Bloomsbury profit surges on lockdown reading boom October 27, 2020 Bloomsbury has reported its highest first-half profit in 12 years after the coronavirus lockdown sparked a steep rise in online book sales. The publishing house said pre-tax profit excluding the cost of acquisitions jumped 60 per cent to £4m in the six months to the end of August. This was ahead of the board’s expectations [...]
Coronavirus: Antibody levels drop by a quarter as second wave hits October 27, 2020 The proportion of people in England with Covid-19 antibodies has dropped by more than a quarter since the first wave of the pandemic, official figures have revealed. The findings of a major study into Covid-19 antibodies, published today, showed the number of people who tested positive for antibodies has fallen from six per cent to [...]
Former prime minister David Cameron backs black internship initiative October 26, 2020 Former Prime Minister David Cameron is among high-profile figures who have thrown their weight behind a new initiative aimed at increasing the number of internships available to black candidates. The 10,000 Black Interns initiative, set to launch tomorrow, is designed to boost the number of paid work experience positions for young black people in major [...]
Eurostar launches direct Amsterdam to London service – but was anybody onboard it? October 26, 2020 Eurostar’s eagerly-awaited direct Amsterdam to London service started today but Covid disruption meant there were plenty of empty seats.
Hasbro shares slide despite lockdown board game boost October 26, 2020 Shares in toy maker Hasbro dropped 10 per cent today as declining revenue from its film and TV operations offset a bumper performance by its board games business. Hasbro reported net revenue of $1.8bn (£1.4bn) in the third quarter, down four per cent on the same period last year. The figure came in ahead of [...]
Tech firms demand legal safeguards over content moderation October 26, 2020 Tech giants including Google and Facebook have called on the EU to introduce a “legal safeguard” to limit their liability when proactively tackling harmful content. Brussels is currently drafting rules under its upcoming Digital Services Act that would increase companies’ responsibility for removing illegal material posted to their platform. But in a report released today, [...]
Facebook takes on Google and Amazon with cloud gaming launch October 26, 2020 Facebook has launched a free cloud gaming feature on its platform, becoming the latest tech giant to move into the lucrative games market. The social media site today said users will be able to stream games such as Asphalt 9: Legends and PGA Tour Golf Shootout on the Facebook app and browser with no download [...]
Ant Group to raise $34bn in world’s biggest stock market debut October 26, 2020 Ant Group is aiming to raise up to $34.4bn (£26.4bn) in what will be the world’s largest ever initial public offering, stock market filings confirmed today. The Chinese fintech firm is set to raise $17.2bn in both Shanghai and Hong Kong through the mammoth dual listing. Ant Group set the price tag for the Shanghai [...]
No Time To Die: James Bond studio hits back at reports of streaming release October 26, 2020 The Hollywood studio behind the James Bond film franchise has hit back at reports it is mulling a streaming launch for No Time To Die due to multiple delays to its release date. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) is said to have held discussions with Netflix, Amazon and Apple about a potential on-demand release for the 25th instalment [...]
Diageo snaps up Chase Distillery as it cashes in on gin boom October 26, 2020 Diageo today said it has agreed to buy British gin and vodka maker Chase Distillery, marking the drinks giant’s latest effort to strengthen its gin portfolio. The Herefordshire-based distillery is best known for its Chase GB Gin, as well as its Chase Original Potato Vodka. In total the company’s portfolio includes seven gins, four vodkas [...]
