Bezos-backed miner invests in Aim-listed Bluejay Mining, sending shares flying August 9, 2021 Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos-backed battery minerals venture KoBold Metals is set to develop a new major nickel, copper and cobalt project with AIM-listed Bluejay Mining. The news sent Bluejay’s shares soaring 20.6 per cent at 11.2p per share in its afternoon trading. KoBold Metals will earn 51 per cent of Bluejay’s licence for the [...]
Chinese dairy manufacturer shares tumbled amid Beijing’s crackdown fears August 9, 2021 Infant formula milk makers have joined the growing list of stocks hurt by Beijing’s regulatory risk after state media urged supervision of milk powder marketing. Chinese state-run Xinhua Agency reported last Thursday that some experts have been concerned about the marketing of infant formula milk that made mothers choose milk powder over breastfeeding, urging the [...]
Businesses must ‘act on pledges as soon as possible’ after damning climate report August 9, 2021 The world’s latest climate report spells ‘code red’ for humanity, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has said, while oil stocks go down the drain. The report, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), found that recent “human influence” on the world’s warming climate system has been “unprecedented over many centuries to many thousands of years”. [...]
Government ends Oxford Nanopore Covid testing contract early August 9, 2021 The UK government has ended a contract with Oxford Nanopore worth £113m as the vaccination rollout continues apace. Last August Oxford Nanopore signed a contract with the Department of Health, to provide rapid LamPORE tests to NHS laboratories. At the time, former then-health secretary Matt Hancock said the rapid testing kits would “benefit thousands of [...]
Chinese tech tycoons lose $87bn amid Beijing crackdown August 9, 2021 A crackdown on Chinese tech giants by regulators in Beijing is estimated to have wiped $87bn (£63bn) off the personal fortunes of tycoons such as Alibaba’s Jack Ma in the last month alone. Authorities have launched a fierce campaign against some of the country’s biggest tech firms amid concerns about their escalating power, sparking sharp [...]
Macquarie takes £1bn stake in Southern Water August 9, 2021 Australian asset manager Macquarie today announced that it had bought a majority stake in utility firm Southern Water for more than £1bn. The firm said that its investment would help transform the company and put it “back on a stable footing”. It comes a month after Southern Water was fined £90m after bosses admitted dumping [...]
Future of work: ‘Freedom Day’ fails to trigger mass return to the office August 9, 2021 “Freedom Day” has failed to trigger a mass return to the office, according to new data published today. Research from Remit Consulting shows the proportion of staff in the office in the UK hit 11.7 per cent in July, a meager increase from 11.1 per cent before the Work From Home guidance was dropped by [...]
‘Code red’ climate report sends oil prices sinking August 9, 2021 Oil prices tanked on Monday morning driven by investors selling off holdings after the publication of a landmark report on the damaging effects of climate change signals “code red” for humanity. International benchmarks WTI and Brent Crude plummeted 4.1 per cent and 3.8 per cent respectively. A barrel of either benchmark costs well below $70. [...]
Chinese spies ‘try to enter UK’ via Hong Kong visa scheme August 9, 2021 UK security officials are reportedly concerned China is sending spies to enter the UK through the British National (Overseas) visa scheme designed for Hong Kong residents. Chinese spies are trying to take advantage of the scheme and posing as refugees in an attempt to enter Britain, according to a report in the Times. Government sources [...]
Vodafone to reintroduce EU roaming charges from January August 9, 2021 Vodafone has joined EE in announcing plans to reintroduce roaming charges for users travelling in Europe in a fresh Brexit blow for British consumers. Vodafone announced today it will launch new European roaming passes across its Europe zone from 6 January. The changes will not affect existing customers. However, new and upgrading customers will be [...]
