Eckoh in $24m US payments deal June 9, 2014 Eckoh, the Aim-listed speech recognition business, will this morning announce a five-year deal with a US business outsourcing firm worth $24m (£14.3m). The deal, which commences 1 July, will see Eckoh handle secure payments for the company across its US customer base. “Today’s announcement represents a significant strategic milestone for Eckoh coming so soon after [...]
Phone-hacking trial nears end June 9, 2014 The jury in the seven-month trial of two ex-Rupert Murdoch editors, one the media mogul’s head of British newspapers and the other a close aide to the prime minister, is expected to retire to consider its verdict this week. Judge John Saunders is likely to finish his summing up of the high-profile case as soon [...]
Russia-China gas deal aids Japan June 9, 2014 A $400bn (£238bn) gas deal between China and Russia completed last month could help bring down prices for Asia gas buyers including Japan the world’s biggest buyer of liquefied natural gas. Researchers at the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation said in a recent note that the deal – which will see gas transported [...]
Short sellers in dash to bet on Saga share price fall June 9, 2014 HEDGE funds are queuing up to bet on a further fall in the share price of newly-floated companies like Saga and AO World amid renewed scepticism in the new issues market, statistics show. Short sellers, who borrow shares from other investors to make gains when the price falls, currently have close to one per cent [...]
Virgin’s Little Red struggles to take off with most seats empty June 9, 2014 VIRGIN Atlantic’s domestic airline Little Red has been flying planes with mostly empty seats in its first year since launch, official figures show. The UK carrier was introduced last March, connecting airports in the north of England and Scotland to London’s Heathrow airport. Data from the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, shows that just 37.6 [...]
Management consultants are back in demand June 9, 2014 THE UK management consultancy sector has grown at its fastest rate since 2007 according to new annual data the Management Consultancies Association (MCA) released today. The MCA, whose membership represents over 60 per cent of the UK consulting industry, revealed that growth in the sector grew by eight per cent in 2013 to £4.8bn, with [...]
NHS hospital trust on verge of ending private finance contract June 9, 2014 INVESTORS behind a private finance initiative (PFI) contract used to build Hexham General Hospital in Northumbria in 2002 will be bought out of their contract by the local NHS trust. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is on the verge of securing a £115m loan from the local council, Northumberland county council, to effectively refinance the [...]
BT in talks for $50m investment in Curzon independent film fund June 9, 2014 TELECOMS giant BT is in talks with Curzon World to make a $50m (£30m) investment that would bolster its independent film offering on BT TV. BT is reportedly looking to invest in Curzon’s third film fund to buy exclusive cinema and on-demand rights for independent films, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph. Discussions [...]
Cyclists encircle Smithfield for Nocturne races June 9, 2014 AN UNLIKELY velodrome sprang up around Smithfield’s meat market on Friday night as the area prepared for its annual Nocturne races, sponsored by Jupiter. The usual mix of early clubbers arriving at Fabric and refrigerated lorries full of sides of beef were replaced by cycle enthusiasts of every stripe, from elite athletes to masters of [...]
Three things you didn’t know about… June 9, 2014 PwC UK head of insurance Jonathan Howe 1 The intrepid Howe once rode a mountain bike across Madagascar. Keen to try something different and outside his comfort zone while raising money for charity, he claimed success on both counts after pedalling between stays in remote rural villages without any modern amenities. 2 He has a [...]