COVID-19 Business News

coronavirus, masks

World Bank commits £9.4bn aid to help poor countries fight virus

THE WORLD Bank has committed $12bn (£9.4bn) to help developing countries cope with the spread of coronavirus. The aid package includes technical assistance as well...
Zoom conference call on laptop

Pandemic policies linger on — and ‘hurt workers’

RESEARCH shows 59 percent of workers in “deskless” industries — manufacturing, care, construction, and retail — believe the negative effects of the pandemic are...
Tablet showing graphs, technology, fintech

Fintech funding key to keeping SMEs strong after end of loans

ONE OF Europe’s largest business lenders says the fintech industry must be strengthened to support SMEs after the Bounce Back Loan scheme closes at...
Tyne Bridge, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Northern England in reverse: ‘14 years of growth may be lost’

REGIONS in the North of England could lose up to 14 years of growth in the wake of the pandemic, a study warns. The North...
Diamond Light Source Macromolecular Crystallography

AI to the rescue? Oxford-based firm enters partnership to crack COVID-19

AN AI-DRIVEN drug-discovery company in the UK has entered a joint initiative to advance compounds that could treat COVID-19. Oxford-based Exscientia has teamed-up with Diamond...
Luxury resort, pool, sea, palm tree

The birth of the travel subscription model

By DANA DUNNE THE SIGNIFICANT increase in subscription spending during the pandemic has caught the attention of businesses across the globe. In fact, according to...
Samsung phone

Samsung sees jump in Q2 profits thanks to remote working trend

SAMSUNG Electronics earnings have been boosted by the work-from-home boom. The world’s largest smartphone manufacturer announced Q2 operating profits up 23 percent compared with last...
UN SDG9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG9: What a difference a president makes: Biden clears way for...

BV’s JASON AGNEW continues his series examining the background, implementation and ambitions of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with SDG9 — Industry, Innovation and...
Insolvency - letter cubes

Corporate insolvencies as pandemic restrictions fade

By PATRICE CROSBOURNE THE UK Government Insolvency Service has released statistics for corporate insolvencies in England and Wales for May 2022. An increase in corporate insolvencies...
Contactless payment with smartphone

Contactless ‘in-touch with wary consumers’ — cash ‘faring poorly’

CONTACTLESS spending could soon account for 47 percent of all transactions, according to research carried out by the Centre of Retail Research (CRR). It examined...