Gulf Marine Services losses sink by $124.3m due to Covid and boat repairs May 14, 2021 Offshore industries boat provider Gulf Marine Services reported losses of $124.3m this morning, despite its revenue sinking by just six per cent last year. Despite boat utilisation surging 81 per cent, up 12 per cent from 2019 figures, its sales fell by $3.7m from 2019 to $70.9m, the group said in its full year unaudited [...]
Sage Group’s profits take a tumble but share price up on recurring revs spike May 14, 2021 Software giant Sage Group’s pre-tax profits sank 31 per cent to £190m in the first half of its financial year, as it wired investment towards its cloud software and took a hit from a fall in disposals. The group’s revenue also fell by 4 per cent to £937m, in the six months to the end [...]
Over a quarter of EU adults are unlikely to take a vaccine, survey says May 13, 2021 More than a quarter of adults in the European Union are unlikely to take the Covid-19 vaccine when offered the jab, a survey has shown today. The results suggested a meaningful link between vaccine hesitancy and the use of social media, particularly where social media is the main source of information, according to Eurofound, also [...]
London Covid test capacity spikes half a million a month as Prenetics boosts capacity May 13, 2021 Rapid test developer and manufacturer Prenetics has bolstered its London lab network ahead of its partnership with Virgin Atlantic where it will supply passengers with Covid-19 testing. With demand for rapid testing expected to soar in demand now that foreign travel will be allowed from 17 May and online booking platforms reporting a surge in interest for Vitamin D-doused destinations, the [...]
Government calls Sage meeting to discuss threat to UK of India’s Covid-19 variant May 13, 2021 Government calls Sage meeting to discuss threat to UK of India's Covid-19 variant
Hipgnosis bags rock catalogue with Nirvana and Paul McCartney hits May 13, 2021 Music royalties fund Hipgnosis has bought the full rights to producer and mixer Andy Wallace’s catalogue today, which hosts rock icons from Paul McCartney to Nirvana. The London-listed firm has recently gone on a song spree, buying both Dua Lipa and Justin Bieber’s back catalogue just last week. “Andy has shaped the sound of great [...]
75 per cent of nightlife venues face bankruptcy when rent moratorium ends May 13, 2021 There is a £2.5bn pandemic-induced rent crisis brewing in the nightlife industry, according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), which has urged the government today to offer a solution. Rising rent arrears threatens to bankrupt 75 per cent of commercial tenants in the sector, once the government’s rent moratorium ends in July, the nightclubs, [...]
UK’s 12-week vaccine delay could have saved lives, study says May 13, 2021 The UK’s 12-week delay between first and second vaccine doses could have saved more lives, according to a US study published in the British Medical Journal, suggesting other countries strapped for jabs could adopt the strategy. The second shots of the Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines are designed to be given three to four weeks [...]
Guilty: Two fraudsters caught conning vulnerable victims out of £36m May 12, 2021 After duping vulnerable victims out of £36m, two fraudsters have been convicted today after their ‘boiler room’ fraud operation was foiled. Paul Seakens and Luke Ryan were found guilty at the specialist court Prospero House Southwark on charges of running a business for fraudulent purposes. Seakens was also convicted of money laundering and proceeds of [...]
Amazon wins €250m in EU back tax battle May 12, 2021 In a fight over back taxes, Amazon will not have to pay €250m to the city of Luxembourg, Europe’s second-highest court heard today. The General Court said that the online retail giant had not received a selective advantage. “The Commission did not prove to the requisite legal standard that there was an undue reduction of [...]