Versarien PLC (LON:VRS) saw its shares surge 22% to 49.9p after it launched a graphene-enhanced protective facemask. The company is a bit late to the graphene-enhanced facemask scene – Directa Plus’s G+ graphene-enhanced facemasks have been on sale for almost two months, for example – but the launch has got off to a good start with the company announcing two orders it has received following recent prelaunch sales activity, which resulted in 100,000 masks being delivered to a leading British university while 20,000 masks have been ordered by a UK electrical and mechanical servicing and repairs business. >>>

Metro Bank PLC (LON:MTRO) has agreed to acquire peer-to-peer lending platform RateSetter for up to £12.5mln as the base to expand its unsecured lending. The initial consideration is £2.5mln, with additional payments of £0.5mln a year from now and £9mln at the third anniversary. Metro Bank said RateSetter’s originating and underwriting capability gives it an existing, scalable platform to grow its unsecured lending business. RateSetter is the UK's most popular peer-to-peer lender, said Metro, with over 750,000 people having used its platform either to lend or borrow. >>>

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) said it will continue with negotiations to snap up TikTok’s North American business after being given leeway by President Donald Trump.  The US tech titan said it will “move quickly” to re-engage with the social video app’s China-based parent company ByteDance with the aim of completing discussions no later than September 15. READ: Microsoft cloud computing business Azure's growth slows below 50% This follows conversations between President Trump and Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella. >>>

Carnival PLC (LON:CCL) said it has cancelled short trips with AIDAperla and AIDAmar with departure dates between August 5 and 12, 2020. The FTSE 250-listed cruises operator said it is because the final formal approval for these trips by its flag state Italy is still pending, though it assumed it will be received “in a timely manner”. READ: Carnival upped to ‘hold’ but Berenberg questions cash generation ability Guests were given the opportunity to rebook to a different cruise with an on-board credit of 50% of the actual travel price. >>>