Trump impeachment: Trial extended after Senate votes to call witnesses February 13, 2021 The impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump has been extended after the Senate voted to allow witnesses. The decision came after it emerged that Trump told a top Republican during the assault on the Capitol that the rioters were “more upset” about his election defeat than politicians. The vote, which passed 55-45 in [...]
Covid-19: Boris Johnson ‘optimistic’ lockdown can be eased soon February 13, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson today said he was optimistic he would be able to announce the easing of some Covid-19 lockdown measures soon as the UK’s vaccine rollout continues at pace. The prime minister, who will unveil his “roadmap” for ending the lockdown on 22 February, said he would prioritise aims to reopen schools from [...]
Vivendi plots €30bn stock market listing for Universal Music Group February 13, 2021 Vivendi is planning to list Universal Music Group and distribute 60 per cent of its capital to investors by the end of the year as it looks to cash in on the rising value of music assets. The French media group today said it has set a minimum target of €30bn (£26bn) for the listing, [...]
Super Mario’s back: Former ECB boss Draghi sworn in as Italian prime minister February 13, 2021 Mario Draghi, former head of the European Central Bank (ECB), has been sworn in as the new prime minister of Italy. Draghi has taken the reins as the head of a unity government formed after the coalition government led by Giuseppe Conte collapsed last month. Following weeks of talks, all but one of Italy’s main [...]
Covid-19: Oxford extends vaccine study to children in world first February 13, 2021 Children as young as six will be given the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and Astrazeneca as part of a world-first trial to test the efficacy of the jab in young people. Researchers will enrol 300 volunteers to assess whether the coronavirus vaccine produces a strong immune system response in children and young [...]
Bytedance in talks over sale of Tiktok assets in India after ban February 13, 2021 The Chinese owner of Tiktok is said to be in talks over a sale of its Indian assets to rival Glance after the viral video app was banned in the country. The discussions between Bytedance and Glance, which were initiated by Softbank, are complex and in early stages, Bloomberg reported. Google-backed Glance serves news and [...]
Google and Microsoft object to Nvidia’s $40bn Arm takeover February 13, 2021 Google and Microsoft have objected to the $40bn (£29bn) takeover of British chipmaker arm by Nvidia as the deal faces an in-depth competition probe in the US. The two tech giants, as well as semiconductor rival Qualcomm, are among the companies to object to the mammoth merger amid concerns it could harm competition. The US [...]
Rishi Sunak mulls six-week extension to stamp duty holiday February 13, 2021 Rishi Sunak is said to be considering a six-week extension to the stamp duty holiday to prevent thousands of house sales from falling through. The chancellor is mulling a time-limited extension to mid-May in a bid to ease fears that buyers could be caught in a “completion trap” as the current March 31 deadline looms, [...]
Matt Hancock: UK could live with Covid ‘like flu’ by end of year February 13, 2021 Vaccines and treatments mean Covid-19 could become a disease we live with “like we do with flu” by the end of the year, Matt Hancock has said. The health secretary said new drugs designed to tackle the virus could arrive in 2021, helping to make Covid a “treatable” disease. In an interview with the Daily [...]
Rishi Sunak doubles down on 2021 deadline for global tech tax deal February 12, 2021 Rishi Sunak has doubled down on a commitment to establish a new global tax on tech firms in the coming months following years of conflict over a new regime targeting Silicon Valley. In a G7 meeting today the chancellor said the new digital tax framework was a “key priority” and called on member nations to [...]
