GDP to jump as measurement changes made June 9, 2014 MAJOR changes to the way that the UK economy is measured are set to come into force this week, which will likely make the economy significantly larger than previously thought. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will tomorrow bring in changes to the country’s national accounts which could boost GDP by around five per cent. [...]
London to give Airbnb rentals the greenlight June 9, 2014 LONDON will open its doors to home and room rental apps such as Airbnb and OneFineStay as part of the government’s move to quash outdated laws that ban short-term rentals in the capital. Communities secretary Eric Pickles will today outline reforms to often-ignored legislation dating back to the 1970s that forces Londoners wishing to rent [...]
Worst time for EE to tell Carphone Warehouse : We need to talk June 9, 2014 A SWORD of Damocles is suddenly hanging over the head of Carphone Warehouse. The ancient original was suspended by a single hair over a golden throne, a warning of the fragility of life at the top. Carphone Warehouse’s founder Sir Charles Dunstone, who still holds a 23.5 per cent stake, now finds himself looking up [...]
Barclays rolling out contactless payment wristband next month June 9, 2014 BARCLAYS will launch a contactless payments wristband for consumers in 2015, called bPay, with trials of the wearable technology starting at sponsored events this year. The company hopes that the device will encourage cash-free payments as consumers increasingly turn to card and contactless payments. The British Summer Time music festival in Hyde Park will be [...]
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 [...]
