White House approaches Facebook and Twitter to tackle anti-vaxxers February 19, 2021 The White House is in discussions with Facebook, Twitter and Google about ramping up censorship of anti-vaxxer content, as the US seeks to push down the highest coronavirus rates of any country in the world. New US President Joe Biden has reached out to the companies to stop the spread of Covid misinformation proliferating online, [...]
No trace of coronavirus on London Tube or buses, study finds February 19, 2021 No traces of coronavirus have been found in London’s Tubes, buses and stations, according to a wide-ranging new study. Experts from Imperial College London have been taking air and surface samples from journeys on London’s transport network each month since October. Scientists mimicked a typical commuter journey on London’s bus and Tube network, and repeated [...]
London at risk of being ‘levelled down’ by pandemic, leading business groups warn Rishi Sunak February 19, 2021 A coalition of powerful business groups has urged the chancellor to outline stringent support measures for the capital, as they warned London risks being “levelled down” by the pandemic. In a letter to Rishi Sunak, the heads of groups representing more than 6,000 businesses including Heathrow Airport, the Ritz and Fortnum & Mason, said months [...]
London coronavirus cases plummet to 1 in 100 as lockdown makes its mark February 19, 2021 The percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus in London has plummeted as current lockdown measures continue to push down Covid transmission. Around 1 in 100 Londoners had Covid in the week to 12 February, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) — down from 1 in 63 the week [...]
Robinhood executives join Reddit traders in grilling over Gamestop saga February 18, 2021 Reddit investors, hedge funds and online brokerage executives took to the Capitol in Washington this afternoon for a groundbreaking hearing into last month’s Gamestop saga. In a landmark case that could rip up the rulebook on Wall Street, the House Committee on Financial Services called witnesses to unpack last month’s events, including the chief executives [...]
Daily Mail owner sells education business for £293m amid pandemic woes February 18, 2021 The Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) has announced the sale of its education technology business for around $410m (£293.4m) as it scrambles to free up cash during the pandemic. The Daily Mail owner has signed two separate contracts to offload Hobsons, which provides education and career advice for students. He added that they were [...]
Wall Street joins FTSE in the red following gloomy jobs data February 18, 2021 Wall Street faced a sea of red this morning as shares slid across the board after an unexpected rise in weekly jobless claims highlighted the fragile labour market recovery. A report from the US Labor Department showed initial claims for state unemployment benefits were 861,000 last week, compared with 848,000 in the prior week. The [...]
Holy orders: Vatican rolls out ‘no jab, no job’ policy February 18, 2021 The Vatican has issued a decree to its 5,000 staff warning that those who refuse a Covid vaccination may be fired. Employees at the holy site must have a documented medical reason for refusing a jab or face “consequences of various degrees which may go as far as the termination of employment”, said Cardinal Giuseppe [...]
South Africa Covid variant could cut Pfizer vaccine protection by two-thirds February 18, 2021 The South African variant of coronavirus could cut antibody protection from the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine by two-thirds, the drugs companies have announced. Laboratory studies by Pfizer/Biontech and scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch said the vaccine still worked against the new mutation — also known as 501YV2. However, they cautioned that the jab produced only [...]
Government plugs £18.5m into Long Covid research February 18, 2021 The government has pledged to invest £18.5m into research projects looking at the long-term effects of coronavirus, also known as Long Covid. The funding will support four studies seeking to identify the causes of Long Covid and potential treatments for people with chronic side-effects. Imperial College London will receive the bulk of the funding to [...]
