Hong Kong bust first crypto-crime ring which funnelled $155m in dirty cash July 15, 2021 Hong Kong officials have undergone their first crypto laundering bust today, catching a syndicate funnelling some $155m in illegal funds. Four men have been arrested and bailed, while a separate stash of cash has been frozen. “It is the first time in Hong Kong that a money-laundering ring involved in using cryptocurrency to wash dirty [...]
SoftBank injects $1.7bn into South Korea’s largest travel app ahead of IPO July 15, 2021 SoftBank’s Vision Fund II is injecting around $1.7bn in South Korea’s largest travel app ahead of its initial public offering and a worldwide travel boom. Seoul-based startup Yanolja, South Korea’s largest travel app said it plans to use the funds to expand geographically and to widen its digital technologies in the travel and hospitality industry. [...]
CMA slaps pharma firms with £260m in fines for hiking prices for NHS July 15, 2021 The UK’s competition watchdog has slapped drug companies with fines totalling more than £260m for hiking prices for the NHS. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said prices of “life-saving” hydrocortisone tablets had risen by over 10,000 per cent. The price hike equated to the NHS being charged £80 for a single pack of tablets [...]
Blackstone locks eyes on property market with $5.1bn AIG housing assets deal July 15, 2021 Private equity firm Blackstone is set to splash $5.1bn on housing assets from the American International Group (AIG), as it locks eyes on the affordable property market. AIG is also set to sell a 9.9 per cent stake in its life and retirement business to Blackstone for a further $2.2bn. Blackstone agreed to a “long-term strategic [...]
Savills suspends manager over racist tweet as social media firms enter hot water July 14, 2021 Estate agent Savills has suspended a manager after he posted a racist tweet after England’s Euro final defeat on Sunday. The investigation is now being spearheaded by the Greater Manchester Police, as the manager claimed his Twitter account was hacked. People took to Twitter to share the employee’s LinkedIn page which showed where he worked [...]
Brexit fishing deal ‘far away from sea of opportunity’, industry chief says July 14, 2021 UK fisheries have been left high and dry by the post-Brexit trade deal agreement with the European Union, an industry body boss has said today. The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation boss, Barrie Deas, has urged the government to up its support for the sector when the so-called ‘adjustment period’ ends in 2026. The trade [...]
Boohoo to bolster Debenhams stores and e-commerce sites in the Middle East July 14, 2021 Boohoo, which bought Debenhams for £55m, has partnered with the Alshaya group to bolster the ex-high street staple’s presence in the Middle East. Kuwait-based Alshaya, which currently run Debenhams stores in shopping malls, will have exclusive rights to operate the Debenhams stores and local e-commerce sites in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Oman and [...]
CMA green light: £28bn AstraZeneca and Alexion deal to close late July July 14, 2021 The UK competition watchdog has cleared vaccine maker AstraZeneca’s £28bn bid for rival Alexion, which has been confirmed to close on 21 July. First announced in December last year, the deal is intended to bolster AstraZeneca’s immunology capabilities by adding Alexion’s technology platforms. European Union regulators gave the deal the green light last week. Despite [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? July 14, 2021 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Irwin Mitchell poaches Slater & Gordon employment lead London law firm Irwin Mitchell has poached another Slater & Gordon lead this week as a new partner who will be based in its Holborn office. Deborah Casale, [...]
UK house prices swell 10 per cent year-on-year July 14, 2021 The average price for a home has swelled 10 per cent, according to official data today, as house price inflation continues. London’s homeowners however might not feel the benefit, with prices jumping just 5.2 per cent in the year to May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Property prices in the capital have the [...]
