Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Tuesday newspaper round-up: Prepayment meters, The Telegraph, Vertical Aerospace

(Sharecast News) - London is capturing an ever-bigger share of the UK's record service sector exports and government action is needed to ensure other big cities keep pace with the capital, a report says. The Resolution Foundation said London accounted for almost half of the UK's service sector exports, with its share of the total rising from 38% to 46% between 2016 and 2021. - Guardian More than 2 million people across the UK will be cut off from their gas and electricity this winter because they cannot afford to top up their prepayment meters, according to Citizens Advice. The charity said it had made the estimate for what is expected to be its busiest winter ever for helping people who cannot afford to top up, after last year 1.7 million people were disconnected at least once a month. About 800,000 people went more than 24 hours without gas and electricity, unable to make a hot meal or take a warm shower, because they could not afford to top up. - Guardian

The leader of the Abu Dhabi-backed bid for The Telegraph has attended a Conservative networking lunch alongside the Prime Minister and the Culture Secretary, as they prepare to decide whether the takeover can go ahead. Jeff Zucker, the head of RedBird IMI and former CNN chief, was among guests at the Conservative Friends of Israel's annual business lunch at the InterContinental Park Lane in London. - Telegraph

Vertical Aerospace, the electric flying taxi business, has been handed $50 million by its founder to keep it airborne. Stephen Fitzpatrick, the Northern Irish entrepreneur who is behind the household supplier Ovo Energy, will inject $25 million of equity capital in the first instance at $10 a share, with a further $25 million by the end of July at an undetermined price. This will be reduced if the company secures equity funding from alternative sources. - The Times

A start-up that can clone people's voices has been valued at more than $1 billion in its latest funding round, with investment from Silicon Valley stalwarts including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital. ElevenLabs uses artificial intelligence to convert written words into speech that sounds as if it is being read by real voices and "renders human intonation and inflections with unrivalled fidelity", according to the business. - The Times

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Tuesday newspaper round-up: European manufacturers, Rosneft, Darktrace, Mars
(Sharecast News) - Young people in Britain are bearing the brunt of a "low-gear economy" as employers hold back from hiring amid the fallout from the war in the Middle East, a deputy governor of the Bank of England has warned. Clare Lombardelli, the Bank's deputy governor for monetary policy, said the unfolding conflict, which has triggered a surge in energy prices and clouded the outlook for the economy, was contributing to an increase in youth unemployment. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Youth jobs crisis, 79th Group, Hargreaves Lansdown owners
(Sharecast News) - Fixing Britain's youth jobs crisis will require ministers to drastically increase investment in employment support while avoiding arbitrary cuts to benefits, the head of the trade union movement has said. Before an important official report expected next week, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Paul Nowak, said the government had a "once in a generation chance" to secure young people's futures. - Guardian
Friday newspaper round-up: Energy bills, National Lottery owner, FCA
(Sharecast News) - An energy minister has told the bosses of Great Britain's biggest energy suppliers to do more to help households get on top of their unpaid energy bills this winter, before the government spends almost £2.5bn to help write off the country's record high debts. Energy bosses were summoned to a roundtable meeting on Thursday to discuss the government's plan to pay down the energy debts of about 2.4m of the hardest-hit households. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: North Sea drilling, Poundland, ESG funds
(Sharecast News) - The UK is "dangerously" dependent on China for critical raw materials needed for the military, renewable energy infrastructure and AI, a parliamentary investigation has found. MPs on the business select committee called for an urgent centralised policy and the creation of a "critical minerals finance facility" to help fund rare earth and other critical mineral mines, and deploy grants, equity and debt to accelerate a diversification programme. - Guardian

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.