Countries are losing almost half a trillion dollars through tax abuse by multinationals and the super-rich, enough to fully vaccinate the global population against Covid-19 three times over, a report has said. Research by tax campaigners found that estimated losses had risen from $427bn last year to $483bn (£359bn) in 2021, with the UK alone responsible for almost 40% of the total. – Guardian
Amazon has agreed to pay a $500,000 fine and be monitored by California officials after the state’s attorney general said the company failed to “adequately notify” workers and health authorities about new Covid-19 cases. Amazon employs about 150,000 people in California, most of them at 100 “fulfillment centers” – sprawling warehouses where orders are packed and shipped. The agreement, which must be approved by a judge, requires the Seattle-based retailer to notify its workers within a day of new coronavirus cases in their workplaces. – Guardian
Tesla is making cars with missing USB ports and phone charging stations as manufacturers struggle to obtain even simple parts amid a global chip shortage. Multiple Tesla purchasers have discovered that their new vehicles, which start from £42,000, have been delivered without the connector ports used to plug in phones and the wireless charging pads in the car’s centre console. – Telegraph
Britain risks falling short of a new target to export £1 trillion of goods and services a year by 2034 as the Covid crisis continues to batter global trade, experts have warned. Analysts said that supply chain chaos and rising inflation mean the country faces an uphill struggle to hit the deadline, which is expected to be formally announced later this week as part of an effort to underline the Government’s “Global Britain” agenda. – Telegraph
Regional commercial law firms are boosting salaries for newly qualified solicitors by more than 20 per cent as they battle to keep pace with the City pay war. Researchers found that Osborne Clarke’s Reading office had increased salaries by £11,000 to £65,000 in just a year amid fears that heavyweight London legal practices will hire the cream of junior lawyers. Burges Salmon, a Bristol law firm, also increased pay for its newly qualified solicitors by 20 per cent to £60,000. – The Times
