Competition and Markets Authority to recommend market share cap for Big Four audit firms December 13, 2018 The UK's top four audit firms are facing a market share cap to encourage competition from smaller companies as the sector comes under increased scrutiny following a number of high profile corporate collapses. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is expected to recommend a limit on the number of large listed companies that the so-called Big [...]
Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic tourist spaceship successfully touches the edge of the world in today’s test flight December 13, 2018 Rocket man and Virgin billionaire Richard Branson's commercial space programme successfully reached the edge of the world's atmosphere for the first time in its fourth test flight across the US today. The Virgin Galactic Spaceship Two rocket, which was carried up to a height of above 12,000 metres by a specially-designed plane before igniting its motors, reached [...]
Sterling recovers as Theresa May heads to Brussels after surviving no confidence vote December 13, 2018 Theresa May is set to head to Brussels today in an attempt to renegotiate a Brexit deal that EU leaders have said is final, after surviving yesterday’s vote of confidence. The Prime Minister won the vote with a majority of 83 votes, with 200 Tory Mps voting in support and 117 voting to oust the [...]
Team Sky: Cycling behemoth will leave behind conflicted image of success tinged by “damaging scepticism” December 12, 2018 It’s no wonder some see Team Sky as cycling’s bad guys. Their bus is nicknamed the “Death Star”, their employees wear black and they have conquered all in their path through heavy investment. The shock announcement that their media giant benefactor will pull the plug on its sponsorship at the end of the 2019 season [...]
Legal & General hires bankers to sell its general insurance business December 12, 2018 Legal & General has appointed an investment bank to sell its general insurance arm. According to Sky News, L&G has hired Fenchurch Advisory Partners to sell the business in a deal that could be valued at more than £300m. L&G previously tried to dispose of its general insurance arm three years ago, but that attempt [...]
No confidence: This is how Tory MPs plan to vote in tonight’s crucial contest over Theresa May’s future as Prime Minister December 12, 2018 The number of MPs who have declared themselves either in support of or against the leadership of Prime Minister Theresa May is growing. Here's who has said what so far. A vote of no confidence was triggered this morning, after more than 48 MPs sent in letters to Sir Graham Brady who controls the process. The [...]
Four people killed in Strasbourg Christmas market shooting December 11, 2018 Four people have died and several have been injured following a shooting at a Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg. At least four people have been killed, Sky News reported, and at least seven people were seriously injured and taken to hospital after a gunman entered the market and opened fire this evening. Four others have suffered [...]
Royal London to appoint Standard Life Aberdeen board member Kevin Parry as chairman December 10, 2018 Royal London will appoint Standard Life Aberdeen board member Kevin Parry as its chairman this week. The company is set to announce that Parry will replace former Bank of England deputy governor Rupert Pennant-Rea, who has been in the role for five years, Sky News reported. The appointment will see Parry step down from his role [...]
O2 restores 3G and 4G services after Ericsson software issue led to day-long data outage for 32m customers December 7, 2018 O2's network has been fully restored after a data outage affecting up to 32m customers lasted the entirety of Thursday. Problems were first reported at around 5.30am yesterday, with O2 customers saying they could not use 3G or 4G data. The error also took down Giffgaff, Sky's mobile services, Lycamobile and Tesco Mobile, which all rely on [...]
Horse racing betting: How UK punters can bet on Sha Tin’s HKIR meeting December 6, 2018 RACING from Hong Kong continues to grow in popularity around the world, especially in the United Kingdom where bettors can take advantage of the monster pots from the world’s largest tote pools. Household-known jockeys such as Silvestre de Sousa, Oisin Murphy, Ryan Moore and Neil Callan have all ridden out in Hong Kong in recent [...]