Is Sadiq Khan’s re-election as London Mayor inevitable? March 22, 2021 On Thursday 6 May, Londoners will go to the polls. Or, more likely, many won’t; turnout last time was 45 per cent to elect a new mayor, or else confirm the incumbent in office. This is the largest single exercise in democracy the UK has, excepting referendums, with an electorate of around five and a [...]
NatWest £365m money laundering case linked to separate case involving infamous gold dealer James Stunt March 22, 2021 Criminal money laundering charges against NatWest are linked to a separate case against 13 individuals based in cities around the country. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) started a criminal action against NatWest last week, making it the first bank to be charged under a 2007 money laundering law. The FCA accused NatWest of failing to monitor suspect activity by [...]
US trials show Astrazeneca vaccine safe from blood clot risk and highly effective March 22, 2021 The Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine made with Oxford University was 79 per cent effective in a large US trial at preventing symptomatic illness, and was 100 per cent effective against severe or critical disease and hospitalisation, the FTSE-listed drugmaker said this morning. The positive data comes after many countries resuming use of the vaccine after the European [...]
Saudi Aramco’s profits plunge 44 per cent as oil demand slides March 22, 2021 Oil group Saudi Aramco will keep its $75bn dividend promise to shareholders despite profits almost halving in 2020 as Covid rocked economies. The world’s biggest oil firm said net income had dropped to £35.4bn, down 44 per cent compared to the previous year. Aramco has taken on more debt in the past 12 months to [...]
Listed law firm Knights buys 60-year-old Surrey firm March 22, 2021 UK law firm Knights will acquire Surrey-based Mundays for £5.3m in a move that will increase the group’s presence in the South East. Knights will pay £3.93m up front for the smaller law firm, followed by cash payments worth £1.375m to be paid over two years. Knights CEO David Beech said: “The acquisition of Mundays [...]
MPs to decide today if David Cameron’s lobbying for Greensill bailout will be probed March 22, 2021 MPs to decide if David Cameron's lobbying for Greensill bailout will be probed
Deliveroo targets £9bn market cap in London listing as food order values more than double March 22, 2021 Deliveroo is targeting a market capitalisation of almost £9bn through its upcoming public listing, the food ordering app announced this morning as it revealed transaction values had more than doubled at the beginning of the year. The firm this morning unveiled further plans for its London initial public offering (IPO), setting the price range for [...]
International policymakers must have regulatory coherence to support economic growth March 22, 2021 The vaccination rollout campaigns in both the UK and across the world have allowed us to start dreaming of life after the pandemic. As the global economy begins to open back up again, we will start to see the green shoots of our recovery. One important way that the financial and professional services sector is [...]
Sir Richard Branson-backed air quality tech firm raises $3m to expand in UK March 22, 2021 Airly, the air quality tech firm backed by Sir Richard Branson, has raised $3.3m in a funding round to expand its platform globally. The company, which provides AI-driven insights on air pollution, is planning to open offices in the UK and the US and double its staff count. It currently counts Philips, Virgin, Innogy, PwC, [...]
Trust in AstraZeneca vaccine plummets further across Europe March 22, 2021 Trust in the safety of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe has dropped even further, after 17 countries made a quickly overturned decision to ban the jab last week. A new YouGov survey showed 55 per cent of Germans, 61 per cent of the French, 52 per cent of Spanish people and 43 per cent [...]
