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US President Donald Trump has expressed his approval of a deal that would allow Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok to continue operating in the US.Mr Trump told reporters he had given his “blessing” to a partnership between TikTok and US firms Oracle and Walmart.The president had ordered the app to be banned in the US, citing national security concerns.US security officials fear data collected by TikTok’s owner may be handed to the Chinese government.TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, has denied accusations that it is controlled by or shares data with China’s ruling Communist Party.However, the TikTok deal does not affect a ban on the Chinese-owned messaging and payments app WeChat, which will no longer be available in US app stores from Sunday night. Tencent, the conglomerate that owns WeChat, has described the US ban as “unfortunate”.On Saturday, Mr Trump said the deal would ensure the data of the estimated 100 million Americans who use the app was safe, telling reporters: “The security will be 100%.””I have given the deal my blessing,” Mr Trump said as he left the White House ahead of an election rally in North Carolina. “I approve the deal in concept.”Is the US about to split the internet?
What TikTokers make of Trump’s ban threat
TikTok and ByteDance both welcomed President Trump’s approval of a proposed deal, which would still need to be signed off by the Chinese government.TikTok said the deal would ensure US national security requirements were fully satisfied, while ByteDance said it was working to reach an agreement that was “in line with US and Chinese law” as soon as possible.Vanessa Pappas, TikTok interim chief executive, said in a video posted on Saturday that the app was “here to stay” in the US.President Trump’s support for the deal comes days after his administration said it would bar people in the US from downloading TikTok through any app store from Sunday. However, the US Commerce Department said it had now delayed this deadline for a week until 27 September in the “light of recent positive developments”.The row over TikTok comes at a time of heightened tensions between the Trump administration and the Chinese government over a number of issues, including trade disputes, protests in Hong Kong and Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.What is the proposed deal?The deal would see the establishment of a new company, dubbed TikTok Global. That company would be headquartered in the US, possibly in the state of Texas, with a majority of American directors, a US chief executive and a security expert on the board.Oracle and Walmart are expected to take significant stakes in the company, and ByteDance has agreed to security safeguards on the data of US users. TikTok’s data would be stored by Oracle, which would have the right to inspect its source code.
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President Trump said the new TikTok company will be “totally controlled by Oracle and Walmart”. But in a joint statement on Saturday, Oracle and Walmart said they were together investing to acquire 20% of the newly formed TikTok Global business.Of that 20% stake, Oracle will take 12.5%, while Walmart will take 7.5%, reports say.The deal will see TikTok Global become majority-owned by American investors, but Bytedance will retain a share of the US operation.This falls somewhat short of President Trump’s demand for an outright sale of TikTok’s US arm to an American company. That was the intention of an executive order Mr Trump signed in August.However, Mr Trump did say the deal would provide new jobs and tax revenue for the country.In their statement, Oracle and Walmart said TikTok Global would create more than 25,000 new jobs and pay more than $5bn (£3.8bn) in tax in the US.A deal, but not the one Trump had demandedThis is not the deal that Donald Trump had envisioned – he had wanted the US arm of the company to be sold. That’s not quite what’s happening here. This is more like a joint venture between three companies. Oracle’s role is particularly important, acting as a “trusted partner” safeguarding the data of users.But in the proposed deal TikTok’s Chinese owner Bytedance would still own much of the new entity.So what made Trump decide to approve it? Well, he appears now to be satisfied that the security arrangements proposed. But it’s more complex than that. The deal also proposes a $5bn education fund – and will reportedly create 25,000 US jobs. This is not a done deal though, the Chinese government still has to approve it – and there’s no guarantee that will happen. What is TikTok?TikTok is a video-sharing app. Users can post up to a minute of video and have access to a vast database of songs and filters. They use the app to share 15-second videos that often involve lip-synching to songs, comedy routines and unusual editing tricks.The app collects a huge amount of user data – including what videos people watch and comment on, location data, phone model and even how people type. But much of this data collection is similar to other social networks like Facebook.The app is reported to have around 800 million active monthly users worldwide, most of whom are in the US and India.India has already blocked TikTok as well as other Chinese apps. Australia, which has already banned Huawei and telecom equipment-maker ZTE, is also considering banning TikTok.More on TikTok:
