10 things you need to know about Whatsapp’s founders February 20, 2014 So, Facebook has opened the giant gates to its social coffers again – this time forking out $19bn for Whatsapp – making it its most expensive shopping trip ever. It makes Facebook’s offer of $3bn for Snapchat in November last year look like small change. Zuckerberg and his desire to control all inter-friend communication [...]
Bottom Line: Cuddly airline doing more to entice flyers November 4, 2013 MICHAEL O’Leary’s new, customer-friendly persona was out in force yesterday when he was asked about his response to his rivals’ ticket prices. “I don’t give a toss… in a warm and cuddly sort of way,” he told reporters. And when asked about whether Ryanair’s profit warning spelled the end of the no-frills experience, he pondered: [...]
Smart Josses Hill can go one better in today’s opener April 3, 2014 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE BEST OF THE ACTION AT AINTREE TODAY AND TOMORROW TIME will probably tell that JOSSES HILL bumped into an absolute monster in Vautour at the Cheltenham Festival last month. Willie Mullins’ powerhouse smashed the track record, held by none other than the mighty three-time Champion Hurdle hero Istabraq, that day and [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 10 December 2013 December 9, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Home Secretary criticised for red tape Theresa May has been accused by cabinet colleagues of undermining the government’s pro-business agenda by refusing to cut red tape in the Home Office. The Home Secretary was sent a “scathing letter” late last month by Michael Fallon, the Conservative business minister, and Vince Cable, the Liberal [...]
London Report: Survey figures forecast to show more UK growth February 2, 2014 MANUFACTURING data, due out today, is the first of the UK survey figures that will be the highlights of this week’s economic calendar. Construction figures will follow tomorrow and services data on Wednesday, with all sectors expected to show further growth. Industrial production data is due on Friday. Martin Beck of Capital Economics said: “On [...]
Stansted is back in growth for first time since the recession January 14, 2014 STANSTED Airport has returned to growth last year for the first time since the recession, with annual traffic up 2.2 per cent to 17.8m passengers. The airport said yesterday it took 1.3m passengers in December, up 7.7 per cent on the previous year and the fourth consecutive month of rising traffic. Manchester Airports Group bought [...]
City & Gild: As the economy improves, a new battle between value and volume emerges January 31, 2014 What should the consumer make of the recent spat between Adidas and Sports Direct, and how will the unfolding saga affect each brand? At the end of last year, the German sportswear giant refused to supply the retail chain with Chelsea latest replica kit. From my perspective, there will no doubt be some turbulence in [...]
Train with no seats may ease congestion November 25, 2013 BRITAIN’S railways could carry more commuters without spending billions on upgrades if trains offered third-class carriages with almost no seats, a report out yesterday claimed. Passengers could pay a fifth less to travel in a “high-density” section that would be modelled on the London Overground carriages, the paper by transport expert David Starkie for the [...]
EasyJet adds passengers November 6, 2013 EASYJET posted a 5.4 per cent rise in traffic for the last month, prompting relieved investors to send its shares up 0.9 per cent yesterday. The firm, whose rival Ryanair issued a profit warning on Monday, said it carried 5.5m passengers in October, adding customers in spite of air traffic control strikes in France and [...]
Stansted says it will keep growing despite Davies thumbs down December 17, 2013 STANSTED executives were stoic yesterday after the airport was left off the shortlist for a new runway. The airport, which was taken over by Manchester Airports Group in February, had set out plans to build a second runway – and Boris Johnson had talked up the site’s prospects as a five-runway hub. However, Sir Howard [...]