Top nurse was ‘dropped’ from press conference after denouncing Dominic Cummings July 20, 2020 England’s top nurse has said she was banned from speaking at a government’s coronavirus press conferences after telling Downing Street that she would denounce Dominic Cummings’ trip to Durham. Chief nurse Ruth May said she was “dropped” from a press conference appearance in May, after saying she thought Cummings’ much publicised trip was a violation [...]
UK suspends extradition treaty, places arms embargo on Hong Kong July 20, 2020 The UK has officially suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong indefinitely and banned arms exports to the region in line with existing restrictions on mainland China. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said the imposition of new security legislation in Hong Kong by Beijing meant that the “key assumptions underpinning or extradition treaties with Hong Kong” [...]
Walmart revives talks on sale of Asda stake July 20, 2020 Walmart has revived talks to sell a stake in Asda after pausing plans to focus on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The US giant, which is the largest retailer in the world, said it had restarted discussions with potential buyers after it was forced to temporarily abandon the move. “Walmart and Asda have restarted [...]
Oxford coronavirus vaccine safe and triggers ‘strong’ immune response, study finds July 20, 2020 The University of Oxford’s coronavirus vaccine has been deemed safe and induces a “strong response” from the immune system, a new study has found. An initial trial of 1,077 people showed that the injection produced antibodies and white blood cells in patients. The vaccine was “safe, tolerated, and immunogenic”, the study said, with a single [...]
Physical? Hybrid? Virtual? Companies re-imagine AGMs for 2021 and beyond July 20, 2020 Could the annual general meetings (AGMs) of 2021 and beyond look and feel very different? As companies start to consider the future format of corporate set-piece events, so the possibility arises these often sparsely attended gatherings could begin to evolve into significantly more enlightening and engaging occasions. This year’s AGM season largely coincided with lockdown, [...]
Rare earth miner Pensana inks deal with Chinese firm for Angola project July 20, 2020 Rare earth metals firm Pensana has today announced that it is exploring a partnership with China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) to develop its flagship mine in Angola. The project, at Longonjo in the southern African country, is the first new rare earth mine in over a decade. The mine, which is slated to start [...]
Signs of progress in fourth day of EU coronavirus fund talks July 20, 2020 EU talks aimed at agreeing the terms of a €750bn coronavirus bailout fund ran into their fourth day but there have been signs of progress. Germany and France said a framework had been sketched during a summit in Brussels which has been heated at points. The main division is between the countries hardest-hit by the [...]
Blackburn risks local lockdown as infection rate surpasses Leicester July 20, 2020 A local lockdown in Blackburn is the “last resort”, the area’s public health official has said, as the Lancashire district surpassed Leicester as England’s coronavirus hotspot. Blackburn and nearby market town Darwen together recorded the highest infection rate in the country in the week to 17 July, according to Public Health England figures. There were [...]
Klarna restricts lending rules during lockdown July 20, 2020 Fintech lender Klarna said it has tightened its lending criteria during the coronavirus pandemic. Its vice president Luke Griffiths said Klarna is only accepting new customers that it believes will repay on time, and is increasing the frequency with which it reviews its acceptance criteria. “[Klarna’s] default rate is less than one per cent and [...]
Johanna Kyrklund: Are markets paying enough attention? July 20, 2020 Like home-schooled children during the Covid crisis, markets seem to be struggling to pay attention for long. For parents, one of the most difficult parts of lockdown has been home-schooling their children. My social media feed has been full of people tearing their hair out as long-forgotten concepts such as subordinate clauses or trigonometry have [...]
