Channel 4 privatisation plans heat up amid media deal frenzy June 1, 2021 Ministers have taken another step forward in plans to explore a potential sale of Channel 4 as the growing popularity of streaming sparks a frenzy of major media dealmaking. The state-owned broadcaster has reportedly been added to a list of assets that could be sold as the Treasury looks to shore up the country’s finances [...]
Second-hand market ripens as China’s $3bn platform plots US IPO July 5, 2021 Tencent-backed online second-hand marketplace Beijing Zhuanzhuan Spirit Technology (BZST) is plotting a $400m funding round ahead of an initial public offering, according to reports. BZST, currently valued at $3bn, is trying to gauge interest from private equity and strategic investors, Bloomberg first reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The second-hand retailer is eyeing a [...]
Wings over the world as Blackbird flies high with unique technology May 9, 2022 It might be said that it was only a matter of time before London-based Blackbird plc won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Afterall it is a company that the world seems increasingly to need and as a consequence is growing rapidly, especially overseas, particularly in America. In the last year Blackbird has won a raft [...]
Snapchat’s UK boss Ed Couchman: Snap looks to snap back May 9, 2022 Five years ago, Snapchat’s parent firm Snap floated on the New York Stock Exchange in what was hailed as a milestone for the once-disruptor in the social media landscape. The plucky underdog – at least compared to other messaging and social media apps – listed at $24 a share in an IPO twelve times oversubscribed. [...]
Age hits equally, but the gender pension gap doesn’t May 19, 2022 According to Amazon’s rankings, the best selling products for sixty-plus Brits are elevated toilet seats, pill organisers and pain relief creams. As elderly age affects the population regardless of gender, Amazon’s pensioners’ insights don’t take into account whether the buyer is a man or a woman – raised toilet seats are so far yet to [...]
Avoid losing wi-fi signal in your home or office again April 14, 2021 One of the most frustrating parts of modern life is finding that so-called wireless technology can be blocked by walls and ceilings, causing to fall out of wi-fi range in your home. Sidestep this annoyance with Devolo Mesh WiFi 2, a nifty wi-fi booster that uses your home’s own powerline to transmit data and boost [...]
Hong Kong’s new censorship rules will ban some films based on ‘national security’ August 24, 2021 Hong Kong authorities have proposed a series of law changes to scrutinise previously approved films and new productions which it deems threats to national security. The city’s government announced today to amend the Film Censorship Ordinance, which requires censors to assess a product’s impact on national security before offering their endorsement. The new arrangement will [...]
Boris Johnson signals willingness for new UK online tax on internet giants March 10, 2021 Boris Johnson has today signalled he could be open to a new online tax on tech giants like Amazon, while highlighting the taxation “discrepancy” between digital and bricks and mortar businesses. Johnson said during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today that chancellor Rishi Sunak has “tried to address” the discrepancy “in an equitable way”. Sunak has [...]
Amazon shares slump after online retailer posts third-quarter profit drop October 24, 2019 Shares in online retail giant Amazon slumped in after-hours trading this evening after the firm reported a slump in third-quarter profit. Shares in Jeff Bezos’ company fell as much as eight per cent after it posted a fall in net income for the first time in two years, from $2.88bn to $2.13bn in the three [...]
DEBATE: Will a global minimum corporate tax lead to real change for multinational giants? June 9, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has agreed to back a deal with G7 nations to create a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 per cent. The agreement has been hailed a world-first to crack down on multinationals shifting profits to low-tax countries in order to skirt tax rules. The proposal, however, has also been [...]