Para-cycling: Discipline setting positive precedent for inclusivity in disability sport September 9, 2018 Disability sport is always fighting for something: more participants, more funding, more exposure. It’s been an ever-present, worthy battle – and one which has been making progress. The Paralympic Games are the pinnacle of the movement; a visible global competition with a wide reach. But by their very nature the Games have a limited impact. [...]
Amazon Prime’s US Open coverage represents a missed opportunity for streaming September 9, 2018 When Amazon purchased the UK television rights for the US Open earlier this year in a £30m five-year deal, the acquisition seemed like the next stage of streaming giants acting as great disruptors to the established media order. Potentially, Amazon could shape live sports broadcasting in ways that we can't yet imagine, much in the [...]
Jack Ma to unveil succession plan after reports he will retire from Alibaba September 8, 2018 One of China's richest men Jack Ma will unveil a succession strategy on Monday following reports he is preparing to retire from internet giant Alibaba. Ma, who co-founded the Chinese tech behemoth in 1999, told the New York Times he planned to retire and focus on philanthropy in education. The e-commerce empire, with a market [...]
Waterstones acquires Foyles bookshops as it squares up to Amazon September 7, 2018 Waterstones has announced the acquisition of the Foyles bookshops, saying the combined business will be stronger in the face of Amazon's "siren call". The 115-year old Foyles has seven shops including four in London, one of which is its large flagship on Charing Cross Road. Waterstones managing director James Daunt said he looked forward to "joining forces" [...]
English whisky maker The Lakes Distillery considers IPO on London’s junior market September 7, 2018 English whisky maker The Lakes Distillery is mulling a listing on London's junior market, it revealed this morning. The company has appointed N+1 Singer as its nominated adviser and broker and convened a meeting to gain shareholder approval later this month. Lakes Distillery, which was founded in 2011, would look to raised up to £15m [...]
Editor’s notes: Jeff Bezos should look closer to home for ideas on where to spend his fortune, new peer Bethell is a Lord to applaud, and the Economist shows how to stand up to social media bullies September 7, 2018 Amazon has joined Apple in the ranks of $1 trillion companies based on market capitalisation. Shortly before his company hit this massive (but meaningless) valuation, founder Jeff Bezos was pondering how to spend his vast wealth. Bezos is estimated to be sitting on a $130bn (£100bn) fortune – and earlier this summer he was asked [...]
Hammond rows back on pledge to ease tax burden for self-employed workers September 6, 2018 Chancellor Philip Hammond has abandoned plans to give 3.4m self-employed people a tax break, it emerged earlier today. In a move to free up £350m for potential extra NHS funding, the Treasury is scrapping a tax cut that would have saved the UK’s self-employed workers an average £134. The relief had first been revealed in [...]
It’s hubris to believe that we can or should reshape the economy September 6, 2018 On Wednesday, the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, fronted the final report of the IPPR’s Commission on Economic Justice. It makes an interesting read, but is otherwise a completely over-the-top attack on current economic policy, with a wishlist of mainly unworkable policies attached. It begins with an examination of everything that the Commission – made [...]
A land levy would be far fairer than our punitive business rates September 6, 2018 We have by now all heard about the crisis facing our high streets, and the burden of business rates in particular. But while high-profile retail struggles like that of House of Fraser and Maplin have brought this issue into the headlines, the problems with this badly designed tax run far deeper. Contrary to what any economist [...]
Amazon hits a trillion-dollar valuation September 4, 2018 Amazon has become the second ever US publicly-listed company to hit a $1 trillion market valuation. Amazon shares briefly passed over the $2,050.27 mark needed to break the milestone earlier this afternoon, before dropping back down to $2,035.56. It crossed the $2,000 per share threshold last Thursday, amid doubts from Wall Street that placed it [...]