Covid-19: UK opts out of EU’s $2.3bn virus vaccine program

Bloomberg The UK ruled out joining the European Union’s 2 billion-euro ($2.3 billion) coronavirus vaccine program, fuelling concern among doctors that a go-it-alone approach after Brexit risks delaying vital medical supplies. Signing up would prevent the UK from pursuing parallel negotiations with potential vaccine suppliers, the UK’s ambassador to the EU, Tim Barrow, wrote in a letter to the European ...

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Canada adds 1m jobs, but earns only muted cheer

Bloomberg Canada reclaimed almost one million jobs of those lost to the coronavirus pandemic, a promising start to what’s expected to be an arduous recovery. Employment rose by 952,900 in June as lockdown restrictions began to ease, Statistics Canada reported on Friday, adding to the 290,000 jobs created in May. The two-month total represents just over 40% of the 3 ...

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Silver Peak to explore $1bn sale

Bloomberg Silver Peak Systems Inc., a networking company backed by venture capital firms Greylock Partners and TCV, is exploring a potential sale that could value it around $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The Santa Clara, California-based company is working with a financial adviser, the people said, asking not to be named because the matter is private. ...

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Google to restrict ads for tracking tech, spyware

Bloomberg Alphabet Inc.’s Google is changing its policies next month to restrict advertising for spyware and other unauthorized tracking technology. The change “will prohibit the promotion of products or services that are marketed or targeted with the express purpose of tracking or monitoring another person or their activities without their authorisation,” according to the company. While ads for these products ...

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Travelodge hotels under threat from rivals

Bloomberg The landlords of as many as 40 Travelodge hotels are planning to replace them with a serviced apartment operator following a bitter row with the budget hotel chain over rent cuts, according to the Daily Telegraph. Various unnamed landlords are in discussions with Room2, which wants to launch a low-cost version of its “hometel” concept, which combines serviced apartments ...

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Google, Amazon, J&J join WHO to fight Covid-era smoking

Bloomberg With the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning the globe’s 1.3 billion tobacco users are at higher risk during the global Covid-19 pandemic and in need of new tools to quit, it’s calling in the big guns: Johnson & Johnson, Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. In a rare tie-up with the private sector, the WHO is launching with its ...

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The cars of our self-driving future will be electric

Bloomberg Cars aren’t going away any time soon. So the ultimate green move will be combining two emerging technologies: autonomous driving and fully electric cars. Autonomy brings efficiency in driving and battery use, while electric cars drastically cut emissions, fuel costs and maintenance. Even so, a rift has developed within the automobile industry about the best way to move forward. ...

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Tesla scrutinised by German court over Autopilot claims

Bloomberg Tesla Inc.’s promotion of its driver-assistance system Autopilot is under scrutiny in Germany, where a court is scheduled to rule next week on whether the carmaker is misleading consumers. The maker of the Model 3 sedan says that Tesla vehicles have full potential for autonomous driving. The company also has promoted its cars as having the ability to perform ...

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Amazon’s plan for a fleet of 3,236 satellites wins backing of FCC chair

Bloomberg Amazon.com’s plan for a fleet of 3,236 communications satellites won the backing of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, who said he had asked fellow commissioners to approve the venture. “Satellite constellations like this aim to provide high-speed broadband service to consumers in the US and around the world,” Ajit Pai said in a tweet. Pai added that ...

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Google wins Renault contract in first major French cloud deal

Bloomberg Google has won a multi-year deal to store Renault SA’s manufacturing data, marking the US tech company’s first major industrial cloud deal in France. The Alphabet Inc. unit will gather data from Renault factories, robots and supply chains, the companies said. Google called the contract the largest of its kind globally, though both businesses declined to comment on how ...

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