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My Money is a series looking at how people spend their money – and the sometimes tough decisions they have to make. Here, Sarah Dahia from Australia takes us through a week in her life during the coronavirus pandemic.Sarah was born in the UK and now lives in Sydney, having moved from Fiji for her children to be educated in Australia.Her husband Mahen is in Fiji, unable to travel due to the business and Covid-19 travel restrictions. Sarah and Mahen have barely seen each other during the last year.Sarah’s daughter Sophie, 19, is at university while son Ganesh, 21, is taking a break from study and working long hours as a kitchen hand. They have a rescue dog called Libby and two cats called Susie and Jacey.Sarah has always been a stay-at-home mum while also helping Mahen with his shoe business. Now she is getting government assistance of A$530 (£300) a fortnight and looking for work. At the moment they have a six-month mortgage holiday due to Covid-19. Sarah says she doesn’t know how she will manage when it ends.With the stress of Covid-19, separation, upset children and unsure income Sarah says her already shaky mental health has taken a bashing. She referred herself to an organisation called Flourish, run by Western Sydney Health. It is a support organisation designed to prevent people not fitting into the mental health system from falling through the cracks.Over to Sarah…My Mondays are always the same. It is Ganesh’s only day off so I make time to be with him, doing whatever he needs. Today he is very tired from a bad work week so we do some shopping for his new den, then he takes the rest of the day to relax while I work out, do housework and cook whatever he likes for his one evening at home.I do my shopping at our local market, which is open Friday to Sunday. With Covid I have decreased my Aldi visit for pet food and non-perishables to every three weeks so we already have everything we need for the week.For breakfast I have muesli and a homemade cappuccino. Lunch is spicy chicken and potato soup made of leftovers.After lunch Sophie and I walk our dog Libby. Spring sprang last week, but the wind is a cold southerly this afternoon so we all hide in a sunny sheltered spot for chatting and doggy cuddles. Home for hot tea and homemade cake for all. I bake at least once a week, cheaper and tastier than bought.Ganesh and I make dinner, his choice of homemade hamburgers with a vinaigrette slaw of fennel, red capsicum, spring onions and carrot.I have a long video call with Mahen, then a comfortable evening with my book. I devour free e-books from the library.Total spend: A$0My MoneyMore blogs from the BBC’s My Money Series:We’re looking for more people to share what they spend their money on. If you’re interested, please email [email protected] or get in touch via our My Money (World) Facebook group, or if you live in the UK, please join our My Money (UK) Facebook group and we’ll aim to contact you.Treat myself to reading the news in bed before feeding the animals. Use the cross trainer and eat breakfast of a chicken salad roll and cappuccino.I have to taxi Ganesh to work until his driving test (two more weeks!) as he worries about Covid on the bus. Sophie comes along to spend the last of her extra Covid youth allowance on a haircut – a treat as usually done at home – and an inner ear piercing. Have to rush to drop her home and pick up Libby to get to my Flourish meeting. Walk Libby with a case worker. Flourish has been an incredible safety net and makes a huge difference to me. We meet twice a week, setting and checking goals for me to improve my mental health. It is comforting, highly effective and free, for which I am profoundly grateful.Bed sheet changing, then a late dinner of lamb, last night’s salad, couscous and herb dressing. A long chat with Mahen. Collect Ganesh, cook him beef and noodles then book and bed with the cats.Total spend: A$0No workout this morning. Breakfast of chicken sandwich and homemade cappuccino. I forgot to fill the car last night (39 litres of diesel costs A$42.83, and usually lasts two weeks) so do that and head into the city. I have to select leather for shoe designs I drew for Mahen last week. It takes me all morning Skyping with Mahen to choose my two samples plus another 14 which should last him until Christmas. Fondling soft sheep skins is heaven, but I am dirty and tired from hauling cow hides so I take the quick toll road home. Tolls cost A$16.60 one way but the cost goes to Mahen’s business.Dinner is chicken and kale Caesar salad. We eat lots of chicken – perk of Ganesh’s job. Great, but I would rather he received a higher wage.Chat with mum, then collect Ganesh from work and Sophie from the gym before