Summer house deals dip amid Brexit uncertainty August 21, 2019 Britain’s property market suffered a sharp fall in the number of transactions made between June and July, as the traditional summer slowdown and growing uncertainty over Brexit dented activity. Figures released by HMRC this morning show a marked reduction in the number of property transactions over the summer months, with a drop of 8.5 per [...]
HS2 faces the scrap as Boris Johnson kicks off review August 21, 2019 The controversial HS2 high speed rail line could be scrapped after the government launched a review into the scheme following mounting concerns over its cost and deliverability. Transport secretary Grant Shapps officially kicked off the review into the high speed line, which will connect London to Birmingham from December 2026, and Birmingham to Manchester and [...]
China confirms it is detaining worker from Britain’s Hong Kong consulate August 21, 2019 China has confirmed that an employee of Britain’s Hong Kong consulate is being detained in the Chinese border city of Shenzhen for violating the law. Simon Cheng, a Hong Kong citizen, had failed to report back to his office on 9 August after visiting mainland China for a meeting. Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang confirmed at [...]
Grant Shapps indicates support for TfL gaining control of commuter belt August 20, 2019 Sadiq Khan and transport secretary Grant Shapps held their first meeting yesterday, in which the devolution of commuter lines to Transport for London (TfL) was at the top of the agenda. Shapps, who replaced Chris Grayling as transport secretary in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet overhaul, is understood to be more open to the idea of giving [...]
Saudi Aramco hires bankers for megalisting August 20, 2019 Saudi Aramco has hired investment banks Lazard and Moelis to advise on its plans for its megalisting, expected to be the largest in history. The two banks have started preparing the initial public offering (IPO), Bloomberg reported, citing sources. Read more: Lower oil prices hit Saudi Aramco earnings It comes as a boost to Lazard, [...]
Power up: Grid may need upgrade to avoid more blackouts August 20, 2019 Experts have questioned if National Grid’s processes and backup systems are up to scratch after the worst power cut in a decade ground trains to a halt. A report, released today by National Grid, showed the system followed correct procedure when lightning struck on 9 August. Read more: Bolt from the blue: Grid blames lightning [...]
Horse Racing Betting Tips: Carnwennan set to prove Charlie is a very good Fellowes August 20, 2019 IN ANY normal year plenty of the runners in this afternoon’s 2m½f Sky Bet Handicap (4.15pm) would be lining up in Saturday’s Ebor, but with £1 million up for grabs in the big one the complexion of that race has completely changed. It is now more like a British version of the Melbourne Cup and [...]
Fire ‘biggest cause of losses’ on construction projects in recent years August 20, 2019 The biggest cause of financial losses on large-scale construction projects across the globe in the last five years is fire, according to research, while political risk and international sanctions are a growing concern for contractors. Fire accounts for more than one-quarter of losses on insurance claims made by contractors, according to Allianz, worth around €2.1bn [...]
UK officials ‘unshackled’ from EU meetings ahead of Brexit August 20, 2019 The government has told UK officials and ministers to stop attending “most” European Union meetings from the start of next month. The move, which will come into effect from 1 September, is billed as enabling officials to “focus on our future relationship with the EU and other partners around the world”. From that point on, [...]