CA daily briefing: Thursday 20 May

Your essential briefing of the morning's top news stories.
The latest from ICAS
HMRC has written an open letter in which it thanks ICAS Members for the part they have played in helping to deliver COVID-19 support.
Today's top stories from around the web
- Rail services to come under unified state control (BBC News)
- £31bn Virgin Media and O2 merger given final green light by UK competition watchdog (City AM)
- Back to the city: Brits scramble for city apartments (Reuters)
- COVID-19: EasyJet eyes June recovery for holidays as it books £701m loss (Sky News)
- Climate activist shareholders to target US oil giant Chevron (The Guardian)
- UK house prices jump £24,000 in a year, despite economic turmoil (The Independent)
- Qantas accelerates cost cuts as $1.5bn loss looms (BBC News)
- Royal Mail capitalises on parcels boom as annual profit more than doubles (City AM)
- UK promises to boost competitiveness with tariff suspension scheme (Reuters)
- Bitcoin faces biggest one-day slump since last year as China announces curbs (Sky News)
That's all for today. Check back tomorrow for your Friday briefing.