bed.Total spend: A$42.83 (£24.20)Treat breakfast of berries, custard apple, chocolate digestives and cappuccino. Cheered by the arrival of my new A$7 earrings ordered in June. Love buying from China – low prices and such slow post that it feels like a present when the goods arrive!Today is rubbish bins, and tomorrow is market day so I tidy, check and sort things to use, put away or dispose of. Start in the kitchen. Clear all produce from the fridge and cook any that’s old. Update shopping lists, clean and organise. Cook stewed apple, spinach, a large pan of soffritto for future meals and microwaved strawberries. I apply for a post as a National Trust volunteer. Back for lunch of beef and veggie noodles to share with Ganesh (last of the beef and some soffritto).Continue through the house, tidying and sorting. It has reached 32C today (third day of spring) so the fan comes out of winter storage. Pay the phone bill – A$105 of which A$40 will be reclaimed from the kids so really A$65.00. Drop Ganesh at work and buy milk and jelly crystals (A$5.05) to make up with the strawberries and some Cointreau.Dinner is hummus, kale, chicken and roast capsicum on pitta. I chat with Mahen and my sister in the UK, then relax. A good day.Total spend: A$70.05 (£39.58) Up, a slice of toast with hummus, then drop Ganesh at work and hit the market. I finish just as it starts to rain.I buy meat, fruit and vegetables and two wholemeal loaves for A$78.07. I seem to have bought a lot of meat, including 2kg of chicken thighs for tandoori, but the kids constantly ask for meat. The kale and lettuce are whole plants, so I store them in a bowl of water by the window. I still have some veggies left from last week, and a loaf and flatbreads in the freezer. We finished the last cake, so I will bake coconut cake and lemon biscuits next week.Tomato sandwich, stewed apple, Greek yoghurt and honey for lunch. Then in the afternoon coffee and a yarn with my friend Jane – my turn to pay, A$9.60. Job applications for the rest of the day.An oven full of tandoori, so I eat some for dinner with lettuce, spinach raita and rice. Strawberry jelly, then Skype and binge watching Liziqi on YouTube with the animals.Total spend: A$87.67 (£49.54)Pleasant start to the morning, drinking cappuccino on the deck chatting with Mahen (though it was mainly work talk). The jasmine hedge is flowering and the scent is almost overpowering.We look at him coming home for Christmas, but at nearly A$10,000 with four weeks quarantine for two weeks at home it’s a joke. Maybe things will improve.My homemade cappuccino has taken a while to perfect. Coffee bags come on special offer regularly, 28 bags for A$4.20. Make up one bag with one cup of hot water, add one teaspoon of instant and I get two coffees with real coffee flavour. Half a cup of hot full cream milk whizzed to a froth, topped off with coffee and powdered chocolate comes to about A$0.70, as opposed to A$4.60 for bought. I no longer crave cafe coffee, but can’t help reflecting on being reduced to this!Feeling lonely and depressed, so I take Libby for a picnic and tell myself to grow up. Spend the rest of the day distracting myself. Ganesh finishes at 11:00pm so I stay up to collect him, then the kids fight. Love family life!Total spend: A$0Not going to allow another bad day like yesterday. Father’s Day today with no father around.I have a marinated veggie and hummus sandwich, and two coffees to prepare myself; then nag the kids into each mowing a lawn while I weed and sweep up. Feels like a major achievement!Reward myself with an extra long bush walk and a bar of chocolate. There is always a A$1 special offer at Woolworths, this week it’s a Boost bar. Life these days is either special offers or go without. Dentist, hairdressers, new clothes – it is possible to manage without them all. It makes me laugh all this psychology nonsense about how women over 40 shouldn’t have long hair. It’s easy to seem confident and look good with a short cut if you can afford a stylist regularly. No way I’m trying that on myself!Total spend: A$1 (£0.56)Total spent this week: A$201.55 (£113.82)How does Sarah feel about her week? I watch every cent, and it has been an easy week to save. No big bills and I am up-to-date. Buying from the market means we eat very well for the money we spend.Unfortunately this is short-lived. Our bank gave us a six-month mortgage holiday when Covid-19 lockdown struck, but this winds back soon. I have squirrelled like mad but severe mortgage stress is about to start, with a A$1,800 (£1,016) monthly payment. Pressure is on for Mahen to send money back that he doesn’t have.I am very grateful that we did have money at one stage. I have a lovely home surrounded by beautiful objects from my travels. But I am happy not to be caught up in a cycle of materialism and constant buying. Genteel poverty it may be, but there are worse ways to live.Seems strange to see my life written down. I realise just how much time I still spend on the kids. That needs to change. They are adults now and I need to work on being there for me instead. Next challenge!

