(ShareCast News) - A district court judge in the US has thrown out investor lawsuits against Barclays and a host of exchanges, dismissing claims that the bank rigged its "dark pool" trading venue in favour of high-frequency traders. The multi-district litigation was part of a litany of claims set off by Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt, Michael Lewis's best-selling book published last year. In it, Mr Lewis argued that high-frequency traders were able to gain an unfair advantage because stock exchanges and "dark pools" - broker-run trading venues that allow buyers and sellers to swap shares with greater anonymity - had enabled those traders to obtain and trade on market data faster than other investors. - Financial TimesFacebook has created a virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence that can do everything from organising birthday parties to calling companies so users do not have to spend hours on hold. The M service - which will run inside Facebook Messenger - is the company's attempt to challenge Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana, virtual personal assistants that communicate using voice recognition software. - Financial TimesTowergate and its majority owner face a £20 million bill after settling a breach of contract claim over its poaching of several executives from its broking rival Arthur J Gallagher. The group, one of Britain's biggest independent insurance brokers to small and medium-sized businesses, has agreed to pay £8 million to Gallagher in two instalments, the first this month followed by another payment in April. - The TimesChina has embarked on a criminal pursuit of rogue banks and brokerages in a crackdown designed to stop money fleeing the country as it struggles to stave off a stock market collapse. Authorities are investigating five of the country's biggest brokers and have launched a probe against "underground banks" for financial malpractice, which they claim has helped trigger record levels of capital flight. - TelegraphEngland's enterprise zones got off to a slow start from their launch in 2012 but according to government figures published on Thursday they have now created 19,000 jobs and attracted 540 companies and £2.2bn of private investment. The 24 zones, which offer companies business rate discounts and tax reliefs, were launched by the coalition government with the aim, subsequently scaled down, of creating 54,000 jobs by 2015. - Financial TimesTravellers heading to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are now getting the best currency rates seen since the financial crisis, data compiled for This is Money reveals. In the last 12 months alone, the pound has soared 22 per cent against the Australian dollar, giving holidaymakers far more bang for their buck Down Under, according to FairFX figures. Yesterday, travellers could get 2.173 Australian dollars to the pound, compared to 1.778 this time last year, the currency exchange specialist says. - Daily Mail
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