UK agrees to EU extension of Brexit trade deal ratification February 23, 2021 The UK has agreed to a request by the EU to extend the date of its parliament’s ratification of the Brexit trade deal until 30 April. The trade deal was provisionally approved by the 27 EU ambassadors in December to ensure it came into place on 1 January when the UK left the single market [...]
Begbies Traynor shares defy market slump to rise five per cent following good results February 23, 2021 Begbies Traynor defied London’s market slump today, with shares rising five per cent following encouraging results. In a Q3 update the professional services firm said it was “confident” of the outcome of its full year results, although it gave no actual figures. The business has enjoyed something of an acquisition spree this year. Earlier this [...]
FTSE reshuffle: Newcomers Dr Martens and Moonpig battle for promotion February 23, 2021 The FTSE 100 is set for another reshuffle next week as the blue-chip index adapts to the pandemic and makes way for a handful of newcomers. FTSE Russell, which runs the index, will decide who’s up and who’s down according to closing prices on 2 March, with changes effective from 19 March. Despite the pandemic [...]
Tesla rival Lucid Motors gears up for $24bn stock market float February 23, 2021 A luxury electric vehicle maker looking to challenge the dominance of Elon Musk’s Tesla is set to go public in a blank cheque deal that will value it at $24bn (£17bn). California-based Lucid Motors has agreed to merge with Churchill Capital IV, a special purpose acquisition company (Spac) set up by former Citigroup banker Michael [...]
Governments expected to come down hard on tax enforcement in coming years February 23, 2021 Business leaders have predicted greater tax enforcement in the next three years, as governments look to balance their books following pandemic pressures. More than half (53%) of business leaders in tax expected greater tax enforcement in the near future, according to research carried out by EY. They anticipated a far more diverse tax risk environment [...]
FTSE insurer Aviva confirms sale of French unit for €3.2bn to Aema Groupe February 23, 2021 Aviva confirms sale of French unit for €3.2bn to Aema Groupe
A trade deal with Australia would give the UK the green light to join the CPTPP February 23, 2021 There was a time in British politics last year when the term ‘Australia-style’ was deeply fashionable. As Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought to navigate the UK’s departure from the European Union and secure a Brexit deal, the prospect of trading with the EU on WTO terms – akin to that of Australia’s trading relationship with [...]
Texas blackouts: how a state celebrated for independence went into deep freeze February 23, 2021 Temperatures plunged to below freezing plate on Valentine’s Day in Texas, and much of the state was soon covered with four to six inches of powdery snow that many Texans had never seen before. The snow looked so out of place in my parents’ garden just south of Austin, piled on the cacti and agave. [...]
Best of travel: Cowgirl fantasies in the Palm Springs desert February 23, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Laura Millar’s jaunt to the kitsch Californian town of Palm Springs. ••• The wooden sign swinging in the breeze proclaims I’m at Smoketree Stables, just a short drive south of Palm Springs. Beyond the [...]
UK-Japan trade deal settled post-Brexit nerves, says Honda February 23, 2021 The UK’s trade deal with Japan helped lead to a smoother Brexit transition for Honda this year and ensured greater confidence, according to one of the carmakers’ European bosses. Ian Howell, senior vice president at Honda Motor Europe, told MPs today that the trade deal “settled a lot of nerves” among Japanese companies. Honda’s manufacturing [...]
