Starling Bank has completed its first acquisition in four years with the purchase of Ember, a London-based fintech specialising in digital tax and accounting software for small businesses. The deal, subject to final closing conditions, will see Ember’s HMRC-recognised tax and bookkeeping tools integrated directly into Starling’s mobile app and online banking platform by the end of 2025. The move comes ahead of HMRC’s Making Tax Digital deadline in April 2026, which will require sole...
Oxford University spin-out OrganOx, the pioneering transplant technology company, has been sold to Japanese medical devices group Terumo in a $1.5 billion (£1.2 billion) deal. The acquisition, one of the largest ever for a UK medical technology business, underscores Britain’s strength in scientific innovation but will also intensify debate about the country’s ability to retain ownership of its most successful spin-outs. OrganOx was founded in 2008 by professors Constantin Coussios and Peter Friend, who developed...
Britain’s nightlife is shrinking at an alarming pace, with large parts of the country turning into cultural “deserts” as pubs, clubs and music venues shut their doors. Fresh research by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and NIQ shows that more than one in four towns and cities now have no nightclub at all, while 16 per cent have lost all late-night venues. Since March 2020, Britain has lost over a quarter (26.4 per cent)...
You know, there are days when deadlines feel like this massive weight just pressing down on your shoulders, right? It’s like being caught in a whirlwind of frantic emails, where someone inevitably replies-all (you know the feeling ugh!). Or when you’re just staring blankly, muttering to yourself, “What even happened to that task I swore I had sorted out?” Seriously, I’ve been there. A token of appreciation is needed for anyone who has survived that...
In this Ultimate Traders review, we take a look at an exciting prop trading option. Prop trading, as many traders already know, is an innovative form of trading that emphasizes skill over capital. It allows traders to handle much more capital than they otherwise would, under the caveat that they need to perform well to keep trading. If that sounds like an interesting proposition, Ultimate Traders is definitely worth researching. It offers a lot of...
Britain’s farmers are warning of a crisis after a new poll revealed widespread fears over survival and an overwhelming rejection of Labour’s agricultural policies. According to research by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents 28,000 farmers and rural businesses across England and Wales, almost 80 per cent of farmers are worried their business will not survive the next ten years. None of those surveyed said they would vote for Labour in a...
Hundreds of UK jobs are at risk after TikTok confirmed plans to restructure its content moderation operations and shift work to other parts of Europe. The social media giant, which has more than a billion users worldwide, said the move is part of a global reorganisation of its Trust and Safety division and reflects its growing reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) for moderating content. A TikTok spokesperson said: “We are continuing a reorganisation that we...
Too many young people are being signed off sick for finding work difficult, the Government’s worklessness tsar has warned, as soaring sickness rates deepen Britain’s economic inactivity crisis. Sir Charlie Mayfield, the former John Lewis chairman leading a government review into long-term worklessness, said that GPs were often “over-medicalising” stress and anxiety by writing fit notes instead of helping people remain engaged in the workplace. “Work can be tough. It’s meant to be tough,” he...
Generation Z, once the most enthusiastic advocates of remote working, are increasingly seeking out office-based roles to combat feelings of loneliness and social isolation. New research from Bupa’s Wellbeing Index shows that almost 40 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds feel lonely or isolated because of the nature of their work, a rate significantly higher than the 24 per cent reported across the wider workforce. For many who began their careers during the pandemic, the...
Royal Mail and DHL have suspended some deliveries to the United States as postal operators worldwide scramble to adapt to President Donald Trump’s sudden changes to America’s import rules. From 29 August, the US will no longer allow low-value parcels to enter duty-free, ending the so-called de minimis exemption that let overseas consumers send goods worth up to $800 without paying tariffs. Only gifts valued at under $100 will remain duty-free. The move, announced through...
