COVID-19 Business News

Man with dog working from home

Straddling the fence: will hybrid working be middle ground in home-or-office?

By ROSS SEYCHELL IT’S BEEN a year since the UK entered the biggest — and longest — remote-working experiment in history. But with the vaccine rollout...
Zara shop

Online push from Inditex as up to 1,200 stores to close

INDITEX, the Spanish owner of fashion and clothing stores Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear and Massimo Dutti, will close up to 1,200 outlets around...
Studenteer logo

Student initiative aims to enhance training opportunities during crisis

A UK COMMUNITY initiative connecting furloughed workers with volunteer opportunities has launched a parallel initiative for students and graduates. Studenteer is a sister project of...
Farmed mink in cage

Covid mink stole the future of the despised fur industry

by Hal Williams THE EUROPEAN fur industry is reeling — to the dismay of fashion victims and the relief of animal rights supporters. Denmark's mass culling...
Thomas Cook shop

Firm that snapped-up troubled Thomas Cook is facing job cuts

THE COMPANY that bought-up 2,000 defunct Thomas Cook shops last October has warned that almost 900 of its staff may lose their jobs. Hays Travel...
Lazy office worker

Slackers! Back to work! And switch off that Netflix series!

EIGHT out of 10 Brits are working from home, but it has come to light that not all of them have their noses to...
EU flag coronavirus graphic

Fresh EU coronavirus recovery package has detractors up north

EU HEADS have agreed to set up a €540bn post-pandemic recovery fund, tied to the EU’s seven-year budget. European Council president Charles Michel, who chaired...
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...
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...
Hybrid event, TED Talk

New Normal, old thrills: do hybrid events cut it?

By JOE SHEPPARD SLOWLY but surely, the world is spinning back into a familiar rhythm. The gradual return to the office is gathering pace. Theatres and...