Afghanistan crisis: UK evacuation flights could end in just 48 hours August 23, 2021 UK evacuation flights air lifting Afghans desperate to leave Afghanistan could end in just 48 hours unless an extension with the Taliban is agreed, according to reports. The US and UK could pull out of Afghanistan fully if negotiations with the Taliban fail to yield an agreement to allow evacuations to continue beyond the initially [...]
Lloyds hires Barclays exec to lead debt capital markets division August 23, 2021 Barclays exec Miray Muminoglu has been appointed as the new head of Lloyds Bank’s financial institutions debt capital markets and securitised products group. Muminoglu, who currently works as managing director, head of term funding within Barclays’ group treasury unit, will join Lloyds Bank in London this November, reported Financial News. Muminoglu has over 30 years [...]
Visa enters the NFT market with CryptoPunk purchase August 23, 2021 Payments giant Visa has made a splash in the NFT market with the purchase of a collectable CryptoPunk avatar. Last week, Visa snapped up one of only 3,840 female CryptoPunks for just shy of $150,000 (£109,363). The avatar featured green clown eye makeup, red lipstick and a mohawk adding to its rarity. Cuy Sheffield, head [...]
How Takamaka rum went from garage grog to a top tipple August 23, 2021 Would you drink rum that started life in a swimming pool? The former manager of a Soho dive bar and a drag club in Camden thinks you’d be mad not to. Richard Cohen is the only non-national working for the Seychelles rum brand Takamaka, which has just arrived in the UK in the form of Rum [...]
Strangling capacity constraints chokes US economic growth August 23, 2021 The US economic rebound from the Covid crisis slowed sharply this month as severe constraints on capacity led to businesses struggling to scale production, according to a closely watched survey released today. IHS Markit’s latest flash composite output index for the US slid to 55.4 in August, down from 59.9 in July, hitting a fresh [...]
UK government secures deal for 35 million Pfizer vaccines August 23, 2021 The UK government has agreed a contract for 35 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to “future proof” the country from the threat of Covid-19. The deal, announced today, will ensure that more vaccines are available in the second half of 2022 to protect against current and future variants of the virus. Health and Social [...]
Hong Kong: Quarantine-exempted Nicole Kidman’s trip may be ‘costume fitting’ August 23, 2021 Hong Kong’s commerce minister defended today his decision to exempt Hollywood star Nicole Kidman and other crew members from serving mandatory Covid quarantine. Local media reported that the Oscar-winning actress was shooting in a crowded street market in Kowloon for the new Amazon Prime Video series Expats, highlighting the lives of wealthy and glamorous ex-pats. [...]
Extinction Rebellion: Giant climate talk table set up in Trafalgar Square August 23, 2021 Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion have erected a giant pink table in the centre of London today, in their bid to ensure everyone gets a seat at the table of discussion when it comes to the warming climate and its impacts. The four-metre structure, which reads “come to the table” and has been fit [...]
Turn off Zoom: London City airport exec bullish on the return of business travel August 23, 2021 Business travel is expected to quickly rebound in 2022, as executives ditch Zoom calls and return to Europe, the US and beyond to press the flesh, a London City airport executive said today. So far, business travel has lagged behind leisure travel in recovery, as technological alternatives has proven cheaper and more resilient to the [...]
Anti-vaccine protesters storm ITN headquarters August 23, 2021 Anti-vaccine protesters have stormed the London headquarters of ITN, the production giant that produces news programmes for ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Footage posted on social media showed dozens of anti-vaxxers in the reception of ITN’s offices on Grays Inn Road. An image shared by ITV journalist Dan Rivers also showed large numbers of [...]
