Increase Tender Offer

NewMedia SPARK PLC
20 August 2001

                                                                20 August 2001


NewMedia SPARK plc Announces Increase of the Purchase Price in its Cash Tender
                      Offer for GlobalNet Financial.com


NewMedia SPARK plc (LSE: NMS) (''SPARK''), today announced that it has today
amended the terms of its cash tender offer (the 'Offer') for all shares of
common stock and class A common stock of GlobalNet Financial.com, Inc.
(Nasdaq: GLBN and LSE: GLFA) ('GlobalNet'), to increase the price to be paid
to $0.45 and $0.045 per share of common stock and class A common stock,
respectively, net to the seller in cash without interest thereon. SPARK has
also extended the Offer, which will now expire at midnight, New York City
time, on Friday, August 31, 2001, unless further extended. If the offer is
further extended, SPARK will issue a press release announcing the extension on
or before 9:00 a.m. New York City time on the first business day following the
date the offer was scheduled to expire.

GlobalNet Acquisitions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SPARK, had
previously commenced a tender offer for all outstanding shares of GlobalNet at
$0.36 per share of common stock and $0.036 per share of class A common stock,
net to the seller in cash, without interest thereon. The offer was scheduled
to expire at 5:00 p.m. New York City time, on Wednesday, August 22, 2001.

Based on information provided to SPARK by the Bank of New York who is acting
as the depository for the SPARK offer, as of the close of business on Friday,
August 17, 2001, shares representing in excess of 41% of the combined voting
power of all GlobalNet shares had been tendered and not withdrawn. These
figures do not include the approximately 12.9% of common shares which
AISoftw@re S.p.A. is obligated to tender into the SPARK offer pursuant to the
Non-Disclosure Agreement executed by GlobalNet and AISoftw@re (a copy of which
is attached to the amended Schedule 14D-9 filed by GlobalNet with the SEC on
August 9, 2001).

Commenting on the number of shares which have been tendered to date, Joel
Plasco, director of SPARK said, 'We are delighted that so many GlobalNet
shares have been tendered so far and even before we announced an increase in
the price. We believe that such an early response is consistent with SPARK's
commitment to close this transaction quickly and with certainty so that the
shareholders of GlobalNet can receive cash for their shares, particularly in
light of the deteriorating cash position which GlobalNet has reported.'

SPARK has confirmed to GlobalNet that SPARK has sufficient liquid cash
resources on hand to close the tender offer (assuming the minimum number of
shares are tendered) at midnight New York City time on Friday, August 31, 2001
and to close the subsequent merger of GlobalNet with GlobalNet Acquisitions
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SPARK.

For more complete information on the SPARK offer, including the procedures for
tendering or withdrawing shares of GlobalNet, shareholders should read the
Schedule TO filed with the SEC by SPARK, as amended to date.

This release contains forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to
the safe-harbor provisions of the private securities litigation reform act of
1995. Expressions of future goals and similar expressions reflecting something
other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking
statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements.
These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties,
some of which are out of the control of GlobalNet and SPARK. Accordingly,
actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this release. A
wide variety of factors could cause or contribute to such differences and
could adversely impact revenues, profitability, cash flows and capital needs.
A more complete listing of cautionary statements and risk factors is contained
in GlobalNet's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. None
of the companies undertakes any obligations to revise or update any
forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that
may arise after the date of this release.

Contact: Joel Plasco, NewMedia SPARK          [phone]