A British Airways passenger was refused a refund for a cancelled flight even after she sent screenshots of the airline’s website showing the option of a voucher was not mentioned. Lesley Anderson says a voucher was issued “automatically” after she selected “Cancel and refund flight”. She is the latest person to accuse the airline of misleading its customers. British Airways has said there is “no way” that vouchers can be issued without customers requesting them. Ms Anderson, from Irvine in Ayrshire, had been due to fly from Glasgow to London to celebrate her birthday, but disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic meant her flights were cancelled.An email from BA included a link that took her to the “Manage my booking” section of its website, where she was presented with two main options: to rebook the cancelled flights “free of charge” or to get a “full refund” by cancelling the entire booking. ‘Gobsmacked'”I obviously chose the ‘Cancel and refund flights’ option,” she says, “which then took me to the British Airways webpage that said, ‘Thanks for completing your travel voucher application.’ I was a bit gobsmacked.” “I definitely did not fill in any information about my name, my flights. I did not click submit, nothing like that at all. It just took me straight to that page and it issued me automatically with a voucher.” Even though Ms Anderson sent screenshots of the webpage showing that vouchers were not listed as an option and said she always wanted her money back, BA staff told her she had accepted vouchers and they could not be exchanged for cash. Refund rightsUnder EU law, when a flight is cancelled, passengers are entitled to their money back within seven days, although airlines can offer to rebook flights or issue vouchers for future travel, if that is what a customer prefers. In Lesley’s case, BA says that she filled in an application form and it is not possible for its online system to issue vouchers without that happening. But numerous passengers have contacted Radio 4’s consumer programme, You & Yours, with similar tales of receiving vouchers which they did not want. The airline has said it will “always provide a refund if a customer is eligible”. “Since March, we have provided more than 2.1 million customers with cash refunds and more than 1.6 million with vouchers,” BA said in a statement. “Customers can request vouchers via our call centre, or by filling in details on an online vouchers form, and in each case, they are asked to confirm this before it is submitted.”

A resurgence of coronavirus has led the government to impose new restrictions on millions of people across the UK.For many restaurants, pubs and bars, the new rules have come just as business is picking up once again.”Another lockdown would be disastrous for our business,” the boss of a bar chain, Martin Wolstencroft, has said.”We’ve done so well to get through the national lockdown, we reopened on 4 July with measures in place, we rebuilt.. and it’s really frustrating.”Mr Wolstencroft runs Arc Inspirations, which owns 17 bars and bar restaurants in Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle. Its Newcastle site is affected by the new restrictions announced on Friday, which require bars and pubs to shut between 22:00 and 05:00. •Covid: New restrictions in North West, Midlands and West Yorkshire •Restaurants at ‘critical risk’ of eviction •Coronavirus: How are pubs keeping customers safe?New rules limiting gatherings to six people have also impacted his business, leading to 3,000 bookings being cancelled at Arc Inspirations’ Manchester venues since the restriction came into effect a week ago.Christmas crunch point?Mr Wolstencroft is now really worried about Christmas – traditionally the busiest season of the year for the hospitality industry: “We were projecting our sales to be 20% down for the rest of the year without another lockdown. “But over Christmas, if there are more measures in place, we will be in excess of 50% down,” he says. We need that sales and profit which helps us through the rest of the year.”He says many customers are struggling to understand the increased regulations, and the uncertainty is making things worse for hospitality firms.”It’s just very, very frustrating trying to manage a business when you don’t know what and when is going to happen in the future,” he says. According to trade group UK Hospitality, the British hospitality sector is now “on a knife-edge”, and 1 million people employed in the industry remain at risk of losing their jobs.”Despite the boost delivered by the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, consumer confidence is still low and it takes a further beating whenever lockdowns or restrictions are mentioned,” says UK Hospitality’s chief executive Kate Nicholls. “If lockdowns or restrictions are needed, they need to be formulated carefully, and come with government support, to minimise the damage to business.”She stresses that even having a hospitality venue close just an hour earlier “has a huge impact” on its business. ‘It makes no sense to close pubs again’Peter Borg-Neal is the chairman of Oakman Inns, a chain of 25 pubs and hotels spread across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. He doesn’t think that people socialising in restaurants and pubs is the main cause for the virus spreading, when “yesterday there were only nine cases in the entire county [Buckinghamshire], out of half a million people”.According to data from real estate adviser Altus Group, the new curfew and restrictions of sales of food and drink to table service will affect one in 10 pubs in England.”If the government wants to enforce further rules than it needs to be very specific – if the individual pub or restaurant doesn’t comply, well close them,” Mr Borg-Neal said. “Don’t pick on the people who are working really hard to get the economy moving again, working really hard to protect their customers and their employees.”Mr Borg-Neal wants the government to provide businesses with even more financial support if the hospitality industry has to be closed once again, or many will not survive. And he thinks a blanket policy to close restaurants, pubs and bars will have unintended consequences.”If they close all the pubs, what will happen? Students will be gathering in tiny flats and bedsits with a bottle of cider,” he stresses. “It will be far, far worse. It makes no sense on public health grounds to close pubs.”