Big tech names withdraw from Las Vegas CES conference

Amazon, Facebook and Twitter are among firms to announce that they will not send teams to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), due to take place in Las Vegas in January.

It comes as concerns grow about the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

Other firms, including Google and self-drive unit Waymo, still plan to attend.

The organisers said the conference would run from 5 January for four days, with health precautions.

Those will include proof of vaccination, mask-wearing, and on-site Covid testing.

Attendees will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and the organisers recommend a test before departing for Las Vegas, as well as within 24 hours of entering one of the venues.