America under Trump: What would Donald do to trade, the dollar and investment in the US? May 25, 2016 Donald Trump is the last man standing in the Republican race for the White House. With six months to go until November’s presidential election, it’s almost certain Trump will stand against Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton. A businessman with no political experience, Trump has been pretty vague on policy details and some of his claims are so [...]
Fabre’s Cloth of Stars set for Investec Derby May 24, 2016 Mickael Barzalona is confident Andre Fabre’s Cloth Of Stars has what it takes to give him a second Investec Derby success from just his second ride in the historic race. The Frenchman shot to fame aged 19 when he produced Pour Moi to win right on the line in the 2011 renewal, famously standing up [...]
Reform Openreach’s relationship with BT or public anger at the UK broadband market will only rise May 24, 2016 Anyone who read the papers last week might be forgiven for thinking that Britain’s broadband troubles are over. After years of rising anger about poor reliability, speed and coverage, a new piece of legislation is on the way, aiming to deliver universal coverage. Unfortunately, this is not a panacea and, while the recently announced Digital [...]
Catch some waves in beautiful Taghazout Bay: The upcoming surf-capital of Morocco May 16, 2016 Agadir and its coastline have been likened to the French Riviera, but while this windswept Atlantic resort has its charms, it would be generous to call it a Moroccan Saint-Tropez. What Agadir lacks in va-va-voom, however, it makes up for with action. Ten miles north of Agadir is Taghazout, a laid-back beach town and Mecca [...]
The Angry Birds Movie is a story for children about a collection of rare birds violently catapulted into shoddily built towers May 12, 2016 In a post-Battleship world, it seems no premise or product is too remote to base a film on. Step in Angry Birds, the mobile game that was the saviour of long commutes everywhere when it burst on to the scene in 2009. The spin-off movie was met with incredulity but hopes have quietly risen given [...]
The UK economy is in desperate need of a productivity roadmap to give it a much needed boost May 10, 2016 It’s no secret poor productivity is partly to blame for the slowing of GDP growth. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics illustrate labour productivity fell by 1.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2015 from the third quarter, the biggest drop since the financial crisis in 2008. The latest ICAEW Economic Forecast [...]
Horse racing betting: Linguistic looks set to read the script perfectly for Gosden May 5, 2016 There is some decent action at Chester and Ascot on Friday and the highlight on the Roodee is the Ormonde Stakes (3.10pm). This Group Three prize has been won by some top class horses in recent years, but today’s contest doesn’t look that strong with Dartmouth top rated. I don’t have a strong view so [...]
Labour’s Sadiq Khan can’t be trusted to deliver for Londoners – but Zac is a man I can do business with May 4, 2016 When I first became chancellor six years ago, I inherited a British economy and a London economy that were on their knees. It’s why on day one we immediately put a plan in place to rescue the public finances while laying the foundations for recovery. London led that recovery, bouncing back first and fastest. With [...]
Daimler just became the latest car manufacturer to look into its diesel emissions figures April 22, 2016 Another car manufacturer is in trouble, after Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler announced an internal investigation into its emissions certification in the US on Friday. The probe came at the request of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to look into the Daimler’s certification process for diesel exhaust emissions. In the same breath, the company defended itself against a class-action lawsuit filed [...]
Uber agrees $100m settlement as agreement reached that drivers are still contractors – not employees April 22, 2016 Uber has agreed a $100m (£69m) class-action settlement with its drivers, allowing the ride-sharing app to continue classifying its drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. The lawsuits – one in California and one in Massachusetts – will be settled with a payment of $84m to the two plaintiffs, while a second $16m payment will be [...]