SoftBank injects $100m into former partner’s new consumer tech fund August 5, 2021 SoftBank Vision Fund II plans to invest $100m in a new consumer tech fund launched by one of its former managing partners Jeff Housenbold, the latest in a string of tech investments in the past few weeks. SoftBank’s second Vision Fund’s $100m investment will form up to a fifth of the $500m to $600m that [...]
Stamp Duty Holiday gives UK property market and tax coffers a major boost August 5, 2021 The government has published data confirming that the UK property market has been given a major boost by the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday. Results for the second quarter of 2021 show that total SDLT transactions jumped 165 per cent compared to the same period last year and are up nine per cent compared [...]
Vanguard’s US staff get $1,000 vaccine bonus: Will it come to the UK? August 5, 2021 Vanguard is to pay $1,000 to each of its 16,500 US staff should they prove they are fully vaccinated by October. The bonus includes those who were jabbed prior to the company making the generous offer. However, the offer will not be extended to employees of the asset management firm in Europe, it was announced. [...]
Ethereum upgrade incoming as price continues to surge August 5, 2021 Crypto at a glance The Ethereum price continues to soar this morning ahead of today’s big upgrade, up 8% over the past 24 hours to almost $2,700. The latest push means Ethereum is up more than 16% over the week, with five Ethereum Improvement Proposals set to get incorporated into the blockchain’s code today. The [...]
Covid recovery: Failing supply chains constrain UK construction industry August 5, 2021 Severe shortages of essential materials triggered by faltering supply chains slowed the UK construction industry’s recovery from the Covid crisis last month, according to a closely watched survey released today. The latest IHS Markit / CIPS construction purchasing managers’ index for the UK construction industry hit 58.7 in July, down sharply from June’s 24-year high [...]
New car sales fall to lowest level since 1998 amid pingdemic August 5, 2021 Supply issues and staff shortages have proved a speed bump for new car sales which fell by 29.5 percent in July 2021 according to an industry body. A total of 123,296 new vehicle registrations were recorded last month by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) – the lowest figures for July since 1998. [...]
Switched off: Nintendo sales tumble as lockdown gaming boom recedes August 5, 2021 Nintendo, which welcomed a frenzy for its newest console the Switch last year, has seen hardware sales tumble 21.7 per cent as the lockdown gaming boom receded amid lifting restrictions. The Japanese gaming giant posted record profits last year but has today reported that its software sales were down 10.2 per cent year on year. [...]
John Lewis and Pret named and shamed for failing to pay minimum wage August 5, 2021 The government has named and shamed some 191 employers, including John Lewis, Pret A Manger and The Body Shop, for paying workers under the national minimum wage. Investigations by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs found that employers owed a total of £2.1m to over 34,000 workers who were underpaid between 2011 and 2018. Named employers [...]
Does big tech have a blind spot? August 5, 2021 The giants of Big Tech have emerged as the undoubted corporate victors of the past decade. Throughout that period, companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google dominated the global marketplace, capturing ever-larger market shares and destroying upstart competitors in their way. These firms built impressive businesses, and investors rewarded their achievements with doubly impressive valuations: the [...]
Rugby League World Cup postponed until 2022 after New Zealand and Australia pull out August 5, 2021 The Rugby League World Cup, which was due to be held in England later this year, has been postponed until 2022 due to New Zealand and Australia withdrawing. After weeks of speculation the decision was made by the RLWC2021 board in conjuncture with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the International Rugby [...]