‘People are coming back because they feel safe’While many hospitality firms are unhappy with the government’s restrictions, some are in favour of it, like The Steam Packet pub in Chiswick, London, which is owned by pub chain Brunning and Price.”We’ve suffered in terms of numbers as we’re a small pub, but people are coming back in because they feel safe,” pub manager Jonathan Gillespie tells the BBC.”We will follow the government’s regulations as they’ve made people feel safe.”He is worried about the future, but says it is difficult to predict what will happen: “I am concerned about the impact it will have on my business but I don’t know what it will look like.Mr Gillespie says his business is good at finding solutions to difficult challenges, and will continue to do so. “Here we’re doing takeaway food and drinks from a hatch, you can buy fish and chips or a pint and take it to go sit by the river and socially distance,” he says. “That’s something that’s really helped our business.”

image copyrightAlamy/EPA/AlamyTikTok and WeChat will be banned from US app stores from Sunday, unless President Donald Trump agrees to a last-minute deal.The Department of Commerce said it would bar people in the US from downloading the messaging and video-sharing apps through any app store on any platform.The Trump administration says the companies threaten national security and could pass user data to China.But China and both companies deny this.WeChat will effectively shut down in the US on Sunday, but people will still be able to use TikTok until 12 November, when it could also be fully banned.Is the US about to split the internet?What TikTokers make of Trump’s ban threatTikTok said it was “disappointed” in the order and disagreed with the commerce department, saying it had already committed to “unprecedented levels of additional transparency” in light of the Trump administration’s concerns.”We will continue to challenge the unjust executive order, which was enacted without due process and threatens to deprive the American people and small businesses across the US of a significant platform for both a voice and livelihoods.”Tencent – the owner of WeChat – said the announced restrictions were “unfortunate”, but said they would continue talks with the US government “to achieve a long-term solution”.The ban order from the Department of Commerce follows President Trump’s executive orders signed in August. It gave US businesses 45 days to stop working with either Chinese company.If a planned partnership between US tech firm Oracle and TikTok owner ByteDance is agreed and approved by President Trump, the app will not be banned.Mr Trump told reporters on Friday he believed there could be a deal on TikTok “quickly”, adding that while the US needed “security from China”, TikTok was “an amazing company, very very popular.” “Maybe we can keep a lot of people happy but have the security that we need,” he said.What does the order say?”At the president’s direction, we have taken significant action to combat China’s malicious collection of American citizens’ personal data,” the US Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement.The department acknowledged that the threats posed by WeChat and TikTok were not identical but said that each collected “vast swathes of data from users, including network activity, location data, and browsing and search histories”.The order means that from Sunday, people will not be able to use WeChat to transfer funds or process payments to or from people in the US.But TikTok users will still be able to use their app virtually as normal, although they will not be able to download new updates. “The President has provided until November 12 for the national security concerns posed by TikTok to be resolved,” the commerce department said. After this point, some technical transactions will be banned on the app and functionality will be affected.Asked about the order on Fox Business Network, Mr Ross said that “the basic TikTok will stay intact until November 12”, but added that WeChat “for all practical purposes… will be shut down in the US, but only in the US, as of midnight Monday”.This is now all about President Trump. TikTok’s owner, Bytedance, now has to try to find a more palatable deal – and this may be tough. It’s been reported that China would rather TikTok be closed down than be forced to sell to the US. What’s not clear though is what Trump’s motives are. Sure he wants to flex his muscle against China – and banning a popular app is a very high profile way of doing that – but he also, famously, loves a deal. With 48 hours to go until a potential ban, there is still negotiating time.Is he trying to give US companies further leverage in any potential merger or acquisition? In truth, even if a TikTok download ban comes into force, it will still run on peoples’ phones. It won’t