Kwarteng rejects £1.2bn Aquind energy interconnector from France to UK January 20, 2022 A proposal for the £1.2bn Aquind energy interconnector from France to the UK has been rejected by the government. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng today rejected the proposal for the undersea cable, writing that the adverse effects it would have on a series of Portsmouth landmarks and commercial ventures “outweighed” the need for the interconnector. He [...]
Biden’s new UK ambassador accused of being an ‘amateur diplomat’ January 20, 2022 President Joe Biden has been accused of appointing an “amateur” as his ambassador to the UK by a former diplomat. Former ambassador to France and Monaco under the Obama administration, Jane Hartley was last night announced as London’s new ambassador, who will take up a Georgian-style mansion in Regent’s Park during the role. Hartley, 71, [...]
Ladbrokes owner delivers modest results amid US expansion and bookie bounceback January 20, 2022 Ladbrokes owner Entain reported a strong 2021 performance, with group net gaming revenue up seven per cent.
ICAS launches new thought leadership series Finance + January 20, 2022 New from ICAS for 2022, the Finance + insight series puts you in the bigger picture, exploring the key issues and opportunities for today’s finance professional. You + the big picture Recent events have revealed the need for resilience and the readiness to grasp new ways of thinking, living and working. They have also shown [...]
‘High security’ breach at Crossrail as stowaway takes Elizabeth line for a spin January 20, 2022 Crossrail has reported a “high-risk security breach” after a stowaway boarded the Elizabeth line and managed to travel undetected. According to reports, the person boarded at Abbey Wood on 29 November and travelled for 30 minutes reaching Paddington station before being removed by security, trade news website Construction News reported first. “Clearly a customer should [...]
Education watchdog to crack down on universities offering “poor quality” degrees January 20, 2022 The government’s university watchdog is planning to crack down on “poor quality” degree courses that fail to make graduates employable. The Office for Students (OfS) said universities and colleges that are not up to standard could face fines and restrictions on their access to funding in the form of student loans. The watchdog said courses [...]
London film studio reveals ambitious plans to broadcast from space by 2024 January 20, 2022 A London entertainment studio has ambitious plans to film the first-ever movie in space – which could come to fruition before the end of the decade. Space Entertainment Enterprise (SEE) is currently co-producing Tom Cruise’s upcoming space movie with Hollywood veteran Doug Liman. Alongside production, Southwark-based SEE has revealed plans to launch a micro-gravity film [...]
Household energy bills could rise twice this year warns industry boss January 20, 2022 Household energy bills are likely to rise again in October despite a predicted 50 per cent jump this spring, warns the chief executive of Energy UK.
Johnson denies knowledge of alleged Number 10 ‘blackmail’ of rebel MPs January 20, 2022 Boris Johnson has denied all knowledge of allegations that members of his government have tried blackmailing rebel MPs that are looking to force a vote of no-confidence in his leadership. The Prime Minister said he had “seen no evidence to support any of those allegations”, with Number 10 saying they would examine any forthcoming evidence [...]
French champagne houses sparkle as 2021 sees record sales January 20, 2022 French champagne houses have toasted to record sales worth £4.6bn after demand climbed last year. According to preliminary estimates from the Comité Champagne trade association, sales hit $5.5bn, even though the hospitality sector continued to face lockdown restrictions last year. Some 322m champagne bottles were sold last year, an increase of 32 per cent on [...]
