Pingdemic: Plans to overhaul Covid app mothballed July 16, 2021 The government has shelved plans to overhaul the NHS Covid-19 app amid a surge in cases. A senior government source revealed on Friday that Health Secretary Sajid Javid had explored options for tweaking the app, but has decided against making any changes for now, although the options remain on the table. Read more: ONS update: [...]
US stocks fall despite upbeat retail sales in June July 16, 2021 An unexpected rebound in retail sales was not enough to prevent falls among US stocks on Friday. The blue-chip S&P 500 dropped 0.22 per cent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.22 per cent. The Dow Jones lost 0.23 per cent during morning trading. The losses came as the US Labour Department released figures showing retail [...]
International scientists warn UK Freedom Day is ‘murderous’ as Whitty says numbers could ‘get scary’ July 16, 2021 A group of 1200 international scientists have clubbed together to condemn Boris Johnson’s decision to go ahead with Freedom Day next week as “murderous”, as Whitty warned Covid-19 still had a “long way to run in the UK.” It builds upon an open letter penned last week and signed by1400 scientists and doctors that accused [...]
GB News director John McAndrew quits to avoid fuelling culture-wars July 16, 2021 The director of GB News John McAndrew has quit the new rightwing broadcaster today, according to reports. It has been suggested McAndrew had come under pressure to up culture war topics instead of his local reporting focus, and so chose to resign. The senior executive handed in his resignation after a row regarding the gesture [...]
US retail sales smash expectations to surge above pre-pandemic levels July 16, 2021 Retail sales in the US surged unexpectedly last month, providing further evidence that the American economy is roaring back to life after Covid. Sales were 18 per cent higher annually in June and are now above pre-pandemic levels, primarily driven by a sharp uptick in spending in the hospitality industry. Read more: US inflation surges [...]
Bitter Summer: Asterley Bros’ Vermouth and Amaro July 16, 2021 Summer might finally be arriving in London this weekend, with a forecast for sun and temperatures expected to hit 30°C on Sunday. It’s the perfect weather for a tall, refreshing cocktail made with ice-cold tonic water and an Italian aperitivo. But if England’s loss in the Euros has left a bitter taste in your mouth, [...]
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 [...]
