Heineken Doubles Profits Amid Easing Lockdown Restrictions August 2, 2021 Heineken, Europe’s largest beer manufacturer, has doubled its earnings for the first half of the year. Operating profit increased by 109.3 per cent reaching 1.63 billion euros (£1.39 billion). The results far exceeded the average expectation of a company-run poll of analysts predicting profits of 1.22 billion euros. Dolf van den Brink, Heineken’s CEO and [...]
Pandemic fuels fresh business creation as entrepreneurs spy ‘unique’ opening August 2, 2021 The pandemic has been the core reason for some 26 per cent of new businesses opening this year, with most owners confident in turning a profit their first 12 months. The Covid-19 crisis has provided a ‘unique’ opportunity for entrepreneurs, according to new research from fintech firm Tide. With 65 per cent of fresh business [...]
Zoom agrees $85m settlement over privacy and ‘zoombombing’ allegations August 2, 2021 Video software company Zoom has agreed to pay $85m (£61.9m) to settle a privacy lawsuit claiming the firm violated user’s rights and allowed hackers into meetings. The conferencing firm had allegedly shared users personal data with Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn. The lawsuit also claimed Zoom had failed to prevent hackers from zoombombing calls. Zoombombing is [...]
Sanne Group in advanced takeover talks with Apex after £1.49bn bid August 2, 2021 London’s Sanne Group is in advanced talks with fund servicer Apex Group on a possible cash takeover bid of up to £1.49bn. At 920 pence per share, the offer values the UK asset manager at around £1.49bn and represents a premium of 9 per cent on Sanne’s share closing price of 844.0 pence on Friday. [...]
Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Team GB medal hopes on day 10 as Laura Muir makes 1500m semi-finals August 2, 2021 Laura Muir produced a solid run to make the semi-finals of the 1500m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on a day when Team GB have strong medal hopes. After a successful weekend which saw GB take their gold medal tally into double figures, the rate slowed somewhat this morning. But there are plenty of hopes [...]
Quarantine lifted for double-jabbed US and EU travellers as ministers discuss amber watchlist August 2, 2021 Fully-vaccinated travellers from the EU and the USA are now able to enter the UK without quarantining. The government announced the new scheme – which came into effect at 4 am this morning – last week, saying it could help reunite friends and family who live abroad. People coming from France are still required to [...]
Jack Dorsey’s Square to snap up Australian rival Afterpay for £21bn August 2, 2021 Payments firm Square is set to snap up buy now, pay later company Afterpay for some £21bn, in the biggest buyout of an Australian firm to date. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who also co-founded Square, said that the payments company and Afterpay have a “shared purpose”. The deal will peg the merging companies as a [...]
Derwent London announce acquisition of Bush House August 2, 2021 Derwent London, the property giant, has announced the acquisition of the South West Wing of Bush House for £13.5m. The company already owns the freehold for the office that faces the Strand. Derwent will be purchasing the building with a vacant possession, meaning any current occupant will move out. It is a further investment in [...]
Limits on City bonuses could be scrapped under post-Brexit plans August 2, 2021 Ministers are reportedly considering removing caps on bankers’ bonuses, in a bid to make the City a more atttractive business hub post-Brexit. The preliminary plans to remove all existing restrictions and EU rules are in their initial stages and are yet to be part of any public consultations, The Times reports. Ministers are reportedly wary [...]
Civil fraud cases jump by 50 per cent and could rise as UK feels full covid economic impact August 2, 2021 The number of civil fraud cases heard in the courts has increased by 50 per cent in a year marred by the pandemic according to new analysis published today by international law firm RPC. Cases in the courts of England and Wales went up from 61 in 2019 to 94 in 2020. RPC blamed the [...]
