Goldman Sachs-backed fintech startup Circle wants to become the Alipay of Europe with social payment app expansion plans June 15, 2017 A fintech startup backed by Goldman Sachs has unveiled ambitious plans to make emoji friendly social payments as popular in Europe as they are in China, where nearly $3 trillion was sent via WeChat and Alipay last year. Circle lets users send payments to each other via its WhatsApp-style chat app and iMessage. It is [...]
FTSE 250 is on track for its worst day of 2017 after disappointing retail results June 15, 2017 Admittedly, it has been a good year for the FTSE 250, which has set several records as weak sterling encouraged investors. But today is not one of those days: the index was on the way to its worst showing of 2017 in morning trading, falling 1.36 per cent to 19,702 points as investors showed their [...]
How can mindfulness boost creativity in the workplace? June 15, 2017 Leaders across the UK are entering unknown territory now Brexit negotiations are looming on the horizon. But when it comes to business, a team’s creativity will ultimately decide a company’s success or failure when navigating through these challenging times. Focusing on the present moment through the practice of mindfulnesscan help you and your team be [...]
Remaining in the Customs Union after Brexit is the very worst mistake the UK could make June 15, 2017 THIS week’s newspapers reported that the Prime Minister wants to “stick to the plan” to leave the Single Market. And yet the chancellor is said to be pushing hard to maintain participation in the Customs Union. The HM Treasury line is deeply worrying. Retaining the common external tariff would remove any tariff threat from trading [...]
Pirate Bay case: EU court (CJEU) delivers unsurprising verdict that pirate video hosting platforms may be illegal June 14, 2017 An EU court may have won itself an eye roll and a slow-clap from non-lawyers today by declaring what seems obvious: that hosting platforms which share pirated videos are probably illegal. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) was looking into a case which concerned The Pirate Bay, an online platform which allowed [...]
The Old War Office in London, Winston Churchill’s former HQ, is set to be converted into a luxury hotel June 14, 2017 Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s old office is set to be converted into a luxury hotel and new residences. Raffles Hotels & Resorts, the luxury brand of AccorHotels Group, Indian conglomerate Hinduja Group and Spanish construction company Obrascon Huarte Lain Desarrollos (OHLD) are working together to renovate the iconic Old War Office building in [...]
Taking the Mickey (Mouse): Walt Disney Co. delists Euro Disney, owner of Disneyland Paris, after several bailouts June 14, 2017 Walt Disney Company, the US media conglomerate, has tied up the take-private of its only European theme park after growing tensions with shareholders. Trading in Euro Disney, the parent of Disneyland Paris, was Frozen (pun intended) yesterday as Walt Disney Co. announced the results of its tender offer and the shares were suspended from the [...]
Bluecity is expanding its electric car sharing service across London after successful Hammersmith and Fulham pilot | City A.M. June 14, 2017 Bluecity, the electric car sharing scheme, is expanding in the capital after a successful trial in Hammersmith and Fulham. The company geared up for a full London launch earlier this year by starting off with 10 cars in Hammersmith and Fulham, and plans to have up to 50 vehicles in operation by the end of [...]
The Cheesegrater’s new owner CC Land wants to buy more City skyscrapers, according to deputy chairman Dickie Wong June 14, 2017 The Chinese property giant which bought the Cheesegrater tower, the tallest building in the City of London, for £1.15bn in March is eyeing more City skyscrapers. CC Land, a Hong Kong-listed company controlled by Chinese billionaire Cheung Chung-kiu, snapped up the Leadenhall Building in the second-biggest ever sale of a UK building earlier this year. [...]
Virtual reality rocket: Sector set to swell with Brits owning 16m headsets within five years June 14, 2017 The UK virtual reality sector is set to grow at an annual rate of 76 per cent in coming years, making it the fastest growing UK entertainment and media market. A report by PwC released today estimated the entertainment and media sector will be a £72bn market in the UK by 2021. It is forecast [...]