Government ‘significantly underestimating’ airport testing effectiveness, new study finds October 22, 2020 New independent analysis has emerged which calls into question the government’s claim that airport testing for coronavirus will only detect seven per cent of cases. The research, from consultancies Oxera and Edge Health, along with Dr Kit Yates from the University of Bath, says that the methodology used by Public Health England (PHE) was flawed. [...]
Russian authorities launch investigation into new Petropavlovsk boss October 22, 2020 The chief executive of embattled gold miner Petropavlovsk [LON:POG] is being investigated by Russian authorities after forcing his way into the FTSE 250 company’s offices in Moscow. On 26-27 August, Maksim Meshcheryakov was prevented from entering the firm’s office in a stand-off with staff. CCTV footage which later circulated on Russian social media showed Meshcheryakov, [...]
Businesses welcome Sunak’s change of tack but say many still ‘left behind’ October 22, 2020 Business groups have praised Rishi Sunak’s change of course on his winter economic support package, which the chancellor has made more generous to employers hit by Tier 2 restrictions. Yet organisations said there was a lack of support for companies further down supply chains, for freelancers and for many self-employed people. Addressing Parliament today, Sunak [...]
Healthcare firm unveils £10 rapid Covid-19 test for back to work push October 22, 2020 A private healthcare firm has unveiled a new low-cost Covid-19 test that it says could help get Brits back to work safely, though scientists have warned more development is needed. The finger-prick test returns results in 10 minutes and is priced from just £10. As well as checking for a Covid-19 infection, it can detect [...]
Deutsche Bank ‘in talks to sell IT unit’ as cost-cutting continues October 22, 2020 Deutsche Bank is reportedly in talks to sell a IT services unit to Tata Consulting Services (TCS), one of Asia’s biggest software exporters, as the lender continues a cost-cutting programme. Talks about the sale of Bonn-based Postbank Systems to TCS are expected to result in a deal for the division by the end of the [...]
Where is the Institutional Money? October 22, 2020 For over a decade now, we have seen the growth and development of digital assets. Some have been highly successful in terms of increasing their value and use (for example Bitcoin and Ethereum) whilst many have been less successful. What is clear is the lack of institutional capital, compared to other tradable assets, that has [...]
Countrywide shareholder to oppose £90m lifeline from private equity investor October 22, 2020 Estate agent chain Countrywide (LON: CWD) has secured a £90m lifeline from private equity firm Alchemy in an “urgent” bid to reduce debt, however a significant shareholder is planning to oppose the deal. The firm, which owns Bairstow Eves and Hamptons International, said it is at a “critical inflection point” and is in “urgent need [...]
Rishi Sunak extends support to businesses facing Tier 2 restrictions October 22, 2020 The government has expanded its job support scheme for businesses facing Tier 2 restrictions, with Rishi Sunak announcing that the government will pay significantly more of companies’ wage bills under the new post-furlough scheme. Businesses will only need to pay five per cent of workers’ unworked hours under the new part-time Jobs Support Scheme instead [...]
CBI: Decline in UK manufacturing slowed in October but activity still weak October 22, 2020 UK manufacturing activity continued to decline in the three months October but fell at their slowest pace since March despite a resurgence in coronavirus cases, a new survey showed. Output dropped in 10 of the 17 manufacturing sub-sectors monitored by the CBI’s industrial trends survey, with the aerospace sector leading the drop as the pandemic [...]
Breaking: Test and trace system reaches fewer than six in ten ‘close contacts’ October 22, 2020 Breaking: Test and trace system reaches fewer than six in ten 'close contacts'
