Audit reforms: IoD call for caution in plans to break Big Four dominance July 8, 2021 The government should approach its plans for an audit and corporate governance reform with greater caution, said the Institute of Directors (IoD). A government white paper aimed at breaking up the concentration of the Big Four auditing firms – Deloitte, PwC, KPMG and EY has stirred criticism from the business group, who said that the [...]
London home to nearly a third of all Europe’s tech unicorns July 8, 2021 London is now home to almost a third of all tech unicorns across Europe as the capital continues to attract the continent’s top talent. New data from Dealroom revealed there are 71 private tech firms valued at $1bn or more in London, a large chunk of the total 268 unicorns across Europe. It comes after [...]
UK labour supply falls at fastest rate on record in June July 8, 2021 The supply of UK workers slid at its fastest rate on record as firms struggle with severe labour shortages, according to a survey released today. The latest KPMG and REC report on jobs shows supply of both permanent and temporary staff in June fell at its quickest pace since the survey started 24 years ago. [...]
England’s Euro 2020 success could be behind rising Covid-19 infections in men July 8, 2021 Increased group gatherings to watch the Euros could be why men are a third more likely to test positive for Covid than women, according to Imperial College London’s latest REACT study. Results from the REACT-1 study, which tested more than 47,000 volunteers across England, showed a significant increase in infections between 24 June and 5 [...]
Frost warns UK-EU relationship doomed without agreement over Northern Ireland Protocol July 8, 2021 Boris Johnson’s defacto Brexit minister has warned that UK-EU relations post-Brexit will not succeed unless the issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol are solved. Lord David Frost said today that the future of Northern Ireland is “so fundamental to getting this relationship right”. “The issues around the protocol are central to the tensions between us,” [...]
Delivery boom: Ant Group-backed Zomato eyes IPO valuation of nearly $8bn July 8, 2021 Ant Group-backed food delivery company Zomato has a near $8bn valuation on the cards in its initial public offering (IPO), with shares priced at 0.96 cents to $1.02 per share. Zomato, one of India’s most biggest startups, has reaped the rewards of a pandemic-induced surge in online ordering. The lofty $7.98bn figure is at the [...]
The best ways to drink yourself silly in the Isles of Scilly July 8, 2021 St Martin’s Vineyard, a former flower farm, is now the only wine producer on the Isles of Scilly, making the Atlantic islands an outpost of modern boutique British viticulture and artisanal distilling. Run by James Faulconbridge and Holly Robbins, St Martin’s grows Seyval Blanc, Reichensteiner, Orion, Rondo and Regent grapes, as well as smaller plantings [...]
Retail industry warns of increased abuse against workers over mask rules July 8, 2021 Retail industry warns of increased abuse against workers over mask rules
Crypto markets drop, but is this a signal that movement is on the way? July 8, 2021 The crypto markets are down this morning, with Bitcoin having fallen more than six per cent over the last 24 hours to around $32,500.
BMW and Volkswagen Group fined $1bn by EU for emission cleaning July 8, 2021 The European Commission fines BMW and Volkswagen Group a total $1bn (£726m), saying that three German carmakers breached EU antitrust rules by restricting competition in emission cleaning for new passenger diesel cars. The EU executive said the trio – BMW, Volkswagen Group and Daimler – had colluded on technical development in the area of nitrogen [...]
