Covid antibodies last at least six months after infection February 3, 2021 Coronavirus antibodies last for at least six months after infection for almost all people who have had the virus, according to a new study. A wide-scale study, by medical database UK Biobank, found that 99 per cent of participants who tested positive for coronavirus retained antibodies for at least three months, while 88 per cent [...]
Jeff Bezos to step down as Amazon chief executive as quarterly sales hit $125bn February 3, 2021 Jeff Bezos will step down as chief executive of Amazon this year, moving to the new role of executive chair. Amazon today said Bezos will transition to the new job in the third quarter and will be replaced as chief executive by Andy Jassy, who currently leads Amazon Web Services. It came as the ecommerce [...]
Google owner Alphabet beats revenue estimates as cloud losses grow February 2, 2021 Google parent company Alphabet beat revenue expectations for the fourth quarter, but revealed hefty losses in its cloud computing division. The tech giant posted revenue of $56.9bn (£41.7bn) in the final three months of the year, up from $46bn in the same period last year. Alphabet said the figures were driven by strong performance from [...]
Paykey launches trading functionality to compete with ‘wild west’ app market February 2, 2021 The Gamestop frenzy last week not only showed the power of retail investors but the popularity and risks associated with free trading apps. Robinhood, which promises no user fees, faced backlash from investors after sharp swings in the value of stocks meant it was forced to restrict trading. It has sparked debate over whether these [...]
Uber shares fizz on $1.1bn takeover of alcohol delivery firm Drizly February 2, 2021 Shares in Uber moved up a gear this afternoon after it announced a $1.1bn (£806m) deal to acquire alcohol delivery service Drizly. The deal, which is Uber’s biggest acquisition since it bought rival Postmates last year, will be paid more than 90 per cent through stock, with the remainder paid in cash. Once the transaction [...]
BT in talks with Oneweb over satellite broadband rollout February 2, 2021 BT is in discussions over the potential use of Oneweb satellites to help roll out broadband to the most remote parts of the UK. The telecoms giant is in early stage talks to explore how satellite constellations could be used to beam internet services to rural areas that are too difficult or expensive to reach [...]
‘More mutations of concern’ found in Bristol and Liverpool, says Matt Hancock February 2, 2021 More Covid “mutations of concern” have been identified in Bristol and Liverpool, the health secretary has announced, as ministers scramble to contain new strains spreading around the country. Speaking in the Commons, Matt Hancock said 11 cases of mutant strains were identified in Bristol and 32 in Liverpool. The health secretary said ministers will roll [...]
Alibaba beats revenue forecasts as China crackdown looms February 2, 2021 Alibaba beat revenue expectations for the third quarter as the ecommerce giant continued to benefit from higher demand during the pandemic despite a looming crackdown by Beijing. Total revenue hit 221bn yuan (£25bn) in the last three months of 2020, up 37 per cent year on year. This was driven by record revenue of 195.5bn [...]
Kent Covid variant has mutated again and may be immune to vaccine February 2, 2021 The coronavirus variant first identified in Kent has acquired a mutation that may be partially resistant to vaccines, senior scientists have warned. The E484K mutation is the same change that has been identified in both the Brazilian and South African variants that have sparked international concern. Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group [...]
Door-to-door testing launches in London Covid hotspots amid concerns over South African variant February 2, 2021 Government ministers have warned people living in areas infected with the South African coronavirus variant to “think again” before leaving the house, as door-to-door testing launches in London hotspots. Residents in the London boroughs of Ealing, Haringey and Croydon will receive knocks on the door from today asking them to take Covid tests for the [...]