20-second Covid test to be distributed across the UK and Europe March 26, 2021 A freshly approved and fully recyclable 20-second Covid-19 test is set to be distributed across the UK and Europe, London-based distribution company HISTATE has said this morning. The rapid test, known as Virolens, has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use and sale in the UK. The trials show [...]
Tencent-backed mutual aid site to be axed under China’s fintech crackdown March 26, 2021 Tencent-backed Waterdrop has become the latest subject of China’s fintech crackdown today as it confirmed its online mutual aid platform will shut down at the end of the month. The crowdfunding company provides customers with a basic health plan covering critical illnesses, where its 80m users share the risk of becoming ill and covering the [...]
Teddington crowned best place to live in London March 26, 2021 Teddington has been crowned the best place to live in London, according to The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide released this morning. Richmond followed Teddington as the regional winner, but Stroud in Gloucestershire topped the list of all 78 areas assessed for the best place to live in the UK. The guide assessed [...]
Lockdown pet boom boosts CVS revenue to £245.6m March 25, 2021 The UK’s lockdown pet boom brought a boost to veterinary services provider CVS, which enjoyed a 9.4 per cent revenue growth in the last six months of 2020. The company saw its revenue rise to £245.6m, up around £20m from the year before, as customers were found to be spending around six per cent more [...]
Astra Zeneca revises US vaccine trial results after claims of outdated data March 25, 2021 AstraZeneca has confirmed its Covid-19 vaccine as 76 per cent effective after a new US trial, which showed it to be only three per cent lower than previously reported. US health officials criticised interim data published on Monday, which showed the vaccine efficacy rate to be at 79 per cent, but was not the most [...]
UK Court of Appeal denies £5bn BHP lawsuit over Brazil mining dam disaster March 24, 2021 The UK Court of Appeal has denied permission for a 200,000 person Brazilian claimant group to revive a £5bn lawsuit against BHP over Brazil’s worst environmental disaster. The Anglo-Australian mining giant was responsible for the collapse of the Fundao mining dam in 2015, which led to 19 deaths and a flood of toxic mining waste [...]
City Moves: Who is switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? March 24, 2021 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. BDBF lands former Slater & Gordon’s head Employment law firm BDBF has hired former national head of employment at Slater & Gordon’s as its new equity partner. Most recently a partner at employment [...]
BT frontline workers to bag £1,500 bonuses and shares March 24, 2021 BT has offered its frontline workers a bonus of £1,500 in recognition of their efforts to keep its customers connected during the pandemic. The bonus, equivalent to around five per cent of their average salary, is being made to 59,000 workers despite the broadband provider freezing pay across the company. The company is in discussions [...]
Luxury watchmaker Bremont pumps £25m in new London hub March 23, 2021 Luxury watch manufacturer Bremont is expected to boost the market in the UK with a watchmaking hub in London. The £25m investment is expected to bolster the company’s headcount by 20 per cent, reaching 180 employees within two to three years, in a bid to focus its supply chain in the UK. “For over 60 [...]
Almost two in three adults fear mortgage holiday will hit credit score as deadline nears March 23, 2021 Nearly two in three adults fear a mortgage holiday could impact their credit score, according to the latest research published as the deadline for a payment break approaches. A survey of UK homeowners found that 73 per cent are worried that a mortgage holiday will impact their credit rating, with 10 per cent believing it [...]
