Criminal case against NatWest tip of £90bn iceberg in ‘money laundering capital of the world’ March 26, 2021 Yesterday it was reported that the recent money laundering charges against NatWest are linked to a separate case against 13 individuals based in cities around the UK. The latest revelations followed the shock announcement, last week, that the Financial Conduct Authority had lodged criminal proceedings against NatWest for money laundering offences. The watchdog – accusing NatWest of [...]
En+ sees profit fall a fifth on aluminium price slide March 25, 2021 Metals firm En+ saw its net profit drop 22.1 per cent in 2020, dragged down by lower commodities prices and foreign exchange headwinds. Although the Anglo-Russian firm is not intending to pay a dividend for the past year, it is hoping to resume payouts over the coming year. It added that it had seen an [...]
Norway blocks Rolls-Royce sale on security grounds March 23, 2021 The Norwegian government has today said it will block Rolls-Royce’s attempt to sell an engine-making firm to a Russian company on national security grounds. Last month the FTSE blue chip firm announced it would sell Norwegian firm Bergen Engines to TMH Group for €150m (£132.5m). The disposal is part of plans by the aerospace giant [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Lui to continue fine recent run March 23, 2021 IT’S BEEN a tough few months for trainer Douglas Whyte. The former 13-time champion jockey come trainer most recently saw his Hong Kong Derby hope Russian Emperor need two more strides to win the territory’s coveted prize. Unfortunately, that’s been the story of Whyte’s run of bad fortune since the beginning of January with only [...]
The most complex World Cup qualifying process yet? England’s path, the role of Qatar, the Nations League and Russia in the race for Europe’s 13 spots March 23, 2021 When Bill Shankly quipped that “football is a simple game complicated by people who should know better” he could have been talking about the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers. This week, England and the other 54 European national teams kick off their campaigns to reach next year’s tournament with a triple-header of matches. And the [...]
Fraudsters flog vaccines and vaccine passports on dark web March 23, 2021 Unscrupulous scammers are flogging Covid-19 vaccines, vaccine passports and fake negative test results on the dark web as they take advantage of the pandemic. Doses of the Astrazeneca, Sputnik, Sinopharm and Johnson & Johnson jabs are being advertised for sale for as much as $750 (£545). Fake vaccination certificates are also being sold by anonymous [...]
Panic reflation, oil plunge and Bitcoin-led chip shortage March 19, 2021 Market sentiment is mixed this Friday morning. The Powell boost did not last long on the US equities which returned to the reflation setup. Investors sold tech stocks aggressively, sending Nasdaq 3 per cent lower during Thursday’s trading session. The S&P500 shed 1.48 per cent, as Dow Jones (-0.46 per cent) remained somehow resilient to [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Shadow to be the HK Derby Hero March 18, 2021 MAKE sure you set your alarm for 8.40am on Sunday morning for the £2.2million BMW HK Derby at Sha Tin. With no stand-out performers in the race, this is a fascinating and wide-open contest and trying to find the winner is like detective Hercule Poirot trying to solve an Agatha Christie who-done-it mystery. There are [...]
Russia for Trump, Iran for Biden: report shows interference in 2020 US election March 16, 2021 Vladimir Putin knew of and likely directed a Russian effort to help former US President Donald Trump win the 2020 presidential campaign, according to US intelligence officials. In a report published today, the officials said the Russian interference included spreading “misleading or unsubstantiated allegations” against challenger – and now President – Joe Biden. The allegations [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Wally Pyrah’s Happy Valley fancies March 16, 2021 DOUGLAS Whyte’s NORDIC WELLSTAR looks the star bet, on an intriguing and highly competitive nine-race programme, at Happy Valley in Hong Kong on Wednesday. This is a big week for the former 13-time champion jockey turned trainer, who will be looking to his ex-Australian four-year-old as a launch pad for success when the he lines-up [...]