start technically degrading until 12 November. So there’s still plenty of life left in this story.Why does the US want the apps banned?The Trump administration has repeatedly said the apps are a threat because of their collection of data.Friday’s statement from the commerce department said the governing Chinese Communist Party “has demonstrated the means and motives to use these apps to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the US.”ByteDance has denied that it holds any user data in China, saying it is stored in the US and in Singapore. Tencent, which owns WeChat, has said that messages on its app are private.While TikTok has millions of users in the US, it is not clear how many of WeChat’s billion users are based outside China, although it is likely to be a significant number.But the US is not the only country concerned about the companies. India has already banned TikTok and WeChat, while the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, a privacy watchdog, is currently investigating TikTok.What are the apps?TikTok is a video-sharing app. Users can post up to a minute of video and have access to a vast database of songs and filters. It collects a huge amount of user data – including what videos people watch and comment on, location data, phone model and even how people type. But much of this data collection is similar to other social networks like Facebook.In September the company said it had more than 100 million users. It is thought to have more than 800 million members around the world.WeChat was set up in 2011. It is a multi-purpose app allowing users to send messages, make mobile payments and use local services. It has been described as an “app for everything” in China and has more than one billion monthly users. Like all Chinese social media platforms, WeChat must censor content the government deems illegal. In March, a report said WeChat was censoring key words about the coronavirus outbreak from as early as 1 January. But WeChat insists encryption means others cannot “snoop” on your messages, and that content such as text, audio and images are not stored on its servers – and are deleted once all intended recipients have read them.Related TopicsTikTokChinaDonald TrumpUnited StatesMore on this story

Former minister and leading Brexiteer Liam Fox remains in the running to be the new head of the World Trade Organization.Three other contenders have been knocked out of the competition after failing to secure enough votes.It means five candidates remain in the race to be the next director-general.Mr Fox would be the first British boss of the organisation, which regulates the terms of international trade.Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted his congratulations to Mr Fox, saying the WTO “would be in excellent hands under his leadership”.He has also won the support of his ministerial successor. Trade Secretary Liz Truss said she was “delighted” Mr Fox remains in the race.”The world needs a WTO director general that will stand up for free trade and fight protectionism. Business as usual will not work. We need someone with political skill who can build consensus, get things done, and drive forward the urgent reform that is needed.”Liam is the ideal candidate for that,” said Ms Truss.The three candidates who left the race are Mexico’s Jesus Seade, Egypt’s Hamid Mamdouh and Moldova’s Tudor Ulianovschi.The remaining candidates to replace the current director-general, the Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, have to secure support from the WTO’s 164 member states.The members have said they want to reach a consensus in November. The contest comes at a crucial time for the Geneva-based body, amid a slump in global trade in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.Latest oddsMr Fox is still an outsider in the race to be the next WTO chief, according to the latest odds from Ladbrokes, which has him in fourth place at 10/1.The other remaining candidates are:Amina Mohamed of Kenya – a former cabinet minister, lawyer and diplomat. She was the chairwoman of the WTO’s general council and is 11/4 favourite
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria – an economist and expert in international development who worked at the World Bank and now sits on Twitter’s board. She is a US citizen, having studied at Harvard and earned a PhD from MIT, and 2/1 second favourite
Yoo Myung-hee of the Republic of Korea – the first woman to be South Korea’s trade secretary, she has focused her career on trade negotiations, and 6/1 with Ladbrokes
Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri of Saudi Arabia – a former minister and managing director for HSBC in the Middle East. He was a pilot in the Saudi Air Force during the First Gulf War and has worked in banking since 1995. An outsider at 10/1
‘Brexit prism’Mr Fox was the UK’s international trade secretary under former prime minister Theresa May, when he was responsible for promoting UK trade post-Brexit.He was sacked when Mr Johnson entered Downing Street, having supported Mrs May’s Brexit withdrawal deal, which Mr Johnson opposed.He has downplayed the importance of Brexit and did not mention it in his speech to the WTO’s governing body in July.Fox: Coronavirus to cause ‘nightmare’ economic crisisAsked whether ongoing trade talks between the UK and EU would prove an advantage or obstacle to his bid, he replied: “Very fortunately, not everyone in the world sees every issue through the Brexit prism.”Speaking after his hearing, Mr Fox said the WTO needed an experienced politician – rather than a “technocrat” – to help it navigate “what is a very difficult time”.

