British centenarian Captain Tom Moore is to be knighted after he raised more than £32 million for the UK health service for efforts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
The former army officer, who was made an honorary colonel of his former regiment on his 100th birthday, was nominated by the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, for being “a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus”.
Mr Moore said he had been given an “outstanding honour” by Queen Elizabeth and Mr Johnson.
He said he hoped the Queen will not be “heavy handed with the sword”, in reference to a recipient being tapped on each shoulder with a ceremonial blade when they are knighted.
“By then I might be rather a poor, old, weak soul,” he told the BBC.
The Second World War veteran, who will now be known as Captain Sir Thomas Moore, raised the money by walking 100 laps of his 25m garden.
With an initial target of £1,000, he raised almost £33m as his efforts drew the attention of a country among the worst hit by the pandemic.
He said he “never anticipated” he would receive the honour.
“I am certainly delighted and overawed by the fact this has happened to me.
“I thought this can’t be true. I’ve always said this won’t happen and it appears it actually has.
He holds the Guinness World Record for the most money raised by an individual through a walk.
“Colonel Tom’s fantastic fundraising broke records, inspired the whole country and provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus,” Mr Johnson said on Tuesday.
“On behalf of everyone who has been moved by his incredible story, I want to say a huge ‘thank you’. He’s a true national treasure.”
The opposition leader, Sir Keir Starmer, said Mr Moore had “brought inspiration to millions and helped all of us to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our NHS.
“In his actions, Tom embodied the national solidarity which has grown throughout this crisis, and showed us that everyone can play their part in helping build a better future.”
Mr Moore has also been made a member of the England cricket team and received a flypast from the Royal Air Force on his birthday.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
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Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
