Ofcom plans to ‘supercharge’ rollout of full-fibre broadband January 8, 2020 Ofcom will “supercharge” British investment in full-fibre broadband by encouraging more competition in cities and supporting BT to roll out faster speeds in rural areas. In a new five-year plan set out today, Britain’s telecoms regulator proposed the introduction of different regulatory regimes for rural and urban areas. Read more: Broadband speeds are increasing but [...]
Retail CVAs decline as landlords push back against plans January 8, 2020 The number of retailers using company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) to rescue their businesses slumped last year due to backlash from landlords, as administrations spiked in December. The use of CVAs declined 24 per cent from 38 in 2018 to 29 in 2019 as landlords increasingly push back against rent cut requests by struggling retailers. Read [...]
EU chief von der Leyen: Time too short for comprehensive post-Brexit deal by 2021 January 8, 2020 The new head of the European Commission has said there will not be enough time for the UK and European Union to reach a comprehensive trade agreement by the end of 2020, saying the two sides “must prioritise”. However, in a broadly conciliatory speech at the London School of Economics this morning, she said the [...]
How will losing its London licence affect Uber? January 8, 2020 | Sponsored Uber does not appear to have the controls necessary to run a wide-scale transport service and assure passengers and authorities of adequate safety standards. Despite London being one of the company’s top five markets in the world by revenue, the company has shown a marked reluctance to fully co-operate with transport authorities. Time and again, [...]
Spoonbender Uri Geller answers Dominic Cummings’ call for ‘weirdos’ January 8, 2020 Spoon-bending magician Uri Geller has applied to join the civil service after special adviser Dominic Cummings asked “misfits” and “weirdos” to become part of government. Geller, 73, started his cover letter by telling Cummings that his career to date as an entertainer had been the “perfect mask” for work in espionage. Read more: DEBATE: Is [...]
Sainsbury’s Christmas sales slip despite online boost January 8, 2020 Sainsbury’s suffered the biggest drop in Christmas sales of general merchandise since it bought Argos in 2016, as consumer demand for toys and games weakened. General merchandise sales, which includes Argos, dropped 3.9 per cent in the 15 weeks to 4 January, driving a 0.7 per cent decline in total retail sales excluding fuel. However, [...]
Facebook and Ebay pledge to combat trading of fake reviews, says competition watchdog January 8, 2020 The competition watchdog has announced that Facebook and Ebay have signed agreements committing to combat the sale of fake and misleading reviews on their platforms. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised concerns about the trade of fake and misleading reviews on tech giants’ platforms last summer, and has been pressing them to crack down [...]
Carlos Ghosn to seek Lebanon trial after flight from Japan January 8, 2020 Carlos Ghosn is set to push for a trial in Lebanon after his sensational escape from Japan, his legal team has said. Ahead of the disgraced former Nissan chief’s press conference later today, Ghosn’s legal team has said a Lebanon trial would involve “either a handing over or co-operation” between the two countries’ justice ministries, [...]
Six people arrested in connection to Labour antisemitism claims January 8, 2020 Six people have been arrested in relation to antisemitism allegations within the Labour Party, according to London’s police commissioner. Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick revealed today that files have been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to deliberate on whether to charge the individuals. Read more: Equality watchdog launches probe in Labour antisemitism Dick [...]
UK house prices jump in December January 8, 2020 UK house prices jumped in December as the General Election result “reignited” the property market, according to the latest figures. UK house prices increased four per cent year-on-year and rose 1.7 per cent compared to November – the biggest monthly increase seen in 2019. Read more: London house prices rose twice as fast as rest [...]