Stripe is scrapping its support of bitcoin payments by April but says it remains “very optimistic about cryptocurrencies” January 24, 2018 Stripe has said it will no longer be supporting bitcoin payments by April, noting a decline in customers using it as a method of payment. The payment platform said it will gradually wind up support with the end date being 23 April. In a blog post, Stripe said it had “long been excited about the [...]
Apple’s buzz score among UK consumers falls flat after battery issue, YouGov data shows January 24, 2018 Around this time last month, tech giant Apple faced criticism after admitting to slowing down older model iPhones when their battery is old, cold or has low charge. Apple chief Tim Cook responded by announcing an update for iOS will provide a new option to turn off the feature that slows down devices. But what [...]
Did RBS abuse its turnaround process? We deserve to know January 24, 2018 During my tenure as secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, one of my major preoccupations was the banks’ treatment of SME customers. I appointed Lawrence Tomlinson as one of the department’s two “entrepreneurs in residence”, based on his record as a successful, innovative businessman. He wrote a report on the activities of Royal [...]
DEBATE: A decade on from the crash, has the financial services sector done enough to restore trust? January 24, 2018 A decade on from the crash, has the financial services sector done enough to restore trust? Lisa Fernihough, a partner in the KPMG financial services team, says YES. The sector has made significant progress in improving culture, holding individuals to account and building products that have the end customers’ interest at heart. Firms know they [...]
Carillion shouldn’t be brought under state control, but maybe central banks should be January 24, 2018 A strong thread in the acres of print about the Carillion debacle is that the private sector should not really be involved in infrastructure projects. The public sector would, apparently, do it better. Readers who experienced life under the nationalised rail and telephone systems might be forgiven their scepticism. One idea which is taking hold [...]
Bristol City 2, Manchester City 3 (Agg: 3-5): Pep Guardiola savours reaching first final as City boss January 23, 2018 Trophy-hunting Pep Guardiola savoured reaching his first final as Manchester City boss as his quest to eclipse the achievements of his predecessors continued with victory over Bristol City in the Carabao Cup. Leading 2-1 from the first leg, Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero all but put the tie beyond the Championship outfit, while Kevin de [...]
WEF Davos 2018: Top bankers from Barclays and Citigroup warn of financial stability threats amid the calm January 23, 2018 Global financial regulators have run out of ammunition to fight the next financial crisis, top bankers, investors and economists have warned, with some questioning the sustainability of current market conditions. A decade on from the start of the last global financial crisis interest rates remain at rock-bottom levels, while central banks have barely considered returning [...]
Manufacturing output rises again as firms work flat out says CBI survey January 23, 2018 Manufacturing output bounced back from a dip in the last quarter, according to a closely followed survey. The industrial trends survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) showed overall output rising, with a balance of 21 per cent of firms reporting an increase for the quarter to January. The rise was driven by stronger [...]
Kyle Edmund continues his emergence from shadows of Andy Murray with shock progression to Australian Open semi-finals January 23, 2018 Britain’s Kyle Edmund insists he is relishing the pressure of carrying the nation’s hopes after continuing his surprise emergence from the shadow of Andy Murray by reaching the Australian Open semi-finals. The 23-year-old stunned third seed Grigor Dimitrov, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, to make the last four of a grand slam for the first [...]
UK investors are bullish on emerging markets as only gold ranks higher, says Franklin Templeton research January 23, 2018 Emerging markets have seen a surge in popularity with UK investors, according to investment firm Franklin Templeton. More than half of independent investors surveyed, at 55 per cent, said that now was a good time to invest in less developed markets. Meanwhile a quarter said they were more positive about the asset class than a [...]