British start up wins contract to develop EU blockchain capabilities August 24, 2021 A British startup has been chosen by the European Commission to help design and develop European blockchain capabilities. iov42, which builds blockchain-based identification tools, beat corporate giants including EY, Vodafone and Deloitte to become one of seven companies to secure an EU contract. The seven awards were collectively worth €6.2m (£5.31m). According to the European [...]
East Coast rail upgrade set for at least a year’s delay August 24, 2021 One of the biggest upgrades to the UK rail network in recent years will be delayed for at least a year due to the emergence of a number of issues. The £1.2bn East Coast upgrade, which will add nearly 40 services a day to the London-Edinburgh network, is due to open in May 2022. But [...]
Exclusive: The City’s IPO women on ‘the male-dominated, testosterone-driven culture’ August 24, 2021 When an investor attending a presentation at the RAF club asked Cath O’Neill if she could take his coat, she was bemused. A short while later the same investor apologised profusely, having realized he had mistaken the only female CEO for a member of the waiting staff. O’Neil, who was by then accustomed to being [...]
Ryanair on course to hit targets after strong August August 24, 2021 Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary today said that the budget airline was recovering at a faster rate than its European competitors after a surge in passenger numbers in August. The Irishman said that passenger numbers for this month were on track to hit 10.5m, up from 9.3m in July, and double the 5m the carrier flew [...]
Tiananmen vigil organiser in Hong Kong awaits final vote to disband August 24, 2021 A group called The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organised an annual Tiananmen vigil in the city, has reportedly decided to disband. The group’s standing committee held a special meeting yesterday and decided to disband the embattled organisation amid political pressure, reported South China Morning Post. The disbandment [...]
Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy now holds a staggering 109,000 Bitcoin August 24, 2021 MicroStrategy – the world’s first PLC to hold Bitcoin – has added to its crypto-heavy balance sheet with the purchase of a further 3,907 Bitcoin.
Santander US to snap up remaining stake in consumer unit for $2.5bn August 24, 2021 Santander’s US division is set to buy the minority stake in its American consumer unit for $2.5bn. Snapping up the remaining 20 per cent of the business, the deal values the entire Santander Consumer US unit at $12.7bn, the bank said in a statement. Santander offered some $41.5 per share – a 6.4 per [...]
HS2 to support 4,000 more jobs than first forecast August 24, 2021 The building of the controversial HS2 rail link will support 4,000 more jobs than previously expected, the government has today said. According to a new report from the body behind the project, HS2 will now support 34,000 jobs in total. Of the new roles, Phase 2a – linking the West Midlands to Crewe – will [...]
BlackRock backed crypto mining company sees record Q2 results August 24, 2021 Nasdaq-listed Riot Blockchain saw mining revenue surge to $31.5m in Q2 of 2021, up 1,540 per cent compared to the same period last year. Shareholders, including asset management giant BlackRock which has a 6.6 per cent stake in the company, were treated to record net income of $19.3m or $0.22 per share. The results made [...]
Afghanistan crisis: Taliban to block Afghans from heading to Kabul airport August 24, 2021 The Taliban has warned it will block Afghans from heading to Kabul airport in a bid to escape the country, according to reports. A Taliban spokesperson said Afghans should not go to the capital’s airport or try to leave Afghanistan. Zabihullah Mujahid, the miliant group’s spokesperson, told a press conference that the Taliban are not [...]
