Saudi Arabian wealth fund takes McLaren stake in £550m raise July 16, 2021 Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has today taken a stake in iconic supercar maker McLaren through an equity raise. Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has taken part in a £550m raise likely to be unveiled within days, as was first reported by Sky News. Along with investment firm Ares Management, PIF will put £400m into [...]
Face mask mandate to stay for airports and flights July 16, 2021 Travellers will still be required to wear face masks after English legal restrictions ease, UK airports and airlines said in a joint statement today. Passengers who refuse to wear a mask will be denied boarding for both domestic and international flights. Children and those with medical reasons preventing them from wearing a mask will continue [...]
Sunak eyes budget delay to next year July 16, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak could delay the budget until next year to allow him to assess more timely data on the economic impact of ending business support schemes. The news was first reported by The Guardian, which said officials have reportedly told Sunak waiting until the end of spring 2022 may provide him with more time [...]
Entire Scottish whisky distillery ships to China July 16, 2021 A Scottish whisky distillery, in its entirety, is being shipped out to China today. More than 35 tonnes of equipment, including flooring, control valves and pipework, is leaving Buckie in Moray for the port of Tianjin, according to a BBC report. It will be Inner Mongolia’s first whisky distillery when it opens towards the end [...]
ONS update: One in 95 people in England had Covid last week July 16, 2021 An estimated one in 95 people in England tested positive for Covid-19 in the week up to 10 July, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In yet another sign that Covid cases are multiplying in the UK, the ONS estimates that 577,700 people in England had Covid last week [...]
US citizen arrest stokes Biden’s fresh Hong Kong business caution July 16, 2021 A US citizen has been arrested in Hong Kong, according to local reports, just hours after the US issued a fresh advisory warning for US businesses in the region. The US citizen, whose identity has not yet been confirmed by Southern China media, has been detained under Beijing’s controversial national security law. The national security [...]
Euro 2020: Pubs and restaurants reap rewards of England’s success July 16, 2021 Euro 2020 provided a windfall for pubs and restaurants as the country reached for pints whilst watching England reach their first final since 1966, new research released today shows. Latest spending data from Lloyds Bank shows spending in pubs and restaurants surged during Europe’s flagship men’s international football tournament, rising 52 per cent compared to [...]
Upsurge in FCA voluntary resignations costs watchdog over £7m July 16, 2021 The cost of the Financial Conduct Authority’s “voluntary resignation programme” has surged to over £7m compared to just £200,000 last year. The watchdog’s figures, published in its annual report for the year to April, showed the jump, in the number of staff who took advantage of its “Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme” (MARS) in the year [...]
Day three: Belarusian police raid homes of journalists and rights activists July 16, 2021 Police in Belarus have raided the offices and homes of journalists and human rights activists for a third consecutive day today. The so-far three-day search came as the UK’s ambassador to the United Nations and World Health Organisation in Geneva, Simon Manley, said the UK was still “deeply concerned by the human rights situation in [...]
Making peace with the price of Bitcoin and slowly stacking the Sats July 16, 2021 Another week of lacklustre market performance, low volumes and consistent talk of a possible capitulation by Bitcoin.