US tech giant Google hit with record-breaking fine amid Android app controversy | City A.M. July 18, 2018 Google has been slapped with a record €4.3bn (£3.8bn) fine over claims that the tech giant abused its dominance in the mobile operating systems market. The penalty, which relates to Google’s “illegal practices” in making its search engine the default on the majority of Android mobiles, was announced at midday today by Margrethe Vestager, the [...]
Steak restaurant chain Gaucho has filed for administration | City A.M. July 18, 2018 Steak restaurant Gaucho is expected to fall into administration as early as today after rescue talks for the chain failed. The company has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, it confirmed this morning. “Despite an extensive options process which attracted proposals from a number of parties, it is with regret that due [...]
Sir Cliff Richard awarded £210,000 in damages after winning privacy battle with BBC | City A.M. July 18, 2018 Pop star Sir Cliff Richard has won £210,000 in damages from the BBC after the broadcaster televised a police raid of his home while he was being investigated for historic child sexual assault claims. The case against Richard was eventually dropped, but the musician argued the BBC’s coverage which filmed the raid from helicopters caused [...]
STEM skills are needed, but don’t neglect the value of arts degrees to technology companies | City A.M. July 18, 2018 Amid concerns of skills shortages in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the UK government is doubling down its focus on STEM curriculum in schools and higher education, going as far as excluding arts and creative subjects from the English Baccalaureate. This is a mistake for our future workforce, because it denies students the opportunity [...]
Digital screens and VR is cool, but artificial intelligence is creepy to most consumers | City A.M. July 18, 2018 Fingerprint scanners, voice recognition, targeted ads, home voice assistants. These technologies are all part of everyday modern life and are revolutionising the way retailers sell their products to consumers across the world. But have we actually taken the time to stop and consider what customers think of our ever increasing arsenal of tech tricks to [...]
Tesla boss Elon Musk apologises after cave diver ‘pedo’ comments | City A.M. July 18, 2018 Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has apologised today to the British diver involved in the Thai cave rescue who Musk labelled as a “pedo” on Twitter. Musk had described British diver Vern Unsworth as a “pedo guy” on Twitter after Unsworth had dismissed Musk’s offer of a mini-submarine for the cave rescue as a “PR [...]
Premier Foods chief defends strategy ahead of crucial AGM vote | City A.M. July 18, 2018 Premier Foods boss Gavin Darby has defended the group’s strategy ahead of a crucial vote at its AGM today. Activist investors Oasis and Paulson oppose Darby’s re-election and have both built up bigger stakes in the company over the last two weeks. Oasis has described the chief exec’s tenure as ‘five years of failure’. But [...]
The NHS spending spree based on the “Brexit dividend” is just another Theresa May fudge | City A.M. July 18, 2018 One would think Theresa May had enough Brexit-related fights on her hands without provoking another one – but that is exactly what Downing Street is doing by belligerently insisting that an illusory “Brexit dividend” will contribute to higher NHS costs. The government’s own fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), yesterday became the latest [...]
Trump backtracks on comments regarding Russian election interference | City A.M. July 17, 2018 US President Donald Trump did a swift U-turn in a meeting with members of Congress this evening, saying that he misspoke when he yesterday rejected the findings of US intelligence agencies into Russia’s interference with the 2016 election. Trump said that he had meant to say he saw no reason why Russia wouldn’t be responsible [...]
Brexit: Rebel Conservative and opposition MPs fail to defeat government on key customs union amendment to Trade Bill | City A.M. July 17, 2018 Remainer rebels in the Conservatives and Labour MPs have failed to derail Theresa May over her Brexit policy, leaving the Prime Minister bruised but not beaten yet again. An amendment to the government’s Trade Bill, requiring the UK to seek customs union membership if frictionless trade is not secure by January next year, was opposed [...]