Explainer: What are green bonds? And how will the UK’s first green gilts work? November 15, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced yesterday that Britain will issue its first green government bond next year, in a bid to capitalise on growing investor demand for assets that fund environmentally-friendly projects. The market for investments with an environment, social, or governance (ESG) focus has increased exponentially in recent years. Around $250bn (£189bn) of green bonds [...]
Brexit: ‘Some progress’ made in trade talks this week, says UK negotiator November 15, 2020 There has been “some progress” this week in UK-EU post-Brexit trade talks, according to UK chief negotiator David Frost. Frost tweeted today that the two sides “largely have common draft treaty texts, though significant elements are of course not yet agreed” and that talks will restart today in Brussels. This week’s soft deadline to get [...]
Labour calls for anti-vax conspiracy theories to be censored on social media November 15, 2020 Labour is calling for anti-vaccine conspiracy theories to be censored on social media. The opposition has called for Boris Johnson to bring forward legislation to “stamp out dangerous anti-vax content” as UK regulators prepare to assess Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine candidate. Labour wants this to include financial and criminal penalties for social media sites that [...]
Treasury advisor sacked by Dominic Cummings wins five-figure payout November 13, 2020 A former government aide who was fired by Boris Johnson’s top advisor Dominic Cummings will receive a five-figure settlement from the government. Sonia Khan, who worked as a media adviser for the Treasury, had been sacked by Cummings in August of last year. She was “frogmarched” out of Downing Street by police, according to a [...]
Wall Street opens higher but FTSE 100 slips as virus cases continue to rise November 13, 2020 Wall Street opened higher this afternoon as upbeat earnings from major companies helped markets shrug off concerns about rising Covid-19 cases. The S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq were all trading up roughly 0.8 per cent this afternoon. US stocks had seen their rally halted yesterday as investors weighed the timeline for a mass rollout [...]
The Friday Interview: Oliver Peyton’s Unknown Pleasures November 13, 2020 Cocktails in a can are more than just gin-in-a-tin, says Oliver Peyton, the celebrity chef and entrepreneur behind a new line of premium, ready-to-drink cocktails. Unknown Pleasures launched in October – he spoke to City A.M.’s Andy Silvester about why hitting the ground running during lockdown is the right thing to do. We all know [...]
Covid alliance raises $2bn to distribute vaccine to poor countries November 13, 2020 An alliance backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) has exceeded its target of raising more than $2bn (£1.5bn) to buy and distribute 1bn Covid-19 vaccines for poorer countries. The Gavi Covax alliance today announced it will buy an initial 1bn doses for 92 eligible countries which would otherwise not be able to afford it. [...]
EU watchdog seeks to quell worry over cross-border investment funds November 13, 2020 The EU’s securities watchdog has said there is no call for a fundamental change in how investment funds in the European Union can be run by asset managers based outside the bloc. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) alarmed the global funds industry in August when it said that safeguards introduced ahead of Brexit [...]
Screenshot: Is this the end for impartial TV news? November 13, 2020 A weekly column from City A.M. bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week **Media Moment of the Week: How not the book the Four Seasons **Is this the end for impartial TV news? **UK protectionism: A tech takeover balancing act Media Moment of the Week This one’s [...]
Coronavirus: Grant Shapps rules out Brexit disruption to vaccine delivery November 13, 2020 Grant Shapps has ruled out potential disruption to deliveries of a coronavirus vaccine by post-Brexit border delays. The transport secretary today said there is a “back-up to the back-up” to prevent any hiccups, amid concerns delivery of the Belgium-manufactured Pfizer jab could be jeopardised if the UK fails to secure a trade deal with the [...]