Vomiting bug: Sudden rise in Norovirus cases prompts health body to issue warning July 16, 2021 Public Health England (PHE) today reported an unexpected rise in norovirus cases, warning that the easing of lockdown measures may cause an out-of-season increase in cases. PHE said there had been an uptick in outbreaks in recent weeks to levels higher than expected in summer months. Cases of the winter bug mostly stemmed from educational [...]
China places state investigators in Didi’s offices to conduct security probe July 16, 2021 Beijing’s heavyweight state spy industry and six other government departments have swooped on ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing’s offices to conduct a security investigation. The bold move comes after Chinese authorities opened an investigation into Didi for allegedly violating user privacy, just days after its $4.4bn listing in New York last month. As of yet, there [...]
Burberry stock drops as CEO departure spooks investors July 16, 2021 Shares sank 5.5 per cent in luxury fashion brand Burberry today, dragging its total share price to 1,955 as investors seemed uncertain about the company’s direction following its CEO’s exit. The brand pulled in £479m in revenue over the past three months despite over ten per cent of its stores remaining closed due to Covid [...]
Government launches summer jobs site to stave off UK labour shortages July 16, 2021 The government has launched a summer jobs site in a bid to stave off labour shortages that have hit UK businesses across most sectors. The collision of the pandemic and Brexit has driven workforce shortages across construction, retail, hospitality and transport. The lorry driver shortage has also pushed production delays across other sectors, as supermarkets [...]
Saudi Arabian wealth fund takes McLaren stake in £550m raise July 16, 2021 Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has today taken a stake in iconic supercar maker McLaren through an equity raise. Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has taken part in a £550m raise likely to be unveiled within days, as was first reported by Sky News. Along with investment firm Ares Management, PIF will put £400m into [...]
Face mask mandate to stay for airports and flights July 16, 2021 Travellers will still be required to wear face masks after English legal restrictions ease, UK airports and airlines said in a joint statement today. Passengers who refuse to wear a mask will be denied boarding for both domestic and international flights. Children and those with medical reasons preventing them from wearing a mask will continue [...]
Sunak eyes budget delay to next year July 16, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak could delay the budget until next year to allow him to assess more timely data on the economic impact of ending business support schemes. The news was first reported by The Guardian, which said officials have reportedly told Sunak waiting until the end of spring 2022 may provide him with more time [...]
Entire Scottish whisky distillery ships to China July 16, 2021 A Scottish whisky distillery, in its entirety, is being shipped out to China today. More than 35 tonnes of equipment, including flooring, control valves and pipework, is leaving Buckie in Moray for the port of Tianjin, according to a BBC report. It will be Inner Mongolia’s first whisky distillery when it opens towards the end [...]
ONS update: One in 95 people in England had Covid last week July 16, 2021 An estimated one in 95 people in England tested positive for Covid-19 in the week up to 10 July, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In yet another sign that Covid cases are multiplying in the UK, the ONS estimates that 577,700 people in England had Covid last week [...]
US citizen arrest stokes Biden’s fresh Hong Kong business caution July 16, 2021 A US citizen has been arrested in Hong Kong, according to local reports, just hours after the US issued a fresh advisory warning for US businesses in the region. The US citizen, whose identity has not yet been confirmed by Southern China media, has been detained under Beijing’s controversial national security law. The national security [...]
