Chancellor Rishi Sunak extends sick pay amid coronavirus fears March 11, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today announced that sick pay measures will be extended to anyone advised to self-isolate due to coronavirus. In his Budget speech this afternoon, Sunak said anyone in isolation will be able to get a sick note by calling 111, while payments will be made from day one rather than day four. The [...]
Tech giants summoned to Downing Street in coronavirus crackdown March 11, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has summoned major tech firms to Downing Street tonight as the government cracks down on misinformation about coronavirus. Executives from all big social media companies are set to attend the Tech CEO Round Table, where they will be asked to commit “data, assets and expertise” to the fight against the outbreak. [...]
UK coronavirus: Seventh Brit dies as European cases surge March 11, 2020 A 53-year-old woman has become the seventh Brit to die after contracting coronavirus, the Foreign Office confirmed this morning. The woman died in Bali, according to Indonesia’s health ministry, marking the first death in the country linked to coronavirus. A spokesperson for the Indonesian government said the patient was already “critically ill” when she was [...]
McLaren Group set to tap City veteran Paul Walsh as chairman March 10, 2020 The British conglomerate behind the McLaren Formula One (F1) team is said to have lined up City stalwart Paul Walsh as its new chairman. Walsh, who served as chief executive of Guinness owner Diageo for 12 years, is in advanced talks with McLaren Group over the role, Sky News reported. The appointment, which could be [...]
STV shares rise as broadcaster posts huge rise in profit March 10, 2020 Shares in STV rose roughly seven per cent today after the Scottish broadcaster posted a huge rise in profit for the full year. STV, which holds the channel 3 licence in Scotland, reported pre-tax profit of £19m last year, up from just £1.9m in 2018. However, revenue slipped two per cent over the period to [...]
NBCUniversal quietly offloads $500m Snapchat stake March 9, 2020 NBCUniversal has quietly offloaded its $500m (£381m) stake in Snapchat as the US media giant ramps up preparations for its new streaming service. Parent company Comcast acquired the shareholding in March 2017 when Snap completed its initial public offering. The investment was passed to NBCUniversal, which then quietly sold off the stake last year. NBCUniversal [...]
Twitter boss Jack Dorsey keeps jobs after firm strikes deal with activist Elliott March 9, 2020 Twitter boss Jack Dorsey will hold on to his position after the social media firm struck a deal with an activist investor that mounted a dramatic coup attempt. Hedge fund Elliott Management, which is led by billionaire Paul Singer, has built a stake of roughly four per cent in Twitter and pushed for an overhaul [...]
Coronavirus: Ireland’s Six Nations clash with France postponed March 9, 2020 Ireland’s upcoming Six Nations rugby game against France has been postponed, the French sports minister has confirmed. Roxana Marcineanu today said the final round clash, which was due to take place in Paris this weekend, has been pushed back indefinitely amid fears over the coronavirus outbreak. France has now recorded more than 1,000 confirmed cases [...]
Lord Ashcroft’s Devonshire Club at risk of closure as coronavirus stalls takeover March 9, 2020 An exclusive private members’ club co-owned by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft is fighting for survival after a planned takeover deal collapsed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Devonshire Club, close to Liverpool Street station in the City, had agreed terms with an unnamed buyer, with the deal set to complete this week. However, the firm [...]
Facebook sued by Australian data watchdog over Cambridge Analytica scandal March 9, 2020 The Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is suing Facebook over alleged privacy breaches related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In a case filed with the Federal Court today, the watchdog alleged that the personal data of more than 300,000 Australian Facebook users had been exposed to be sold and used for purposes including political profiling. The [...]
