Who is Angela Merkel’s likely successor Armin Laschet? April 20, 2021 Armin Laschet was today chosen by grandees of Germany’s ruling centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to run in September’s German election, becoming the likely successor to chancellor Angela Merkel. Laschet was already leader of the CDU, however he still faced a challenge by Bavarian state premier Markus Söder to represent the party at the country’s [...]
UK to hike emissions cut plans ahead of US climate summit April 20, 2021 The UK has announced a hike in its pledged fossil fuel emission cuts in a year that ends with its hosting of the COP26 climate summit. Boris Johnson has today made a new commitment to cutting emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, up from 68 per cent in 2030. Johnson [...]
Ramsbury Estate beats Russia and the US to win top vodka prize April 20, 2021 North-east Wiltshire had just been crowned the UK’s vodka capital, and one of the best vodka-making regions in the world. Ramsbury Estate, at Aldbourne near Marlborough, won Spirit of the Year, Vodka Of the Year and a gold medal at last week’s prestigious London Spirits Competition. “It was international recognition for our cosmopolitan team,” says [...]
European Super League: Boris Johnson says ‘no action off the table’ April 20, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told football officials that “no action is off the table” as the government looks to block the formation of the new European Super League. During a meeting with the Football Association, the Premier League and football fan groups this morning Johnson pledged his “unwavering support”. He also expressed solidarity with [...]
UK to buy 14 Chinook helicopters from Boeing for £1.4bn April 20, 2021 Britain will buy 14 Chinook helicopters from US aerospace giant Boeing in a deal worth $2bn (£1.4bn), it was reported today. However, it has agreed to defer receipt of the aircraft for a number of years due to concerns over budgetary requirements. A letter of acceptance from the UK’s embassy in Washington blamed the need [...]
Johnson & Johnson posts $100m in Covid19 vaccine sales as profit beats expectations April 20, 2021 More than $100m in sales from its Covid vaccine helped pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) beat revenues and profit expectations today.
The dinosaur can’t evolve – it’s time for tech and crypto to take over April 20, 2021 Legacy banking has become a joke, a dinosaur that fails to cope with the fast paced, ever-changing technological climate, says Dr Chris Kacher.
Bankers appointed to find buyers for Rugby World Cup commercial rights April 20, 2021 The Rugby World Cup could be set for a commercial shake-up with City bankers now working with rugby’s governing body. Jefferies and Rothschild have been appointed by World Rugby to appraise their fundraising options after a year disrupted by Covid-19, Sky News’ Mark Kleinman has reported. Sources told Kleinman that the body would speak to [...]
Drinking around the world: Romanian wines to die for April 20, 2021 My introduction to Romanian wine was inauspicious. It came in one of Count Dracula’s tourist castle hotels in Transylvania. We sat around a coffin-shaped table as a black-suited waiter approached and smiled, revealing not particularly threatening canines. As he brandished the wine list he said, “May I have the pleasure of providing sir with a [...]
Lloyd’s of London to set up Manchester hub April 20, 2021 Lloyd’s of London plans to set up a Manchester ‘hub’ that will house a number of digital roles, locally sourced from Manchester’s talent pool. The insurer said the new hub should be up and running by January 2022, and those working in Manchester will be offered flexible working. The hub will focus on enhancing Lloyd’s [...]