Uber’s facing some serious allegations of sexism, harassment and a toxic work culture February 20, 2017 Uber is facing serious allegations of sexism in the workplace after explosive revelations from a former engineer at the billion-dollar startup. Chief executive Travis Kalanick labelled the behaviour "abhorrent" and "against everything we believe in", promising an investigation, after former engineer Susan Fowler published details of her experience at the company. In the blog post, she describes being [...]
Founding Fathers 1, populists 0: The US constitution is taming Trump February 20, 2017 “Through all the gloom I can see rays of ravishing light and glory.” – John Adams to his wife Abigail, July 3, 1776, after Congress voted for Independence “Good people don’t go into government.” – Donald Trump Donald Trump’s first month in office ended with a bizarre, rambling press conference that made incompetence into a [...]
Amazon creates thousands of new jobs in another win for post-Brexit UK and Expedia expands London office February 20, 2017 Amazon is the latest US tech giant to commit to the UK after the vote for Brexit, promising to create thousands of new jobs by the end of the year. Some 5,000 full-time jobs will be created across Amazon's business in the UK, bringing total headcount to 24,000 by the end of 2017. The plans include jobs [...]
The government must relax visa rules to safeguard our tech boom February 20, 2017 The UK digital technology sector is emerging as a global force. A record £6.7bn was invested in UK tech firms in 2016, more than any other European country. In contrast, the automotive sector received £1.66bn in investment. This record boom means the sector already accounts for 16 per cent of domestic output compared with 10 per [...]
German minister hits out at London Stock Exchange bosses over mega-merger February 19, 2017 Politicians from the German state of Hesse say LSE bosses are insisting on London as the legal base for the merged LSE-Deutsche Boerse exchange due to concerns about the post-Brexit future. The proposed £21bn mega-merger is pending approval by the European Commission, and Hesse, the German state which includes the city of Frankfurt, home to [...]
Prime Minister Theresa May to meet Peugeot boss to discuss Vauxhall takeover deal February 18, 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May will meet the boss of Peugeot SA to discuss the group’s takeover bid for General Motors’ (GM) European operations, including British brand Vauxhall. May has been invited to meet the chair of the managing board of Peugeot SA (PSA), Carlos Tavares, to discuss the deal. A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed there [...]
American commitment to Nato is “unwavering” says US vice president Mike Pence February 18, 2017 American vice president Mike Pence has told world leaders the US would remain committed to Nato, after President Donald Trump questioned the worth of the military alliance. Pence offered “unwavering” commitment to Nato and said the US “is now and will always be your greatest ally” to delegates including German chancellor Angela Merkel at a security [...]
Activist investor takes swipe at Johnston Press chief executive after building up 21 per cent stake February 17, 2017 The activist investor building up a stake in Johnston Press has taken a first public swipe at the newspaper group’s chief executive since becoming its biggest shareholder. Richard Bernstein, who leads the Crystal Amber fund, has told City A.M. he lacks “confidence” in Johnston Press boss Ashley Highfield to lead the company out of trouble. [...]
Another Southern rail strike is going ahead: RMT announces 24-hour walkout next week February 15, 2017 The RMT union has announced a fresh 24-hour strike on Southern rail will take place on Wednesday 22 February in the long-running staffing dispute. Conductors will strike for 24 hours between 00:01 and 23:59, after fresh talks broke down yesterday. Read more: Days lost to strike action soared 89 per cent last year Mick Cash, RMT [...]
Ageas global performance hit as UK operations swing into the red February 15, 2017 Insurance giant Ageas today revealed profits had tumbled over the last year with losses spiralling in the UK while the firm works through a painful restructuring and prepares for regulatory changes. The net result of the Belgium-headquartered group plummeted to €127m (£108m), down from €770m. UK operations swung from black to red, posting a €56m loss in 2016, compared with a €30m [...]