Mayors in northern England have asked MPs across the region to force the government to improve the financial support offered to people and businesses hit by local lockdown measures and prevent tens of thousands of job losses. Paying people just 66 per cent of their salary to stay at home and offering small grants to businesses is not enough, the mayors said.
One in 10 companies owned by private equity managers is in “intensive care“ as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, sparking concerns that alternative funds could suffer performance hits and reputational damage. Private equity managers reported that half of the companies they owned were moderately or very affected by the global health crisis.
Hundreds of people critical to the UK’s fight against Covid-19, including medical staff and community volunteers, received awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Recipients included Felicia Kwaku, associate director of nursing at King’s College Hospital in south London.
Leading global health and development bodies are launching a $10bn research fund to fight brain disease and mental illness — a huge problem exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The Healthy Brains Global Initiative aims to do for mental health what the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria has achieved in reducing infectious diseases.
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Phillips Valdez in action against the Atlanta Braves
John Henry, owner of Liverpool football club and the Boston Red Sox baseball team, is in talks to publicly list his sports holdings in a merger with a blank-cheque company. The potential for a listing comes as franchises grapple with the effects of the pandemic, leading to substantial losses this season.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook is expected to unveil new handsets, presumably called the iPhone 12 and 5G-equipped, at a virtual event scheduled for Tuesday. “You’ve got people that have been holding on to their devices, especially through the pandemic,” said Wayne Lam, an independent analyst. “So this is going to be of huge importance to them and to the industry.”
Freeport Indonesia said it has recorded a sharp decline in Covid-19 cases at its Grasberg mine in Papua during the third quarter, the country’s official media said at the weekend. The gold mine, which employs 30,000 people, has recorded 724 cases and five deaths. Seventy Covid-19-positive employees are now in isolation, the Antara news agency reported.
Instacart, the US grocery delivery company, has interviewed investment banks to advise on a public listing, as it looks to capitalise on a boom in business during the pandemic. The San Francisco-based company said it had raised $200m in new funding, bringing its valuation to $17.7bn.