The EU has fined banks, including Barclays, NatWest and HSBC, a total of €344m (£293m) for roles in an alleged foreign exchange spot trading cartel on a chatroom named “Sterling Lads”. The European Commission said the UK-based banks agreed to settle the case, alongside UBS which avoided a penalty because it had blown the whistle
Month: December 2021
Facebook has removed hundreds of fake accounts linked to a campaign by China to spread unfounded claims about the pandemic. The bogus profiles originated claims the US pressured scientists to blame China for COVID-19. An investigation found these claims were amplified by employees of Chinese state-run companies, soon becoming the subject of domestic news headlines.
A family of four is gearing up for a second Christmas shielding at home after the father was told he had a brain tumour. Greg Priddy was diagnosed with cancer at the end of November last year, after his strange behaviour and sudden weakness on his left side prompted his wife to make him seek
A number of social gatherings were held in Downing Street in the run-up to Christmas last year while indoor mixing was banned in London under COVID restrictions, Sky News understands. Following reports that a large party was held in late December, it has also emerged that Number 10 staff gathered after work and drank alcohol
Alec Baldwin broke down in tears in his first interview since Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on a film set – and insisted he did not pull the trigger of the gun that killed her. The actor-producer shot and killed the cinematographer when a prop gun he was holding went off during filming for the
All WTA tournaments have been suspended in China over concerns for the safety of player Peng Shuai. The head of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said it was taking the step after Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion, accused a former high-ranking government official in China of sexual assault. Peng dropped out of public view
A fourth student has died following the school shooting in Michigan. Three other students were killed when a 15-year-old boy opened fire at his high school in Oxford Township on Tuesday, while eight others – including a teacher – were injured. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office identified the latest fatality as teenager Justin Shilling. The
The company slated to manufacture tens of millions of Novavax coronavirus vaccines at its plant on Teesside has announced a £400m expansion plan for the site. Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies said its proposed investment would more than double the Billingham operation’s existing development and manufacturing footprint, “creating the largest multi-modal biopharmaceutical manufacturing site in the UK”.
Scientists have for the first time used artificial intelligence to suggest and prove new mathematical theorems. The potential breakthrough came in a collaboration between mathematicians who specialise in pure mathematics at the universities of Oxford and Sydney, alongside Google-owned DeepMind. Their work examined knot theory and representation theory, areas of “pure mathematics” which typically depend
The US Supreme Court has signalled a willingness to curtail abortion rights in the US and possibly overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalised terminations. The Supreme Court justices indicated they will uphold a restrictive Republican-backed Mississippi law that would outlaw the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court, which has a
Some Omicron cases are reportedly experiencing “mild” symptoms and experts should have more information about the transmission of the new COVID variant within days, an epidemiologist at the World Health Organisation has said. Speaking at a news conference, Maria van Kerkhove said one of the possible scenarios is that Omicron may become more transmissible than
Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift and BTS are Spotify’s most listened to artists in the world for 2021, the music streaming service has revealed. Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny takes the title of most streamed artist world for the second year running, after amassing more than 9.1 billion streams on the platform in the last year.
Boris Johnson has said “all guidance was followed completely” as the prime minister was accused by Sir Keir Starmer of hosting a “boozy party” in Downing Street last Christmas despite COVID rules that were in place at the time. The Labour leader said Mr Johnson was “taking the British public for fools” as the pair
Business owners across the hospitality industry say COVID rule changes are already having a “chilling” impact on bookings. Many who have survived 20 months of lockdowns and restrictions as well as a “lost” Christmas last year, say a strong festive period this year is essential to their survival. Data from reservations website OpenTable also suggests
Although the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is circular today, at times it has been more elliptical – making the seasons more eccentric – and a new study has found this has impacted biological evolution. Scientists have been able to spot the impact thanks to microscopic algae known as coccolithophores which form tiny limestone plates
A Norwegian technology company has invented a way to stop slurry (the fertilising mixture of manure, hay and water) emitting so much methane – by zapping it with artificial lightning. Oslo-based N2 Applies is testing its plasma technology across Europe, including at three farms in Britain, for the safety both of farm workers and the