Behind the OPEC standoff: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the rush to decarbonise in the Middle East July 13, 2021 The breakdown of talks between the OPEC+ group of oil producers last week came down to disagreements between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The two often time allies have found themselves on opposite sides of the fence over production levels of oil, a running source source of tension that has come to the fore more [...]
US firms poised to ramp up investment in Britain July 13, 2021 Top American companies are set to increase their investment in Britain in the coming years despite the impact of the pandemic and Brexit. A survey of large US multinationals that together employ around 275,000 staff in the UK found the majority were confident in Britain as a place to do business. Around 60 per cent [...]
Euro 2020 fuels surge in consumer spending July 13, 2021 Euro 2020, warmer weather and the lifting of Covid restrictions drove consumer spending up sharply in the UK in June, according to new figures released today. Data from Barclaycard shows spending was 11.1 per cent higher last month compared to June 2019, before the arrival of Covid, the sharpest rise since the start of the [...]
UK retail sales post strongest quarter on record July 13, 2021 UK retail sales posted their best quarter on record as the lifting of Covid restrictions and Euro 2020 triggered a burst in consumer spending, according to new figures released today. Figures from the British Retail Consortium and KPMG show retail sales surged 10.4 per cent in the second quarter of this year compared to the [...]
Global banking powerhouses await forex class action ruling July 12, 2021 A London court this week will rule whether a multi-billion-pound class action filed against the world’s largest banks over accusations of foreign exchange rigging can proceed. Barclays, NatWest, UBS, Citigroup, JPMorgan and MUFG Bank are waiting to see whether they will face the first forex class action in the UK after the five-day hearing kicked [...]
WHO chief scientist warns against mixing Covid vaccines July 12, 2021 Mixing and matching different Covid vaccines could lead to a “chaotic situation”, the World Health Organisation’s chief scientist warned on Monday. “It’s a little bit of a dangerous trend” as there is little data available on the health impact of it, the WHO’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told an online briefing. Read more: Covid scientists: [...]
Pandemic: Average household wealth grows for first time during recession since 1940’s July 12, 2021 Britain’s wealth gap continued to widen during the pandemic, with the richest 10 per cent earning £50,000 on average, according to think tank The Resolution foundation. The foundation attributed the increase to rising house prices and a lack of spending opportunities. Jack Leslie, a senior economist at the think tank, said it was rare for [...]
Johnson warns pandemic ‘not over’ as 19 July freedom day to go ahead July 12, 2021 Boris Johnson has warned the pandemic “is not over” as the government today confirmed that so-called freedom day will go ahead on 19 July. Johnson said that “we cannot revert from 19 July as it was before Covid”. “We will stick to our plan to lift legal restrictions and to lift social distancing,” he said. “We [...]
US stocks scale to new record highs July 12, 2021 US stocks reached another record high on Monday as investors eagerly await the start of earnings season. The tech-heavy Nasdaq and blue-chip S&P 500 both scaled to new heights today, but inched back shortly afterwards. The S&P 500 rose 0.19 per cent during morning trading, while the Nasdaq added 0.06 per cent. Read more: FTSE [...]
Chaos at Heathrow Terminal 5 as staff forced to self-isolate July 12, 2021 Chaos at Heathrow Terminal 5 as staff forced to self-isolate