Facebook’s no fact-checking for VIPs policy will fuel conspiracy theories – the tech titan needs to come clean September 15, 2021 Fact-checking has been a key part of Facebook’s fight against misinformation – I should know, I used to be one of their fact-checkers. What’s more: it works. And yet, this week in one fell swoop, Facebook has managed to both fuel the fire of conspiracy theories and seriously undermine its own fact-checking programme. Emails from [...]
Stop blaming private equity, without it small businesses would be strapped for cash September 15, 2021 Private equity has been branded the bad guy for snapping up pandemic-hit business. After household names such as Asda were bought up, there was an immediate flood of warnings about price hikes. But private equity’s role as a pantomime villain is worn out. Big leveraged buyouts are attention grabbing, but private equity plays a vital, [...]
Why business leaders need a growth mindset to positively influence the workplace of the future September 15, 2021 Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon examines the need for leaders to understand advances in technology to positively influence the way we work. To many, technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced robotics, may seem to exist in isolation within the computer labs of huge tech companies. They are something that experts are tinkering with, but don’t [...]
Lyca Mobile to invest £250m to grow in UK and beyond September 15, 2021 The largest Mobile Virtual Network Operator in the world has announced plans to invest £250m over the next three years to grow internationally and revamp its image. Lyca Mobile, part of the multinational Lyca Group, hopes the investment will pay off by helping the company, which began as an affordable international calling network, become a [...]
BDO hires record number of new trainees to its audit team September 15, 2021 Accounting firm BDO has announced that it has hired over 450 new trainees into its audit team this year, as the so-called ‘challenger’ firm bolsters its auditing arm. BDO said it had brought on more than 600 new trainees across departments since the start of 2021 – more than it has ever done before. Most [...]
Sunak: Private equity raid on UK businesses ‘good news’ for economy September 14, 2021 Foreign investment firms’ recent surge of interest in British listed companies is a “sign of confidence” in the UK economy, chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday, while also touting British fintech and life sciences companies as “globally best in class.” On the same day that Clayton, Dubilier & Rice cemented its pole position in a [...]
Chinese ambassador to the UK banned from parliament September 14, 2021 Zheng Zeguang, China’s ambassador to the UK, has been barred from British parliament after protests were sparked by MPs and peers still under sanctions by China. Zeguang had been invited by Richard Graham, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary China Group, to attend a Commons reception on Wednesday. But Sir Lindsay Hoyle, speaker of the [...]
Google inks deal with NFT company Dapper Labs September 14, 2021 Google has confirmed a partnership with Dapper Labs, the team behind popular NFT collectibles game NBA Topshot, to help the company scale. Dapper Labs has already developed an in-house blockchain, Flow, which helps its users to scale apps and games. Google will help to finesse the product by acting as a network operator, providing developers [...]
Rose Plays Julie review: A tense exploration of trauma September 14, 2021 Many films are about delving into the deep, murky lake of a character’s past, but few do it as intensely, or as uniquely, as this week’s Rose Plays Julie. Directed Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, collectively known as the creative partnership Desperate Optimists, Anne Skelly plays Rose, a young Irish woman training to be a [...]
Cash strapped Chinese property giant Evergrande battles $300bn in liabilities September 14, 2021 Chinese property giant Evergrande has admitted it is under “tremendous pressure” not even a year after its $1.8bn Hong Kong stock exchange float. The beleaguered firm is battling more than $300bn in liabilities, following years of borrowing to fund its rapid expansion. The property group achieved the lower end of expectations, raising $1.8bn from the [...]
