New Asda owning Issa brothers sell stake in petrol station giant EG Group November 13, 2020 New Asda owning Issa brothers sell stake in petrol station giant EG Group
DEBATE: Will the National Security and Investment Bill make it harder for the UK to remain a business hub? November 13, 2020 Max von Thun, senior associate at political advisory firm Global Counsel, says YES. Under the screening regime proposed by the new National Security and Investment Bill, a much higher number of deals will be subject to potential government intervention on national security grounds for up to five years after they have taken place. In addition [...]
Pay no attention to the dysfunctional comms team behind the Downing Street curtain November 13, 2020 There’s a well-known warning in the world of theatre tech: if someone notices the lighting, you haven’t done your job. Yes, sometimes dazzling special effects are what make a show, but nine times out of 10 the audience only becomes aware of the tech if something goes wrong. The way you know you’re doing a [...]
Moody’s downgrades credit ratings of UK’s largest airports November 12, 2020 Three of the UK’s largest airports have had their credit ratings downgraded by Moody’s as the pandemic continues to hammer global air travel. Heathrow Finance, which owns the UK’s biggest airport, has had its corporate family rating reduced from Ba1 to Ba2. Obligations rated at Ba2 are judged to have speculative elements and are subject [...]
Virtual law firm FisherBroyles: 2020 has been ‘the best year on record’ November 12, 2020 International virtual law firm FisherBroyles has been unwittingly preparing for the coronavirus pandemic for nearly 20 years. Founded in 2002 following the burst of the dot-com bubble, FisherBroyles is a full-service international law firm that operates – and indeed has always operated – virtually. Where the Covid-19 pandemic left many business leaders scratching their heads [...]
Barcelona, one of the world’s smartest cities November 12, 2020 Barcelona was one of the first European cities to adapt smart city technologies. About ten years ago, the Catalan capital installed extensive sensor networks that provided government and the private sector with data on transport, energy usage, noise levels, irrigation et cetera. Its technology-base is solid, with a noteworthy open data portal, a good air quality [...]
Equality watchdog clears BBC of gender pay discrimination November 12, 2020 The BBC has been cleared of unlawful gender pay discrimination but was warned of a breakdown in trust between the broadcaster and its female employees. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last year launched an investigation into the BBC following a string of pay complaints from high-profile presenters such as Carrie Grace and Samira [...]
Croydon council goes bust and freezes spending as Covid costs bite November 12, 2020 Croydon council has become the first London borough to buckle under the weight of the pandemic, as it today filed a notice declaring it virtually “bankrupt”. In a letter to councillors seen by City A.M, Croydon’s finance director Lisa Taylor outlined “serious issues” facing the borough, including a potential budget shortfall of around £66m this [...]
Pushing the Heights November 12, 2020 Upward Trajectory The reports that the Ethereum blockchain network suffered issues Wednesday morning, with knock-on effects at related service providers, were timely brushed off by market participants and the bullish camp regained upside momentum yet again. Bitcoin made another push towards the $16000 level as the total aggregate open interest (OI) hit another record high. [...]
Pfizer boss sold $5.6m in stocks on day of vaccine announcement November 12, 2020 Pfizer’s chief executive sold shares worth more than $5.6m (£4.2m) on the same day the US drugmaker made the breakthrough announcement that its coronavirus vaccine was 90 per cent effective. Albert Bourla sold more than 130,000 shares on Monday as part of scheduled plans to offload some of his stake in Pfizer, according to a [...]