City London Financial News

According to a royal biographer, Prince Harry was deeply moved by memories of his late mother, Princess Diana, during his initial outing with Meghan Markle. Angela Levin suggests that Meghan Markle strategically wore Princess Diana's preferred fragrance during their first encounter in an effort to capture Harry's heart. This insider advantage may have played a role in Meghan Markle successfully winning Prince Harry's affection.

Cooper’s phone is something of an early alarm bell for the global economy. Lately, it’s been ringing a lot. A partner at Cleary Gottlieb, a top law firm for corporate bankruptcies, he’s advised businesses worldwide for decades on what to do when they’re drowning in debt.

A representative of BBC staff in Cairo on a three-day strike for equal pay with colleagues in the Middle East has accused the broadcaster of “gross discrimination.”

Mentally, the good folk of Melbourne go off-piste from late July, leading up to the AFL finals in September. Thrilling Australian football contests play havoc with the collective Melbourne mind as the big men fly.

COVID-19 infection was just “average.” She recovered in a matter of days and went back to work.Several weeks later she was incapacitated.“I woke up completely disabled, profoundly ill (and) completely changed from my previous self,” the Toronto emergency room doctor said.The avid runner was now bedbound. She had difficulties focusing – barely able to remember her address.“I wasn’t able to parent my child.

You might think it’s just the big multistrategy hedge funds – Citadel and Millennium and others – that are adding people this year, but it’s really not; even the small funds are joining in on the action. We’ve spotted a number heading to Bell Rock Capital Management, a 50-strong team in London, this year.

Last time we wrote about Ardacan Celebi, it was 2018, he was 30 years old, and he was making a ton of money as a comparatively junior trader on Deutsche Bank's credit desk in London. Five years later, Celebi is five years older and five years richer, and he's just left Deutsche for a hedge fund. 

Credit Suisse people have been leaving the bank for a long time. But that doesn’t mean they’re itching to jump onto the next stages of their careers.

While jobless junior bankers in London and New York are struggling with their financial and mental health, young finance types in France are doing fine. Not only are they far less likely to be laid off to begin with, but if they are, they are very well catered for by the generosity of the French state. 

Nomura has a reputation. The bank is forever trying to refute this, but sometimes actions speak larger than words and Nomura's actions tend to have a reinforcing effect. The Japanese bank is known for getting in and out of businesses. Every bank does it, but Nomura possibly more than most, and now it's doing it again.

Australia’s major state governments have ruled out offers to salvage the 2026 Commonwealth Games, putting the tournament at risk of cancellation for the first time since World War II.

Barclays Plc has been the go-to bank for Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, leveraging a relationship forged when only a few global firms were working with the emerging conglomerate. An explosive report by short-seller Hindenburg Research in January has changed all that, prompting the bank to pare its exposure, leaving a hole in an Indian business that’s been a key driver of the firm’s Asian growth for years. Executives at the highest levels are scrutinizing ties with Adani, turning more cautious about adding new business pending a regulatory probe that’s supposed to end next month, according to people familiar with the matter.

The global head of ESG research at UBS Group’s investment bank says AI has the potential to expose risks that would otherwise remain hidden, putting asset managers in a better position to comply with increasingly tough regulations.

The allegations come two years after Goldman Sachs came under fire over the working environment at the bank.

tennis. However, the Big Three continued to assert their control, winning an impressive 65 Grand Slam titles collectively since Federer's first Wimbledon victory in 2003. Breaking this stronghold seemed unlikely until a new champion emerged at Wimbledon, signaling a potential shift in the tennis landscape. This breakthrough came in the form of Alcaraz, who became the first player outside of Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, and Murray to claim the Wimbledon title since 2002. Many saw this victory as the start of a new era in men's tennis, as the young Alcaraz expressed his belief that he could lead the way. While Federer retired last year, Djokovic and Nadal had shared eight of the last ten Grand Slam titles leading up to the Wimbledon final. Alcaraz's U.S. Open victory last year and subsequent rise to the top of the ATP rankings showcased his talent, but doubts lingered about his ability to compete against the all-time greats in best-of-five-set matches, especially without facing Djokovic or Nadal during his previous major triumph. However, Alcaraz's mental strength was questioned during his French Open clash with Djokovic, raising concerns about his ability to handle high-pressure situations. Nevertheless, in the Wimbledon final, Alcaraz demonstrated that he is a quick learner, proving that he can adapt and thrive against top-tier opponents.

Santander is hiring dealmakers from Wall Street and European rivals in London as the Spanish lender increases its ambitions in investment banking. 

Jane Birkin, known for inspiring the famous Birkin bag by French luxury house Hermes, has passed away at the age of 76, as per reports. Just last month, the Birkin bags hit record prices even though the world was halted after the Covid-19 pandemic. Jane Birkin, an English singer, actress, and model, was born in London in 1946 and sadly passed away in Paris.

Many other premieres and entertainment events have been canceled in Hollywood as a result of the striking members of the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA. The premiere of the Disney movie Haunted Mansion was held at Disneyland on Saturday, July 15, 2023, without the movie’s leading stars. The film’s director and producers were present on the red carpet, but otherwise, Disney had to make do with making its theme park characters, including its classic villains, posing for the media. Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Maleficent, Snow White’s Evil Queen, and Cruella were on the red carpet, along with influencers and other guests who were not actors. None of the Haunted Mansion cast members like Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Chase W Dillon, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hasan Minhaj, Marilu Henner or Lindsay Lamb were present at the premiere. The premiere was held in front of the Disney theme park's Haunted Mansion ride. The movie’s director Justin Simien, producers Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, executive producers Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman, and composer Kris Bowers walked the red carpet, but the cast skipped it in solidarity with the union. In view of the strike, the New York premiere of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer was canceled. The film’s UK premiere and red carpet went as planned in London, but the actors’ exited the venue just before the SAG-AFTRA strike was declared.

Jane Birkin was best known overseas for her 1969 hit in which she and her lover, the late French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, sang the sexually explicit “Je t’aime moi non plus" The French Culture Ministry tweeted that Birkin died on Sunday. It hailed her as a “timeless Francophone icon." Jane Birkin is a muse and style icon known for her effortless, bohemian chic looks. She popularized the iconic "Birkin Bag," named after her, which is a luxury handbag made by Hermès.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to Britain, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal is visiting London this week to take stock of the negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK, an official said. During the visit (July 17-18), the secretary will hold discussions with senior officials of the UK about the proposed trade agreement, which both the countries are negotiating. The negotiating team of India is already there in London for the eleventh round of talks.

NBA star Jimmy Butler and singer Shakira have been romantically involved, as per a report. The news was confirmed by multiple media outlets’ citing sources, revealing that the couple has been taking their relationship slowly. Although they have gone out together a few times, it is still too early to determine if their connection has long-term potential.