Screenshot: How Amazon set up shop on cloud nine February 5, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Parish the thought **How Amazon set up shop on cloud nine **Will BT look to the stars? Media Moment of the Week: Parish the thought Anyone who thinks local politics is boring has clearly never attended a meeting of the Handforth Parish Council Planning and Environment Committee. Or [...]
Amazon to hire 1,000 UK apprentices as revenue surges February 5, 2021 Amazon will hire 1,000 apprentices across the UK this year as the ecommerce giant continues its rapid expansion amid a pandemic-driven trading boom. The US tech firm said the roles will cover more than two dozen different programmes ranging from engineering, safety technicians and broadcast production to IT and HR. The plan includes 100 degree-level [...]
Londoners could face tougher face mask rules in transport crackdown February 5, 2021 Tube and bus passengers in London could be made to wear higher-grade face masks to help combat new mutant strains of Covid-19. Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London have both launched reviews of current guidance amid concerns about the rapid spread of the so-called Kent strain across the UK. Face coverings have been mandatory [...]
GameStop’s stock slide speeds up as US senator steps in February 4, 2021 The slide in GameStop shares accelerated today as US officials warned they may step in to investigate the trading frenzy that has roiled markets in recent weeks. A surge in buying by amateur traders, fuelled by activity on social media, sparked big moves in shares of companies that were shorted by Wall Street hedge funds. [...]
Four in five UK nightclubs will collapse within a month, industry warns February 4, 2021 The UK clubbing scene is on the brink of “extinction” with the vast majority of venues unlikely to survive past the end of the month without government support, the industry has warned. A damning report released by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) today laid bare the devastating impact of the pandemic on British nightclubs, [...]
Paypal profit surges as it cashes in on online shopping boom February 3, 2021 Paypal posted a surge in profit in the fourth quarter as the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a sharp rise in online shopping. The payments processor posted net profit of $1.6bn (£1.2bn) for the last three months of 2020, up 209 per cent on the same period the year before. It came on revenue of $6.1bn, which [...]
Covid-19: Global vaccination tally passes confirmed cases February 3, 2021 The number of global Covid-19 vaccinations has surpassed the tally of confirmed cases for the first time, marking a landmark moment in efforts to fight the virus. The total number of jabs administered reached 104m today, while the number of confirmed cases was just over 103m, according to the Financial Times vaccine tracker. With lockdown [...]
Cambridge cannabis pharma GW sold to US rival in landmark $7bn deal February 3, 2021 Cambridge cannabis pharma GW sold to US rival in landmark $7bn deal
Amazon’s UK sales surge to £20bn thanks to lockdown boom February 3, 2021 Amazon’s UK revenue jumped more than 50 per cent to hit $26.5bn (£20bn) last year as coronavirus lockdown sparked bumper demand for online shopping. The US tech giant last night reported full-year sales of $280.5bn, with revenue surpassing $125bn in the final three months of the year alone. But in-depth documents filed with the Security [...]
BBC to slash programme spend by £400m amid funding squeeze February 3, 2021 The BBC has warned it will have to make significant cuts to programmes and services due to a squeeze on its funding and growing pressure from streaming rivals. The public service broadcaster said it expects to make roughly £408m in content cuts in the upcoming financial year in a bid to shore up its finances. [...]