Alex Salmond will not appear before MSPs tomorrow following redacted deposition February 23, 2021 Alex Salmond will not give evidence tomorrow to MSPs who currently investigate how the Scottish government handled complaints against the former Scottish first minister. Initially scheduled to testify tomorrow, Salmond’s decision comes after parliament withdrew and then republished a redacted version of one of the politician’s depositions to the inquiry. Salmond’s lawyers described the parliament’s [...]
GameStop fiasco: EU regulators to probe zero-commission stock trading February 23, 2021 Steven Maijoor, the chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority, confirmed today his regulatory body is looking into zero-commission trading. Addressing the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament earlier today, Maijoor warned about the “gamification” of investing and stated that trading strategies designed to secure the price of a financial [...]
Dutch customs seize largest-ever heroin haul hidden in Himalayan salt containers February 23, 2021 Dutch customs seized over 1,500kg of heroin in Rotterdam this afternoon after officials discovered narcotics hidden in containers filled with Himalayan salt. The drugs had a street value of around €45m. The prosecutor’s office in Rotterdam said today investigators had worked closely with the UK’s National Crime Agency on this case. Based on information shared [...]
NatWest issues €1bn affordable housing bond in ESG push February 23, 2021 NatWest Group is issuing a €1bn affordable housing bond, the first of any kind issued by a UK bank. The proceeds of the bond will be allocated to non-profit housing associations which provide access to affordable housing. The selected associations provide affordable rent, supported housing and shared property schemes. They own around 150,000 units of [...]
EU ministers agree to sanction Russian officials responsible for Navalny imprisonment February 22, 2021 The EU agreed this evening to sanction Russian officials directly responsible for jailing opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Russia, according to German foreign minister Heiko Mass. Today’s agreement came after France, Germany, Poland and the Baltic countries had urged the bloc to confront the Kremlin. Mass told reporters that “the EU will not be silent. [...]
Spotify takes on Amazon and Apple by launching in 85 new markets February 22, 2021 Spotify said today it plans to launch in 85 new markets, nearly doubling its market presence and making the service available to more than a billion people worldwide. Spotify’s entry in new countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America significantly increases the gap with its closest rivals, Apple Music and Amazon Music. After the announcement [...]
Sterling rises to a three-year high February 22, 2021 Sterling rose to a three-year high against the dollar today as investors bet on the UK’s vaccination success bringing about a speedy economic recovery. Sterling achieved $1.4073 against the dollar this afternoon. It reached its highest levels since April 2018 when it broke the $1.40 barrier on Friday and has risen 2.9 per cent against [...]
Lockdown leaders: Aldi and M&S voted UK’s top in-store supermarkets February 22, 2021 Lockdown leaders: Aldi and M&S voted UK’s top in-store supermarkets
Self-employed get tax reprieve as HMRC delays first late fee on unpaid self-assessment debt February 19, 2021 Self-employed get tax reprieve as HMRC delays first surcharge on unpaid self-assessment debt
Win for diversity as all-male boards disappear from the FTSE 350 February 19, 2021 There are now no all-male boards across the entire FTSE 350, according to the latest data compiled by the 30% Club.