Twitter bitcoin scam: Blue tick accounts blocked after massive data breach July 16, 2020 Hackers managed to infiltrate Twitter’s most notable blue tick accounts last night and send scam tweets supporting bitcoin before the social network clamped down on the breach. Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos were three such accounts hackers managed to compromise. Others included Apple’s official Twitter account, with tweets typically promising to double people’s [...]
Anglo American sticks to guidance as output falls a fifth July 16, 2020 Mining giant Anglo American announced that total production in the second quarter had fallen 18 per cent as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the drop, the firm said that it would maintain its full year guidance for all of its commodities except for coal. In a statement, the FTSE 100 firm said that [...]
SSE sticks to low-carbon plan despite £250m coronavirus hit July 16, 2020 Energy firm SSE today said that it expected to take a £150m to £250m profit hit from the coronavirus crisis, which has sent power demand tumbling. Despite the hit, the FTSE 100 firm said it was continuing with its £7.5bn programme of investments in low-carbon energy sources. It added that it would continue to pay [...]
Ladbrokes owner GVC’s veteran CEO to retire July 16, 2020 Ladbrokes and Coral owner GVC’s chief executive announced his retirement today as the firm revealed coronavirus lockdowns have knocked first-half revenue by 11 per cent. Kenneth Alexander will leave the board and company tomorrow, when chief operating officer Shay Segev will replace him. The long-time CEO spent 13 years at the helm of GVC, during [...]
Monzo relaunches premium accounts in third profit-chasing attempt July 16, 2020 Monzo is today relaunching its paid-for Plus account, in a near complete overhaul from its previous iteration that was scrapped last year. The new account will utilise open banking rules to allow users to view and move money from different bank and credit card accounts within the Monzo app, in a direct challenge to fintech [...]
Time to break down the barriers holding back ethnic minority entrepreneurs July 16, 2020 The past few months have been incredibly challenging for many of us on many levels. An extended lockdown period has disrupted personal and professional lives, triggering one of the sharpest recessions in history. One positive we can point to, however, is the opportunity to sort out the structural inequalities that prevent millions from achieving their [...]
European private equity deals plunge to seven-year low July 16, 2020 European private equity deal volume plunged to its lowest point in seven years during the second quarter, with the UK suffering the greatest drop. Deal count and value dropped to their lowest quarterly figures since third quarter 203 and the fourth quarter of 2016, respectively due to uncertainty surrounding the virus. Pitchbook data shows 650 [...]
Retail restraint: John Lewis and Primark decline government help to play the long game July 16, 2020 For retail, the story of Covid-19 has been one of survival. Inevitably, the sector has looked to the government for assistance. Even the most hardened devotee of the free market has seen the Treasury’s coffers as a life belt to help companies get through the worst of the pandemic. Change and adaptation can come later. [...]
Time for an energy revolution? Creating opportunity after a crisis July 16, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic is a tragic event we hopefully will not see again in our lifetime. The human destruction and the strain on global healthcare systems have been devastating. There are no winners from this crisis. Still, it was Winston Churchill who said “never let a good crisis go to waste”. That certainly rings true [...]
Government must tackle £35bn corporate debt crisis, warn City bosses July 16, 2020 The government must take urgent action to prevent a wave of defaults on £35bn of corporate debt taken on during coronavirus wreaking havoc in the economy, a new report backed by some of the City’s biggest names has said. Policymakers should create a “UK Recovery Corporation” to turn risky debts into more manageable forms like [...]
