Blockchain and Britcoin could bolster fight against ‘fraud epidemic’, experts argue May 29, 2023 The digital pound could be an important weapon in regulators’ fight against the rising tide of fraud, experts have argued. With the widespread scale of scams in the UK, Quant’s chief executive Gilbert Verdian said “we need a complete reset”. Quant builds technology for blockchains, including those underlying central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). According to [...]
Brits just want some space: Detached property sales outpace other housing May 27, 2023 Detached houses were the most popular type of property among existing homeowners moving home with a mortgage in the year to March, according to analysis of a lending giant’s data. Halifax said detached homes accounted for nearly a third (32%) of such sales, rising from a quarter (25%) a decade ago. While detached homes were [...]
UBS number-crunchers predict pound to hit recent high against the dollar May 27, 2023 UBS wonks believe the pound could be trading as high as 1.30 against the US dollar by the end of the year, as the currency continues to recover from Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget last year. The pound currently trades at 1.23 against the dollar, a far cry from the 2:1 days of yore. [...]
Heathrow: Half-term hell for families as British Airways cancellations hit 175 May 26, 2023 Half-term holiday plans for thousands of families have been thrown into disarray after British Airways’ flight cancellations due to an IT failure reached 175. Most of the affected flights were on short-haul routes to and from Heathrow Airport. British Airways said the “technical issue” was resolved on Thursday night, but disruption continued into Friday because [...]
Half-term havoc as British Airways cancel 175 flights following IT glitch May 26, 2023 Half-term holiday plans for thousands of families have been thrown into disarray after British Airways’ flight cancellations due to an IT failure reached 175. Most of the affected flights were on short-haul routes to and from Heathrow Airport. British Airways said the “technical issue” was resolved on Thursday night, but disruption continued into Friday because of aircraft [...]
Inflation here, inflation there – when will governments see Bitcoin fixes this? May 26, 2023 Jason Deane rounds up the narratives and looks at the questions facing the economic world as one answer endures... 'Bitcoin fixes this'.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says Bank must act – even if hikes slow UK economy May 26, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has backed interest rate hikes being used to calm soaring inflation even if they increase the risk of pushing the UK into recession. Mr Hunt insisted in an interview aired on Friday that the “only path to sustainable growth” is to bring down the high prices behind the cost-of-living crisis. The Bank [...]
Top City investor: Rate hikes and gilt spike WILL throw UK economy into recession May 26, 2023 A top Square Mile economist has warned that further rate hikes and the increasing price of government debt means the UK will struggle to avoid recession. Speaking to the BBC’s Today programme this morning, Abrdn’s investment director Luke Hickmore said that incomes were set to come “under a lot of pressure” after the Square Mile [...]
How Wall Street is preparing for worst-case scenario debt default May 26, 2023 Anxiety is increasing in parts of Wall Street that rely on Treasury securities to function, with some traders starting to avoid U.S. government debt that comes due in June and others preparing to deal with securities at risk of default. U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy are closing in on a deal that would raise [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index extends losses as pound slides and bond yields soar May 25, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 continued yesterday’s wobble today driven by investors fretting over how high the Bank of England will have to send interest rates to tame sticky inflation. The capital’s premier index slipped 0.74 per cent to 7,570.88 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the [...]