Oriel College votes to take down Cecil Rhodes statue June 17, 2020 The governing body of Oriel College at Oxford University has tonight said that it has recommended that its statue of colonialist benefactor Cecil Rhodes be taken down. It also said that it would launch an inquiry into the issues surrounding the statue, which has been the subject of student protests for five years. In recent [...]
G7 urges China to reconsider Hong Kong security law June 17, 2020 Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has issued a statement alongside his counterparts in the G7 urging China not to impose a new national security law on Hong Kong. The statement called on the Chinese to reconsider their decision to implement the law, saying ministers were “gravely” concerned about it. The statement said: “The proposed national security [...]
Health minister admits NHS coronavirus app might not be ready before winter June 17, 2020 A government minister has admitted that the NHS’ contact-tracing coronavirus app might not be ready before the winter. Speaking to the parliamentary science and technology committee this afternoon, department of health minister Lord Bethell said the app was “no longer a priority”. In answer to questions about the app, Bethell said: “We are seeking to [...]
Half of businesses set to lay off staff once furlough ends June 17, 2020 More than half of all UK businesses will be forced to lay off staff within three months once the government’s furlough scheme ends, a new poll has revealed. According to YouGov data, 31 per cent of business leaders said a fifth or more of their staff could go, while 21 per cent said almost a [...]
Eurostar to roll out facial verification technology from next year June 17, 2020 Eurostar is set to roll out facial verification technology on services from London, meaning that passengers will be able to skip borders and ticket checks. The new technology, from biometric authentication firm iProov, will allow passengers to make entirely contactless journeys through the deployment of a facial biometric corridor at St Pancras station. The UK-based [...]
European Union begins Fiat-PSA mega-merger probe June 17, 2020 European Union officials have launched a four-month probe into the $50bn mega-merger between Peugeot owner PSA and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) over competition fears. Antitrust regulators are concerned about the merged entity’s high market share in the lucrative small van sector. Upon completion of the merger, the new Fiat-PSA company will control a third of the [...]
Saudi Aramco completes $69bn deal for petrochemicals giant Sabic June 17, 2020 Oil behemoth Saudi Aramco has bought a 70 per cent stake in petrochemicals giant Sabic from Saudi Arabia’s state investment fund for a whopping $69bn (£55bn). The deal, which will create a petrochemicals entity with combined production volumes of 90m tonnes, valued Sabid at 123.39 riyals per share, a 27.5 per cent premium on its [...]
Cruise firm CMV seeks rescue deal or risks going under June 17, 2020 Cruise firm Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) is in a race against time to secure emergency funding after the coronavirus crisis left it struggling to remain afloat. Sky News reported that Essex-based CMV, which employs 4,000 people, is in last-ditch negotiations with creditors and lenders after another rescue deal fell through. The previous talks were [...]
Oil prices begin slide over coronavirus second wave fears June 17, 2020 Global oil prices slipped back this morning on rising fears over a second wave of coronavirus infections after an outbreak in Beijing. Worldwide benchmark Brent crude fell 1.5 per cent over the morning’s trading, slipping back to $40.34. Meanwhile US standard West Texas Intermediate, which was recently trading close to $40 levels, dropped 1.8 per [...]
Lufthansa’s largest shareholder hits out at bailout deal June 16, 2020 Lufthansa’s largest shareholder has hit out at the German flag carrier’s bailout deal, saying he hoped that alternatives could be explored. Speaking to German newspaper FAZ, Heinz Hermann Thiele said he had upped his stake in the embattled flyer to 15 per cent. At the beginning of June, the carrier announced that the German government [...]
