat to US national security due to its alleged ties to Beijing. In June the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) formally labelled Huawei and ZTE as security threats, blocking US firms from purchasing equipment from the companies. In December it blocked [...]