EU grants full Brexit extension until 31 January 2020 October 28, 2019 The EU has granted a three month extension to the Brexit process, paving the way for a general election this side of Christmas. This morning European Council president Donald Tusk tweeted that the EU27 member states would “accept the UK’s request” for Article 50 to be delayed until 31 January. That means Prime Minister Boris [...]
LVMH confirms Tiffany approach in largest bid in company’s history October 28, 2019 The French multinational behind brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Moët & Chandon today confirmed it had approached Tiffany & Co about a possible takeover of the U.S. jeweller. In a statement, LVMH, which is the world’s largest luxury goods group, said: “In light of recent market rumours, LVMH Group confirms it has held [...]
MPs to vote on Boris Johnson’s 12 December general election bid October 28, 2019 MPs will vote later today on Boris Johnson’s proposed general election date of 12 December. In order for the motion to pass, two-thirds of MPs (434) need to vote in favour of it under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act (FTPA). Read more: When will we have a UK general election? Jeremy Corbyn said that Labour would [...]
Ferrexpo CEO Kostyantin Zhevago temporarily steps down October 28, 2019 The billionaire boss of Ferrexpo has temporarily stepped down as chief executive. The FTSE 250-listed miner said Kostyantin Zhevago would step aside to “focus on resolving certain matters in Ukraine relating to one of the businesses he owned until 2015”. Read more: Ukraine to put Ferrexpo boss on international wanted list Ukraine is considering adding [...]
Travel startup Duffel picks up $30m to revitalise outdated airline technology October 28, 2019 Duffel, a London-based startup seeking to provide airlines with a fresh software update, has today closed a $30m (£27.1m) funding round led by Dropbox and Slack investor Index Ventures. Existing investors Benchmark Capital, which has backed the likes of Snap and Uber, and Blossom Capital also participated. Duffel helps travel agencies to connect to airline [...]
The regulator’s intervention on car finance hides an underlying reality October 28, 2019 The UK’s car finance boom has been a cause for concern for some time now, and the regulator is finally cracking down on questionable practices. One common complaint of this sector has been the practice whereby a car dealer or broker will make commission on the interest rate of the loan. By setting a higher [...]
Virtual influencers pose ethical dilemmas for the ad industry October 28, 2019 Last month, I reported on the rise of virtual influencers – fake online personalities created using computer-generated imagery and controlled by brands or media agencies. The most famous example is Lil Miquela, a fictional character invented by LA-based studio Brud. “She” has 1.7m followers on Instagram, has appeared in a Calvin Klein commercial alongside the [...]
The Lovie Awards show Europe’s creativity is a force for good October 28, 2019 My entire career has been fuelled by a love for the European creative industry. And now, at a time when our digital lives feel chaotic, when business often feels overly challenging, when political issues invade our every waking moment, that fuel is more essential than ever. This is precisely why Nicolas Roope and I founded [...]
Rory Stewart: The mayoral candidate in need of a London story October 28, 2019 It might feel like a lifetime ago, but turn the clock back to the summer and for a brief moment it felt as if the Conservative party could be about to anoint Rory Stewart as Prime Minister. The dark horse candidate, who stood on a ticket of soft Brexit – code for being “anyone but [...]
City Moves for 28 October – Who’s switching jobs at Huntswood, Knight Frank and Dentons? October 28, 2019 Today’s City Moves includes Huntswood, Knight Frank and Dentons Huntswood Regulatory advisory and specialist resourcing firm Huntswood has announced the appointment of Paul Dyer as its new head of regulatory risk. As an expert on the UK’s complex regulatory landscape, Paul has a wealth of experience developing regulatory, risk and compliance practices for organisations within [...]