Your vintage wine tastes better because of earlier harvests brought on by… climate change March 22, 2016 Higher temperatures in France brought on by climate change are producing "exceptional vintages", according to research published in Nature Climate Change. Climate change had "fundamentally altered the climatic drivers of early wine grape harvests in France" by accelerating the time it takes for wine grapes to mature, which in turn creates higher quality wine. "Historically, [...]
Brussels airport explosions: Facebook Safety Check activated for Brussels terror attacks March 22, 2016 Facebook has deployed Safety Check, a feature designed to alert loved ones that you're ok in an emergency, after the Brussels terror attack. Explosions at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro killed more than 30 people and seriously injured many more. Some have criticised the tech company for not activating the feature earlier, however, while others have asked why [...]
Law firm Ashurst launches Ashurst Advance to boost its research and development and innovation March 22, 2016 Law firm Ashurst has today launched Ashurst Advance, a new team which will be focused on developing legal services innovations for clients. In particular, Ashurst Advance will be performing research and development (R&D) activities and examining how lawyers can improve client service through factors like better use of technology and more efficient processes. "What is really [...]
Micro Focus share price rises after UK company announces $540m deal to acquire US firm Serena Software March 22, 2016 UK software company Micro Focus has announced a $540m (£379m) deal to acquire US firm Serena Software. Privately-owned Serena Software is headquartered in California, but is managed from Hillsboro, Oregon, and St Albans in the UK. It also operates in 10 other countries. Serena reported revenues of $176.2m in the year to 31 January 2015 and adjusted [...]
Neelie Kroes joins Salesforce board: Fromer EU competition chief hot on tech regualtion just joined a tech company March 22, 2016 Neelie Kroes, the woman who spent more than a decade overseeing competition in the EU, has joined the board of US-based global tech firm Salesforce. With nicknames such as Nickel Neelie or Steely Neelie, Kroes handled antitrust cases involving many of the world's largest telecoms and tech firms. “She is an amazing and respected leader who has done extraordinary work [...]
Brussels cats return to Twitter after twin attacks in Belgian city leave at least 34 dead, more than 100 wounded March 22, 2016 Brussels' residents are once again finding solace against terrorism in cat pictures. The Belgian city was the scene of a lockdown in November as authorities attempted to trace suspects behind the Paris attacks, which killed 130 people. At the time, residents were asked not to tweet pictures that might tip off suspects – prompting a wave of cat [...]
Sports Direct’s share price flops after founder Mike Ashley admits the company is “in trouble” and blames MPs for a storm of negative publicity March 22, 2016 The share price of controversial sportswear retailer Sports Direct has tumbled after billionaire boss Mike Ashley admitted in a rare interview the company is "in trouble", and "not trading very well". Speaking to The Times, Ashley blamed MPs for creating a storm of negativity around the retailer, and accused them of “abuse of parliamentary process” by requesting he attend [...]
London, Paris, New York and Washington step up security in wake of Brussels attacks at Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek Metro station March 22, 2016 Police services in London, New York and Washington have stepped up security measures today, in the wake of two apparently coordinated attacks in Brussels this morning. The suicide attacks – at Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek Metro station – are thought to have killed at least 26 people and wounded dozens more, some seriously. Around 200 flights [...]
Every one per cent of growth in the UK’s legal sector adds another £379m and 8,000 jobs to the economy, finds report March 22, 2016 Legal eagles are adding a substantial chunk to the UK's bottom line, as the legal sector is now valued at over £25bn, a report out today has found. The study published today by the Law Society discovered that every one per cent of growth in the UK's legal services sector adds an additional £379m to the economy and [...]