Jo Malone has criticised the perfume brand bearing her name for their treatment of the actor John Boyega.Malone is no longer personally associated with the company, having sold it to Estee Lauder in 1999.The company, Jo Malone London, apologised after replacing the Star Wars actor in an aftershave advert for the Chinese market. “I am so horrified and disgusted about what has been done to John,” Malone told ITV’s Lorraine on Friday.”How dare somebody treat him [like that], and he finds out he is replaced on social media?”They never spoke to him. That for me is utterly despicable and is disgusting.” John Boyega resigns from Jo Malone role over ad
Perfume brand apologises to John Boyega over ad cut
Jo Malone London re-shot the advert the Star Wars actor made, in his home town of London, for broadcast in China.While the script for the aftershave commercial – which was originally conceived and directed by the British star – remained largely the same, it saw him replaced by another actor, Liu Haoran.
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The original version, entitled London Gent, showed Boyega hanging out with friends and family in Peckham, where he grew up, but they were also removed for Chinese audiences.Boyega stepped down as an ambassador for the company in protest over their decision.The firm issued an apology to Boyega on Monday, saying: “We deeply apologise for what, on our end, was a mistake in the local execution of the John Boyega campaign.”Jo Malone London reiterated their apology on Thursday, clarifying that the founder has not been involved with her former company since 2006.Former owner Malone expressed her dismay at being dragged into the situation on social media earlier this week.Speaking to Lorraine on Friday, she added: “From a personal level, I feel heartbroken by this and I don’t know where to turn.””This has gone global and my name has been associated,” she went on. “It’s been done in my name but also people think it’s me.””If I’d have been standing in those shoes I promise you John this wouldn’t have happened.Malone added: “This man wasn’t using his image to just promote something – he brought his creativity [to the advert].”She said Boyega “brought his life story to people and to that brand and how dare somebody treat him [like that] and he finds out he’s been replaced on social media. That’s the bit that really gets to me.”Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].

A boss is giving his staff £10m as a thank-you to mark his retirement. The gift from Admiral’s Chief Executive David Stevens and his wife Heather will be shared between 7,500 staff in south Wales and 3,000 overseas.Full-time workers will get £1,000 with part-time staff receiving £500.Mr Stevens, who co-founded the Cardiff-based motor insurance company with his wife in 1991, said he was “proud and fortunate to have worked with a such a special group of people”.”Saying thank you to all Admiral staff in this way is the right thing to do,” he said.”Their hard work and dedication has allowed Admiral to grow from a start-up to over 11,000 staff worldwide.”And all of this while remaining a great place to work. Thank you from myself and my wife to everyone at Admiral.”It follows a similar gesture by former chief executive – and fellow co-founder – Henry Engelhardt who gave a £1,000 retirement thank you to full-time staff back in 2016, which at the time came to about £7m.Mr Stevens is being succeeded as chief executive by Milena Mondini de Focatilis.Admiral was launched selling car insurance over the phone in Cardiff with a team of just 57.Its other UK offices are in Swansea and Newport, with overseas sites in Spain, Italy, France, Canada, the US and India.

