Banknote imagery advisory group minutes – 29 April 2026
Time: 4pm to 5pm | Location: Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London, EC2R 8AH and MS teams
Regulation
Gina Rinehart makes ‘significant investment’ in Elon Musk’s SpaceX
Australian billionaire says investment reflects her confidence in world’s first trillionaire after his record-breaking IPO
Oil prices tumble amid hopes strait of Hormuz will soon reopen
US-Iran peace deal sparks immediate drop for Brent crude but analysts warn complex negotiations lie ahead, potentially halting further significant drops
Banknote imagery expert panel minutes – 15 April 2026
The Chair opened the meeting, thanking members for sending across their wildlife nominations.
A £350 swimming pool fee ruined our easyJet holiday
My partner and I paid £2,150 for a week’s all-inclusive break in Marrakech with easyJet Holidays.
Britain ‘faces deindustrialisation’ without relief from high energy prices, survey warns
Make UK says manufacturers’ feedback shows sector at risk of collapse as it calls on Treasury to take action
Europe is starting to break up with US big tech. But it’s still abiding by the Silicon Valley rulebook | Max von Thun
The European Commission has unveiled its plans for digital sovereignty. Its proposals betray a disappointing lack of vision
Why I sold my business to my staff
Staff at Softstar Shoes in Oregon have discovered a newfound enthusiasm for eking out resources and growing profits.
Ministers could give billions raised by business rates to England’s regions
Exclusive: devolving tax is part of plans to give local areas more power in areas including justice, health and education
Running a small business has become almost impossible | Letter
Rosie Wolfenden says that under the current tax system, and with rising costs, traditional business models are no longer viable
Starmer to announce ‘Australia plus’ ban on social media for under-16s
Keir Starmer will ban under-16s from major social media apps such as TikTok, Instagram and X in sweeping restrictions described as “Australia plus”, the Guardian understands.
Welcome to California: land of plunder and hypocrisy | Mark Arax
From gold to water, California’s wealth was built on extraction. The AI boom is reviving an old question: who pays the price?
‘It’s going to be extremely hot’: workers imperiled as sweltering World Cup temperatures are forecast
It could top 90F in several cities hosting World Cup games – and workers could pay the price with their health
Me, worry? For US small businesses, Trump’s tariffs are now a non-issue
In two weeks, I’m speaking to a group of companies in the packaging industry about issues affecting their businesses this year. I’m going to discuss the economy, navigating higher costs, leveraging new tax legislation, …
‘Have I been influenced, or is this actually me?’ How personal taste fell out of fashion
What are you into? What floats your boat? What music, films, clothes, art, books – anything, really – do you actually like? Do you find these questions more difficult to answer than you would have done 10 years ago? How…
Jamaica’s beach access crisis: ‘We shouldn’t be forced to fight for what is already ours’
Activists argue business model is ‘plantation tourism’ designed to benefit elite and disadvantage most Jamaicans
Elon Musk and co may relish march of the robots but there must be AI boundaries in the workplace | Heather Stewart
While D4YRL’s tricks were exemplary, the august organisation decided “he” did not engage the audience’s emotions as a flesh-and-blood performer would.
Jamaican beach access campaigners go to court to fight privatisation of coast
Activists are challenging colonial-era law and demanding ‘free, legal, unfettered, forever rights’ to use beaches
British armed forces intercept Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in Channel
Keir Starmer says operation involving UK armed forces has delivered ‘yet another blow’ to Russia and Putin
‘People start connecting the dots’: why an investment fund is rewilding a North Yorkshire estate
From a high point on the hill, the North Yorkshire landscape unrolls below. The moorland above gives way to grassland, trees and then pasture, divided by the region’s traditional dry stone walls.
UFC to pay White House fighters in crypto issued by Trump company
Some fighters will receive bonuses in ‘stablecoins’ issued by Trump family business World Liberty Financial
Trial of 12mph bike lane speed limit grinds gears of Dutch cyclists
As road deaths increase and cycle lanes overflow with e-bikes, the Netherlands is considering a cycling speed limit of 12mph (20km/h).
‘Labour had their chance – they flopped.’ Two days in Makerfield show me the scale of Burnham’s task | John Harris
Keir Starmer teeters. The defence secretary exits, and thereby seems to confirm the prime minister’s demise. Andy Burnham scents a final, belated breakthrough, while most of the national talk is of violence, a country i…
How Brexit has made Britain poorer – in charts
Forecasters were wrong about an immediate recession but right that we would be worse off outside the EU