Covid vaccines reduce hospitalisations by up to 94 per cent in Scotland February 22, 2021 The vaccine rollout has had a signifiant impact on driving down Covid-related hospitalisations and risk of serious illness in Scotland, new data has shown. Research from Public Health Scotland (PHS) found that the Pfizer and Astrazeneca vaccines reduced the risk of hospitalisation from Covid-19 by up to 85 per cent and 94 per cent respectively. [...]
Transferwise rebrands to Wise ahead of London listing February 22, 2021 A decade after its launch Transferwise has rebranded to Wise ahead of its long-awaited IPO. The fintech, which was most recently valued by private investors at $5bn, has come a long way since its launch in 2011 when it initially offered money transfers. It says the new moniker reflects its growth. “Today our name catches [...]
European Commission gives the green light on data adequacy agreement with UK February 19, 2021 The European Commission has said the UK’s data protection laws are in line with the EU’s, paving the way for a long-term adequacy decision. Article 44 of GDPR prohibits the transfer of personal data from the EU/EEA to recipients in jurisdictions outside the bloc, unless specific conditions are met. One of the conditions is an [...]
Time Out boss: Tech giants have destroyed internet freedom February 19, 2021 The unbridled power of tech giants such as Google and Facebook has destroyed the concept of freedom on the internet, the chief executive of Time Out has said. In an interview with City A.M., Julio Bruno said that while tech companies had given us “a lot of good things”, they now exerted too much control [...]
Huawei loses legal case against HSBC over Meng Wanzhou extradition February 19, 2021 Huawei has lost a legal bid to force HSBC to disclose documents, marking a setback in the tech giant’s efforts to prevent the extradition of its chief financial officer to the US. Meng Wanzhou faces charges of bank fraud over claims she misled HSBC over Huawei’s dealings in Iran, causing the bank to violate US [...]
South Africa Covid variant could cut Pfizer vaccine protection by two-thirds February 18, 2021 The South African variant of coronavirus could cut antibody protection from the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine by two-thirds, the drugs companies have announced. Laboratory studies by Pfizer/Biontech and scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch said the vaccine still worked against the new mutation — also known as 501YV2. However, they cautioned that the jab produced only [...]
Government plugs £18.5m into Long Covid research February 18, 2021 The government has pledged to invest £18.5m into research projects looking at the long-term effects of coronavirus, also known as Long Covid. The funding will support four studies seeking to identify the causes of Long Covid and potential treatments for people with chronic side-effects. Imperial College London will receive the bulk of the funding to [...]
UK businesses eye fintech sector to help drive profitability February 18, 2021 A growing number of UK businesses are looking to the burgeoning fintech sector to help boost profits post-Brexit. Britain’s payments startups have seen renewed interest during the pandemic as consumers and businesses pivot online. A third of senior managers surveyed by cybersecurity firm ESET are prioritising improved efficiency and may opt to implement fintech solutions [...]
Australian prime minister blasts ‘arrogant’ Facebook over news ban February 18, 2021 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hit back at Facebook over its decision to block news in the country, saying the company’s actions were “as arrogant as they were disappointing”. The social media site last night cut off access to news pages and links in Australia in retaliation to draft new laws that would force [...]
Epic Games files EU competition complaint against Apple February 17, 2021 Fortnite maker Epic Games has filed an EU antitrust complaint against Apple, ratcheting up its battle with the tech giant over app store payments. The two companies have been locked in a dispute since August, when Epic launched its own in-app payment system in a bid to sidestep Apple’s 30 per cent commission on some [...]