Rumours swirl about potential future Gavin Williamson replacements as education secretary August 11, 2021 Rumours are swirling that education secretary Gavin Williamson is set to be sacked at the next reshuffle, with two potential replacements touted. Treasury minister Kemi Badenoch and vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi have both been tipped in the past 24 hours of being chosen to replace Williamson, after the former chief whip struggled through a series [...]
Hacker behind $600m DeFi attack returns funds August 11, 2021 A hacker has returned assets to the Poly Network after they stole $611m of users’ funds in the biggest DeFi attack to date. The hacker today returned $256m of stolen funds after details about their identity were found by the blockchain analytics firm SlowMist Technology. In a statement, SlowMist said they had “discovered the attacker’s [...]
Hostelworld revenue dives against restrictions but travellers begin to return August 11, 2021 Online travel agent Hostelworld has had its revenue plummet 76 per cent in the past six months, as the group was significantly bruised by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Net revenue fell from €12m in the first half of last year to just €2.9m this year. Total bookings have also sunk by 73 per cent from a [...]
BBC weighs sale of iconic Eastenders studios in Elstree August 11, 2021 The BBC is weighing up a sale of its iconic studios at Elstree in north London in a move that could spark a major upheaval for productions such as Eastenders. Real estate consultant Lambert Smith Hampton has reportedly surveyed the site ahead of a possible disposal, although no decision has been reached. The studio complex [...]
White House urges Opec to boost oil supply August 11, 2021 The White House has urged the alliance of oil producing nations to rapidly scale oil production to avoid a slow down in the global economic recovery. In a statement released today, the White House said President Joe Biden’s administration had pushed Opec to ramp up oil output to ease supply constraints. Global benchmarks slipped on [...]
Demand for houses worth £1m is greater outside London than inside August 11, 2021 London is losing its grip on the luxury housing market with more homes worth £1m sold outside the capital than inside for the first time. Data provided by the HM Land Registry has revealed that 51 per cent of the 6,573 homes that sold for more than £1m in England and Wales were based outside [...]
Brits still spooked over public transport as spending lies well below pre-Covid levels August 11, 2021 Covid-19 still has Brits spooked about public transport, despite the UK lifting restrictions, as cash dished out on trains and buses remains well behind pre-pandemic spending. Consumer spending across public transport sits 30 per cent below figures seen in 2019, according to new data from moneysaving app Snoop. Meanwhile, petrol has enjoyed a 90 per [...]
Transdigm swoops in bid to scupper £6.3bn Meggitt takeover August 11, 2021 US aerospace firm Transdigm has launched a bid to hijack fellow engineer Parker’s £6.3bn takeover of Meggitt, the FTSE 250 firm revealed today. Yesterday Cleveland-based Transdigm made a 900p per share bid for the British firm, topping its rival’s bid by 100p and valuing the company at £7bn. The fresh bid, which comes just days [...]
US claims Julian Assange psychiatrist report was misleading August 11, 2021 The US government believes the decision to not extradite Julian Assange should be overturned on the grounds that a psychiatrist report into his mental state was misleading. The US’ attempts to extradite the activist and publisher were blocked by the British courts earlier this year on the grounds that he was a suicide risk. Assange [...]
The latest British unicorn? Insurtech Marshmallow is waiting in the wings August 11, 2021 Marshmallow Financial Services is soon to announce its latest fundraising round that will bring its valuation to $1.2bn (£869m), joining the ranks of other recent UK unicorns Starling Bank, Gousto and Zego. Its latest cash injections is fuelled largely by existing investors, according to reports in Sky News citing “city insiders” with knowledge of the [...]