CBI says money launder rules hurt UK trade March 1, 2015 ANTI-MONEY laundering rules are hurting British trade by making it unreasonably difficult for honest firms to access finance, business group the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said today. The rules are designed to deny crooks the ability to clean their dirty money through the banking system. But the CBI fears the onerous regulations are doing [...]
East Coast rail line returns to private hands after Virgin Trains and Stagecoach bid to end public ownership March 1, 2015 The East Coast mainline returned to private hands yesterday following last November’s successful bid by Virgin Trains and Stagecoach to operate the line after five years of public ownership. The £3.3bn contract, which sees the consortium branded Virgin Trains East Coast running the line for the next eight years, has divided political opinion along party [...]
Court fee hike will undermine London’s position, says RPC March 1, 2015 THE GOVERNMENT’S proposal to increase court fees will undermine London’s position as a global centre of dispute resolution, according to a new report by City law firm RPC. The report, released today, claims research undertaken by the Ministry of Justice revealed 61 per cent of the commercial lawyers surveyed believe the government’s plans to increase [...]
Samsung banks on S6 edging it to future profit March 1, 2015 in Barcelona SAMSUNG last night unveiled two flagship Galaxy S6 smartphones in Barcelona, marking the start of this year’s Mobile World Congress. The two devices, the S6 and its curved screen S6 Edge brother, are a crucial attempt by the South Korean conglomerate to restore growth to its smartphone division, which has seen margins and [...]
Mobile World Congress 2015: Mark Zuckerberg, wiping the smile off execs’ faces – Bottom Line March 1, 2015 Last year Mark Zuckerberg, the 30-year-old billionaire creator of Facebook, gave the keynote speech at the world’s biggest mobile conference in Barcelona, Mobile World Congress. Speaking to several thousand telecoms execs Zuckerberg called on them to open up mobile internet for the poorest countries in the world and allow free access to basic internet services [...]
Mobile World Congress 2015: Huawei makes a timely launch ahead of Apple’s watch debut March 1, 2015 Huawei, the world’s second-largest telecom equipment maker, made a splash last night by launching its first smartwatch, just weeks ahead of the highly anticipated launch of Apple Watch. The Chinese telecoms giant unveiled Huawei Watch, a sleek 42mm round-faced watch that works in conjunction with Android smartphones to bring notifications and apps to your wrist. [...]
Ex-Zeus and Threadneedle bosses re-emerge with advisory outfit March 1, 2015 TWO LEADING advisory figures from the small cap business world have joined forces to launch a new venture offering public affairs advice to junior market-listed firms. Tim Metcalfe, former co-chief executive of Zeus Capital, and Threadneedle Communications founder Graham Herring have put up cash to found City-based Investor Focus Communications (IFC), which will offer advice [...]
Landlords put up more equity for buy-to-let loans March 1, 2015 BUY-TO-LET borrowers are putting up more equity before making new purchases in a bid to shorten mortgage terms, according to a new report by the Mortgage Advice Bureau. Aspiring landlords have increased the amount of equity behind them by 15 per cent during the past year to an average of almost £100,000, while the average [...]
Banks treat small firms better as fewer loan rejections overturned March 1, 2015 BANKS have cleaned up their act and are treating small businesses increasingly well, SME loan monitor professor Russel Griggs said today. When the appeals service was set up in 2011, almost 40 per cent of complaints were upheld and the loan rejection reversed. In this financial year so far the rate is just 20.8 per [...]
Construction is rising as home building surges March 1, 2015 PRIVATE home and commercial construction is picking up, industry figures show today, despite continued stagnation in public sector building. Construction activity increased by six per cent in the 12 months to March, led by a 12 per cent jump in private housing schemes, according industry analysts Glenigan. Private sector activity was also helped by a [...]
