Metro Bank set to raise extra £100m December 4, 2013 METRO Bank is raising an extra £100m in its cash call, it emerged yesterday, as investors lap up the equity on offer in its latest fundraising round. The start-up lender is increasing the fundraising drive to £385m, £100m more than previously planned as investors want to put more cash into the bank. “This additional capital [...]
Inside Track: It’s about time the City’s watchdog got its act together December 4, 2013 WERE British banks engaged in a corrupt pact to bankrupt struggling business customers? The evidence from dossiers compiled by the businessmen Lawrence Tomlinson and Neil Mitchell is superficially shocking, although as yet inconclusive. Anecdotal evidence that Royal Bank of Scotland’s global restructuring group has nudged clients into administration when alternative outcomes were achievable have circulated [...]
Why the latest robot war is much more exciting than who – or what – delivers to your door December 4, 2013 The battle of earth and sky may be about to become automated, as Google reveals it's taken over seven robotics companies over the last six months. The New York Times reports that, at this stage, the internet titan doesn't plan on selling the products it's developing to consumers. So, suggests the paper, perhaps they'll be [...]
Betfair targets Italy and US for expansion December 3, 2013 Internet betting company Betfair has announced profit before tax of £31.7m in the six months ended 31 October and reported that it's been making "good progress" on a new exchange in Italy, along with the launch of a new online casino in New Jersey. Chief executive Breon Corcoran said that cost reductions over the past year [...]
Five reasons why delivery drones won’t take off December 2, 2013 The news is buzzing with hopes for Amazon's drone-based delivery service. But skies in the UK will remain quiet for the time-being. Here’s why. 1. REGULATIONJohn Moreland, a spokesperson for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Systems Association (UAVS), says that regulatory fears over drone technology still hold back development. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) wants all [...]
Five reasons delivery drones won’t take off December 2, 2013 The news is buzzing with hopes for Amazon's drone-based delivery service – Prime Air. But skies in the UK will remain quieter for the time-being. Here's why. 1. Regulation John Moreland, a spokesperson for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Systems Association (UAVS) says that regulator fears over drone technology still hold back development. The Civil Aviation [...]
Government urges energy companies to freeze prices until 2015 November 29, 2013 The coalition has called on the big six energy companies to freeze their prices until 2015. According to Sky news sources, energy secretary Ed Davey has written to the country's six largest energy companies asking them to freeze their prices until the general election. Should there be no dramatic rise in the wholesale price of [...]
BT Sport in exclusive NBA rights win causing another blow to Sky November 28, 2013 BT SCORED another blow to Sky Sports yesterday with the announcement that it signed an exclusive rights deal for the broadcast of top NBA games in the UK and Ireland. The deal will see up to 200 of the games broadcast during the season on BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and ESPN, with seven [...]
Letters to the editor – 29/11 – A new Germany, UK savings crisis, Best of Twitter November 28, 2013 A new Germany [Re: Germany’s new coalition will make little change to Merkel’s euro policies, yesterday] The coalition may not cause an explicit change in Germany policy towards Europe, but the consequences of the SPD’s influence on internal economic policy may nevertheless have far-reaching consequences. A national minimum wage and higher pension contribution burdens for [...]
Xbox One: know your console November 27, 2013 Everything you need to know about the long-awaited sequel to the Xbox 360 LIVE TV TV and video signals from set top boxes such as Sky, Freeview and Virgin can be fed through the console so you don’t have to switch inputs between gaming and watching TV. But British users have experienced compatibility problems, complaining [...]