Hong Kong protests: City in shock after ‘triad gangsters’ attack demonstrators July 22, 2019 Pro-democracy activists and commuters were brutally attacked in Hong Kong last night as men dressed in white left 45 in hospital. The men, who wore white shirts and were suspected to be triad gangsters – stormed a train station in the city to attack regular commuters and protesters alike with batons. Read more: Hong Kong [...]
China’s Nasdaq rival Star Market see shares surge on first day of trading July 22, 2019 Shares shot up on the launch of China’s new Nasdaq rival – the Star Market – today. Shanghai Stock Exchange’s tech-focused stock market aims to use Shanghai’s credentials as a global financial hub as a springboard to success, with 25 firms listed on it already. Read more: Google terminates Project Dragonfly, its censored Chinese search [...]
Metro Bank confirms £500m Cerberus loan sale talks July 22, 2019 Metro Bank shares rose more than three per cent this morning as the lender confirmed it is in talks to offload a portfolio of mortgages to a US hedge fund. The bank is reportedly preparing to sell £523m of buy-to-let mortgages back to Cerberus in order to strengthen its loanbook, after buying the mortgages off [...]
London needs a new type of university with a new degree July 22, 2019 London is fortunate to have some of the world’s best universities. Within a mile or two of the City are four of the top 40 universities in the world. For decades, recruiters in big firms have taken a university degree as a signal for a graduate’s ability to master a subject, write well, and fit [...]
Woodford props up £50m funding for Atom Bank July 22, 2019 Digital banking stalwart Atom Bank has today raised £50m from its existing investors, including former star fund manager Neil Woodford. Woodford, who previously held a stake in Atom through his beleaguered Equity Income fund, has invested £10m in the fintech firm through his other listed entity Woodford Patient Capital Trust. The trader transferred his stake [...]
Game of drones: The founder of SenSat on solving construction problems by simulating reality July 22, 2019 “The internet connects all human knowledge, and for the first time in history, we can connect that human knowledge to the actual world we live in through our computers.” It’s at this point during my conversation with James Dean, the cooly-named co-founder of SenSat, that I start to grasp how ground-breaking his technology really is. [...]
UK households remain cautious on economic outlook, discretionary income and debt levels July 22, 2019 UK households remain concerned about their economic outlook, disposable incomes and debt levels, survey data out today shows. Deloitte’s consumer confidence index for the UK in the second three months to 30 June remained at a minus eight per cent – unchanged from the first quarter – but down four percentage points from the same [...]
The EU’s new ‘dream team’ portends disaster for the failing bloc July 22, 2019 The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus put it perfectly: character is destiny. In the case of the European Union’s recent undemocratic appointment of a comically inept rogue’s gallery as its new Commission president, head of the European Central Bank (ECB), and foreign minister, there is little doubt that come the next crisis, these deeply mediocre individuals [...]
DEBATE: Is 4G on the Tube something to get excited about? July 22, 2019 Is 4G on the Tube something to get excited about? Ben Askins, managing director at Verb Brands, says YES. “Sorry I didn’t get back to you, I was on the Tube” is an anecdote that our grandchildren will be shocked by. While it’s true that no one will be able to stop the incoming onslaught [...]
Don’t underestimate the importance of the Strait of Hormuz to the global economy July 22, 2019 If last week’s obstruction of a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz did not illustrate the dangers our seafarers face, we were furnished with further proof on Friday, when Iran seized the Stena Impero in international waters. Only the timely intervention of a Royal Navy frigate had secured the safe passage of the British [...]