Rush hour on the Thames: London’s famous river home to over 3,600 seals September 7, 2021 The river Thames is home to a staggering 2,866 grey seals and 797 harbour seals following the most recent pupping season, researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) said today. The Thames’ healthy seal population is a promising sign the river is teeming with life, conservationists have said, despite a dip in numbers over [...]
Case dropped against ex-Alibaba manager accused of sexual assault September 7, 2021 Prosecutors have dropped their case against a former Alibaba Group holding manager accused of sexual assault by a colleague. The manager, surnamed Wang, was investigated after a female subordinate published a viral account of being sexually assaulted and raped during a business trip. The female victim was ignored when she raised the assault with her [...]
PM hikes National Insurance, dividends tax to pay for social care reform : CityAM September 7, 2021 Britons will be hit with £12bn-a-year tax rises to pay for increases in NHS and social care spending, with National Insurance and dividends tax in Boris Johnson’s crosshairs. A new Health and Social Care Levy will effectively hike National Insurance Contributions for employees and employers by 1.25 per cent from April 2022, while taxes on [...]
‘Tragic mistake’: George Soros slams BlackRock’s investment in Xi’s China, again September 7, 2021 George Soros has condemned BlackRock’s wealth management move into China as a “tragic mistake” that will risk losing clients’ money and damage US security, in his latest attack on investment in the world’s second-biggest economy. “Pouring billions of dollars into China now is a tragic mistake,” the billionaire investor wrote in a Wall Street Journal [...]
Number 10 says there are no plans for an ‘October Covid firebreak’ September 7, 2021 Number 10 has hosed down reports that the government is preparing for a potential Covid “firebreak” in October when cases are expected to rise. Boris Johnson’s official spokesman told journalists today that it is “not true the government is planning a lockdown or firebreak around the October half term”. The i newspaper reported yesterday that [...]
New London-Edinburgh rail service to offer £15 tickets September 7, 2021 A new train service will offer one-way tickets from London to Edinburgh for less than £15, it was announced today. First Group-owned Lumo will begin running services on the east coast mainline from 25 October. The 100 per cent electric service is a bid to encourage people to take the train rather than fly between [...]
KPMG boss intervenes in dispute with FRC over poor auditing standards September 7, 2021 The global head of KPMG has written to the UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) over the its threats to publish further criticism of the auditor’s repeated failings, the Financial Times first reported. Bill Thomas, KPMG’s global chair and chief executive, entered the increasingly public dispute between the big four auditor and the FRC, after executives [...]
UK M&A deals dip 31 per cent over last quarter September 7, 2021 The number of mergers and acquisitions involving UK companies dipped over the last quarter, according to official figures released today. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows the volume of M&A deals involving UK firms fell 31 per cent over the last quarter, dipping to 381 in the second quarter from 556 in the [...]
Paying for the privilege: inside the members’ club with a conscience September 7, 2021 As I write this, the weight of the world’s many crises feels heavy on my shoulders. The Conduit’s reopening comes at a time of general global unease. Closed in 2020 during the pandemic, and following the exceptional collective effort of its co-founders, team, and board thereafter, it will make its return next week to an [...]
Happy Bitcoin Day! Thousands pledge support as crypto becomes legal tender in El Salvador September 7, 2021 All eyes on El Salvador and the crypto markets today as president Nayib Bukele declares the cryptocurrency legal tender.
