Sunday trading hours: Why the campaign against changes to the law by industry groups and Tory MPs is utterly bonkers March 7, 2016 I am confused, bemused and somewhat irritated by the constant threats from MPs, trading bodies and groups around the country to derail the government’s plans to relax the Sunday trading laws. Creating barriers to trade is out-dated and puts the UK at risk. More than 20 Tory Ministers and MPs have threatened to block the plans before [...]
Super Tuesday 2016 results: Donald Trump’s meteoric rise to Republican front-runner should surprise no-one March 2, 2016 Even close observers of politics are flummoxed, astounded and surprised by the meteoric rise of Donald Trump – they shouldn’t be. Many will be thinking that a real estate mogul, part-time reality TV star, and self-proclaimed non-politician has no business running for the most powerful elected office in the world, but is that really the [...]
Fintech Week 2016: How London can become the fintech capital of the world March 2, 2016 Events like last week's Fintech Week show the government's commitment to be more than just words. But there is plenty more the government can – and must – do to ensure London cements its place as the global leader in fintech. There are several short-term pragmatic steps they could take, like setting up centres of excellence in specific fintech streams, [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Labour candidate Sadiq Khan wants to crack down on Uber drivers to “level the playing field” March 1, 2016 Labour London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has hinted that he might crack down on Uber if he is elected in May. During an interview on London radio station LBC, Khan noted there had been a spike in the number of private hire vehicles, including Uber, at the cost of the number of black cabs on the streets. [...]
Will VW super-cars leave diesel-gate in the dust? March 1, 2016 If you happened to miss out on all the Oscar buzz and are still browsing Mail Online to decide whether Leonardo DiCaprio’s suit was a hit or miss, stop wasting your time! Because the greatest red-carpet show in Europe is kicking off this week in Geneva at the eighty-sixth International Motor Show. And this year, [...]
So-called Chinese Google Baidu sees share price rocket as profit jumps 663 per cent and revenue climbs in fourth quarter February 25, 2016 Shares in Chinese internet giant Baidu have rocketed by 13.13 per cent in after hours trading, after the company reported 663 per cent growth in profit in the final quarter of 2015, up to 24.7bn yuan (£2.7bn) from 3.2bn yuan in the same period of 2014. The group,sometimes referred to as China's Google, also posted revenue [...]
Uber is losing $1bn in China every year due to “fierce competitor” Didi Kuaidi, says chief executive Travis Kalanick February 19, 2016 Taxi-hire app Uber is losing more than $1bn (£699m) a year in China as it battles against what it has branded a "fierce competitor", according to chief executive Travis Kalanick. Uber launched in China in 2014, competing against the country's largest taxi app, Didi Kuaidi. The California-based firm is available in more than 40 cities [...]
Lloyds Banking Group’s private equity arm buy stake in same-day delivery firm CitySprint February 18, 2016 A private equity firm owned by Lloyds Banking Group has bought a stake in same-day delivery firm CitySprint in a deal valuing the business at £175m. LDC said the secondary management buyout will see CitySprint's current private equity owner Dunedin retain a stake in the courier while the management team led by chief executive Patrick Gallagher, retains [...]
Uber, Airbnb, eBay and Etsy: 2.5m people a month are now part of the online sharing economy, finds JP Morgan February 18, 2016 From selling items on eBay to renting out a spare room on Airbnb, 2.5m people each month are now earning money from the sharing economy, according to one of the most comprehensive studies of the new and fast-growing part of the economy to date. Those participating, who are more likely to be young and on lower incomes, earn around 20 to 30 per [...]
Forget Uber, take a flying water taxi home on Friday nights instead – as French inventor Alain Thebault shows off his SeaBubble February 16, 2016 Forget the ongoing battles between London’s traditional black cabs and Uber – if a French inventor has his way, flying water taxis could soon be hovering over the Thames. Boris Johnson is apparently among a group which has contacted the inventor, Alain Thebault, to ask about his new lightweight “SeaBubble” vehicle. The SeaBubble, described as “a bubble with [...]