In February Moderna Therapeutics, Cambridge-based (near Boston) biotech group, smashed a record for the fastest time between identifying a virus ( Covid-19) and creating a vaccine ready to test on humans in 42 days. Juan Andres, a former Novartis executive to help it ramp up manufacturing of its experimental drugs and vaccine at the new…
Sir Frederick Barclay has threatened to sue members of his family if the Ritz hotel was sold for less than £1bn, as the intervention comes just weeks after he took legal action against his nephews over allegations that they secretly bugged a room in The Ritz to eavesdrop on his private conversations with his daughter…
The IMF has earmarked $50bn in emergency financing for countries stricken by a coronavirus, as the fund said the outbreak had forced a cut to its forecast for global economic growth. According to Kristalina Georgieva, IMF managing director, adverse scenarios about the spread of the virus and how it would affect the global economy were…
UK’s Exeter-based Airline Flybe has gone into administration, with 2000 job losses after a fresh bid for financial stimulus failed. The carrier also blames the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on demand for air travel for its collapse. Its website advises customers “not to travel to the airport” unless they have arranged an alternative confirmed…
The US Scientific equipment maker, Thermo Fisher with a market capitalisation of $122bn, has agreed to buy Dutch diagnostics group Qlagen for $11.5bn in a move to extend their disease testing capabilities as the world is gripped by the Coronavirus outbreak. Qiagen, a provider for sample and Assay technologies for molecular diagnostics, applied testing, academic…
The Royal Mint today launched a James Bond commemorative coin and gold bar collection ahead of the release of the 25th 007 James Bond film, No Time To Die. The Royal Mint has produced a 7 kg (15lbs) gold coin designed by Laura Clancy, which is a one-of-a-kind piece featuring an engraving of an Aston…
Prime Minister Boris Johnson (55) and his partner Carrie Symonds (31) are engaged and are expecting a baby in early summer, announced by the couple. Ms. Symonds the youngest partner of a prime minister in 174 years, posted on her private Instagram account stated “Many of you already know but for my friends that still…
Italy will inject €3.6bn into its economy to alleviate the impact of coronavirus in Europe as a result of transport and supply chain disruptions resulting from measures taken to curb the outbreak. Roberto Gualtieri, economy minister, said: “ We would introduce tax credit s for companies that reported a 25 per cent drop in revenues,…
The Serious Fraud Office has lost its high profile seven-year case against three former Barclays employees after they were cleared of fraud charges relating to deals made with Qatar at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. Ro9ger Jenkins (64), Tom Kalaris (64) and Richard Boath (61) all defendants acquitted after a five-month retrial in…
Facebook only evolved after there was six degrees, Friendster and MySpace, on college campuses like Stanford, people digitising their printed facebooks as early as 1999. Mark Zuckerberg was in high school at Exeter, a classmate of his name Kris Tillery built a database of student headshots and put it online along with their phone numbers,…