Brexit: UK diplomats ordered to make immediate break with EU counterparts February 2, 2020 British diplomats have reportedly been ordered to make a clean break with their EU counterparts following the UK’s exit from the bloc. Foreign secretary Dominic Raad ordered diplomats to sit apart from their former EU allies at international events and adopt a stance as a “confident independent country”, the Sunday Times reported. According to a [...]
Brexit: Boris Johnson set to reject regulatory alignment in EU trade negotiations February 2, 2020 Boris Johnson’s government has set out a tough opening stance ahead of trade talks with the European Union, indicating it will reject any trade deal that includes “high alignment” with the bloc. “We are taking back control of our laws, so we are not going to have high alignment with the EU, legislative alignment with [...]
First coronavirus death outside China confirmed in Philippines February 2, 2020 The first fatality outside of China from the deadly coronavirus outbreak has been confirmed after a 44-year-old man died on Saturday. The man in question was from Wuhan, the city where the virus originated, and was one of two confirmed cases in the Philippines. The Philippines department of health said that the man had developed [...]
RBS finalising plans for bonus pot of £305m for 2019 February 1, 2020 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is set to pay out a reduced bonus pot of just over £300m for 2019. RBS and its majority shareholder, which is the government with a 62 per cent stake, has agreed a bonus pool worth around £305m for last year, according to Sky News. It would be the lowest [...]
British Steel rescue under threat as French government opposes Jingye deal January 31, 2020 The Chinese takeover of embattled British Steel is hanging in the balance after the French government said it would oppose the deal. According to Sky News, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire last week told his counterpart Sajid Javid that it would veto Jingye’s £50m takeover of the UK’s second largest steel manufacturer. A source [...]
Brexit Day: What the biggest Leavers and Remainers had to say January 31, 2020 As the UK prepares to bring an end to its 47-year membership of the EU tonight at 11pm, here is how some of the major players reacted to Brexit Day today. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson: Johnson, who will release a video statement tonight, said: “Our job as the government – my job – is [...]
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos to become Mercedes F1 sponsor January 31, 2020 Business tycoon Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos will become a sponsor of Mercedes’ Formula One (F1) team in time for the new F1 season in March. According to the Financial Times, the deal, which is reported to be around £20m a year, is likely to be announced in weeks. The agreement means that reigning world champion [...]
Listed firms need public flogging January 31, 2020 The £18.5 trillion in assets managed by members of the Investor Forum would cover a fair few shopping trips to Poundland, and buy its parent’s shares hundreds of times over — but will public market shareholders get the chance? That’s one of the questions indirectly prompted by the forum’s latest annual review, which highlights the [...]
Coronavirus: UK to evacuate 200 Brits from Wuhan at 9pm January 30, 2020 Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has confirmed that a delayed evacuation of UK citizens from Wuhan will be able to leave tonight (UK time). The UK had postponed the evacuation of nearly 200 citizens from coronavirus-ravaged Wuhan because it had not yet been granted the right permissions to leave by authorities. However, a rescheduled evacuation will [...]
Super Bowl LIV preview: Kansas City Chiefs v San Francisco 49ers will see contrasting offences go head to head in Miami January 29, 2020 The Super Bowl is a mammoth sporting event, and an occasion of such magnitude is always going to come attached with a great deal of hype. The NFL showpiece is always billed as unmissable – something fans in the UK should stay up for and immerse themselves in. It’s fair to say that last year’s [...]