British retail sales have continued to increase for the fourth consecutive month, boosted by spending on household goods and DIY, according to official figures.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said retail sales volumes rose by 0.8% between July and August.Sales are now 4% higher than in February, when a pandemic was declared.”Retail sales continued to grow, further surpassing their pre-pandemic level,” the ONS said.”Sales of household goods thrived as the demand for home improvement continued and, despite a dip this month, online sales remained high,” said Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics at the ONS.Spending on household goods was particularly strong in August, with retailers reporting a 9.9% jump in sales of homeware products compared with the pre-pandemic levels seen in February.But August’s increase was smaller than the post-lockdown rebound seen in July, when retail sales volumes grew 3.6%.High Street ‘under pressure’Online sales also fell by 2.5% in August when compared with the previous month. But the strong growth in the number of customers shopping online during the pandemic has meant that sales were still 46.8% higher than in February.Although online retailers might have seen higher numbers of clicks in recent months, many High Street stores are still struggling to attract customers after lockdown measures were eased nationally.The volume of items sold in clothing shops, for example, still stood 15.9% below February’s pre-pandemic levels in August.”Clothing stores continued to struggle with sales still well below their February level. Overall, the switch to greater online sales means the High Street remains under pressure,” Mr Athow added.’Mixed bag’ recoveryHelen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “The recovery remains a mixed bag, with high growth in online sales, while city centre shops suffered as a result of low footfall.”She added: “With further lockdowns looming, the government must provide clarity on the impact it will have for shops. “Retailers have invested hundreds of millions making stores safe and secure for customers during the pandemic; this includes perspex screens, social distancing measures and additional hygiene measures. As such, retail remains a safe space for consumers, even under local lockdowns.”While August saw some consumers returning to city centres to take advantage of the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, industry figures have suggested those areas might struggle to reach pre-pandemic levels of footfall.Entrepreneur and ex-Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis told the BBC’s Today programme: “It’s really interesting as you see the confidence in the consumer in travelling outside their house. Our business outside the metropolitan areas… is remarkably stronger than it is within.”It’s the fact that people lose the confidence to go far outside their normal area of habitat,” he said.”It will never be the same again – I really can’t see our stores ever reaching the levels in metropolitan areas that they did before, because I think the genie’s out of the bottle.”Several High Street chains also announced job cuts in August as they battled to shore up their businesses during the pandemic.Sandwich chain Pret A Manger announced it would cut 3,000 jobs, or more than a third of its workforce, while department store chains Debenhams and M&S said they would be cutting 2,500 and 7,000 jobs. Lisa Hooker, consumer markets leader at PwC, said that the run-up to Christmas would be crucial for retailers.”Retailers will be hoping that the fragile recovery is not derailed by more widespread lockdowns, rising unemployment or dented consumer confidence,” she said.

Thomas Cook’s owner Fosun has ambitious expansion plans for the brands it owns, once the global economy recovers.The Chinese travel firm, which also owns Club Med, expects the battered industry to pick up strongly once a vaccine has been found.It relaunched Thomas Cook in China in July which it describes as a success with more than 170,000 customers.This week it relaunched the brand in the UK as an online travel agency but says this is only “phase one”.Thomas Cook went bust last year leaving thousands of its customers stranded overseas. Since being completely taken over by China’s Fosun Tourism Group it has been dramatically downsized.Fosun was already a major shareholder in Thomas Cook before it collapsed last September. One year later and it has relaunched in both the UK and China. “In China, Thomas Cook has been relaunched as more than just an online travel agency. Instead, it is a lifestyle platform which offers a range of related products and services,” Fosun Tourism Group chief executive and chairman Jim Qian told the BBC.This lifestyle platform includes hotels, tickets, entertainment, education and retailers selling gifts and souvenirs. It even includes a delivery firm to help holidaymakers transport bulky purchases back to their home.”We launched as an online travel agency first in the UK but we want to add more and more so it becomes a similar platform,” Mr Qian added.The timing of the UK relaunch has been questioned given the current Covid-19 travel-related downturn and strict restrictions still in place. “It was a soft launch to test the process and make sure things are working well ahead of a full recovery. We will gradually add more products on this platform.”Strong recoveryFosun has already seen a strong recovery in tourism within China, for all its travel and leisure brands, which also includes high-end resort chain Club Med.Club Med resorts are gradually reopening globally and Fosun wants to expand the upmarket brand. It has started building 10 new resorts to be ready for the end of 2022 and has more in the pipelineIn China it has also launched a new brand called Club Med Joyview aimed at short city-break travellers.”The companies that can survive this travel downturn will be much stronger on the other side as they have shown they can be efficiently managed, ” Mr Qian added. Concept storesHis plan is to launch a handful of bricks-and-mortar Thomas Cook stores starting with Shanghai early next year. While they will be “multifunctional and more than just travel agencies”, they will not be on a large scale.The first store will feature attractions such as skiing machines and ski instructors, cafes serving exotic drinks and children’s education classes.”We want to test a lot of things in China which in the future can be launched globally. These new-style concept stores show our commitment to having a solid offline presence, building on physical resorts like the Club Med chain.”Thomas Cook has been operating in China for more than 100 years. The UK brand entered into a joint venture partnership with Fosun in 2016 and then became fully Chinese-owned after it went bust last year.