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1. Dubai plans experimental self-driving taxi

Dubai’s roads and transport authority has unveiled what it describes as the region’s first autonomous taxi. The vehicle can drive at speeds of up to 35km/h and can accommodate four riders, including a standby driver, in the cabin. A three-month trial run of the vehicle will start towards the end of this year on designated routes.

2. Online shops burn Sears

US retailer Sears has filed for bankruptcy. The retailer, which once dominated America’s shopping malls, has suffered from rising online competition and is grappling with more than $5bn in debt. It filed for bankruptcy protection after it could not meet a $134m repayment that is due this week. The company employs nearly 90,000 people in the US.

3. Edcon refreshes homeware

Edcon, SA’S largest nonfood retailer, announced the launch of Edgars Home — a concept store that replaces its Boardmans brand. It will be rolled out with a refreshed look and feel in the Edgars network in both standalone and shop-in-shop formats. The first Edgars Home store will be launched on October 26.

4. Dunhill wins court struggle

Richemont-owned Alfred Dunhill scored a victory in a long-running Chinese trademark battle centring on a largescale copycat operation. The Foshan Intermediate People’s Court ordered Chinese menswear label Danhuoli, which reportedly brings in nearly $15m in annual revenue by trading on the Dunhill likeness, to pay Dunhill $1.47m and to cease permanently all use of the infringing logo, known for the elongated lettering of its name.