Musk brands UK a ‘police state’ as Big Tech rebels against Starmer’s social media ban Tech Elon Musk, Meta and Google’s YouTube have all attacked Keir Starmer’s planned social media ban for under-16s, warning the restrictions will drive teenagers towards less safe corners of the internet and create sweeping new surveillance powers. The backlash comes as ministers consider forcing Apple and Google to carry out age checks on millions of British [...]
Ditched by clients and Australian government: What is happening down under at KPMG? Big Four KPMG’s Australian arm has been ditched by the country’s government for audit work until September, following the fallout of allegations that the firm mishandled client information, in the latest nightmare for the Big Four firm down under. The Big Four giant will be unable to bid for any Australian government contracts until September 2026, as [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers makes £166m play for shoe firm Accent Retail Frasers Group has launched a £166m takeover bid of Australian shoe company Accent while calling for the removal of its chairman over “poor performance”. The fashion conglomerate has offered to buy all of the shares in Accent it does not already own for 65 Australian cents per share, valuing the offer at A$136m (£166m). This [...]
Stockbroker boom down under boosts CMC Markets share price June 4, 2026 CMC Markets shares rocketed in early trading after a rise in stockbroking activity in Australia coupled with its expanding institutional business partnerships boosted profits. Shares soared 12.7 per cent to 415p, with shares up 37.1 per cent since the start of the year. The trading platform operator recorded a 20 per cent hike in profit [...]
KPMG Australia boss resigns amid whistleblower scandal May 29, 2026 The boss of KPMG Australia has resigned after the firm admitted to severely mishandling a whistleblower report on client confidentiality breaches. The scandal was prompted by a whistleblower who alleged that client documents were inappropriately shared with the senior leadership team, including the chief executive, which prompted an internal investigation. But the investigation did not [...]
UK should learn from Australia’s pension funds May 25, 2026 Australia's pension funds have a long-term, globally minded investment approach that many countries, including the UK, admire.
Government targets £99bn in Australian investment in major projects May 11, 2026 The government is looking Down Under to bankroll major infrastructure projects, as it aims to raise £99bn in Australian pension investment the next decade. Investment minister Lord Stockwood is touring Australia, Malaysia and Singapore this week as he positions the UK as the most “trusted, stable and connected” destination for funds in the region. The [...]
Here is the best wine from Australia, from Chardonnay to Shiraz April 22, 2026 Australian wine seems to be all anyone is drinking this month, perhaps because last month Matthew Jukes, a world authority on Aussie vino, announced his 100 Best Australian Wine report. Australian wine has consistently done well in the UK. We were their primary export market in the 19th century, and as their wine industry expanded [...]
KPMG partner fined for using AI to cheat on internal training February 16, 2026 A partner at the Big Four firm KPMG has been fined $10,000 (£7,200) for using AI to cheat in an internal training course meant to test knowledge of the technology. KPMG Australia has forced an unnamed audit partner to redo a test after they uploaded training materials to an AI platform to help answer AI-related [...]
Castore add Australia to growing rugby portfolio January 23, 2026 Manchester-headquartered Castore has signed a five-year deal with rugby union’s Wallabies, which will see the sports apparel brand on Australia’s shirts at their home World Cup. “The new agreement will see the Wallabies, Wallaroos, Australian men’s and women’s sevens teams and Australian pathways teams proudly wearing Castore-issued sportswear from January 2026,” a statement read. The [...]