From Mad Men to micro-targeting: The internet has democratised advertising July 23, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has shown that the internet is something we can no longer live without. It has helped us to connect with loved ones we have been unable to physically meet, build communities and groups online to provide help to those who needed it most, and crucially it has enabled small businesses to continue [...]
High-profile Twitter users’ private messages hacked in cyber attack July 23, 2020 Twitter has admitted that at least 36 users have had their private messages hacked in a cyber attack connected to last week’s high-profile bitcoin-related hack, raising concerns that well-known victims could be extorted. Hackers last week took over the official Twitter accounts of more than 130 blue-ticked users, including politicians such as Joe Biden and [...]
BBC reaches record global audience in 2020 despite cash crunch July 23, 2020 The BBC reached its highest ever audience in 2020, the broadcaster announced today, as it faces the most serious financial difficulty in its 97-year history amid the coronavirus pandemic. The public service broadcaster announced it reached 468.2m people a week in 2020, with BBC News scooping up the bulk of the share with 438.3m weekly [...]
Brexit: No progress expected in latest round of UK-EU trade talks July 23, 2020 UK and EU negotiators are expected to announce today that no significant progress had been made in the latest round of Brexit trade deal negotiations. Boris Johnson last month said he wanted the framework of free trade deal agreed between the UK and EU by July, however it looks like this deadline will pass with [...]
Phone masts as tall as Nelson’s Column will be allowed under new guidelines to speed up 5G rollout July 23, 2020 Mobile phone masts as tall as Nelson’s Column will be allowed without full planning permission, as the government last night ripped up guidelines in an effort to speed up the UK rollout of 5G and eliminate connectivity “not spots”. MPs yesterday scrapped rules requiring phone masts higher than 25 metres, or 20 metres in national [...]
Johnson Matthey banks on second half after sales drop July 23, 2020 Catalytic converter maker Johnson Matthey said that its first half performance had been “materially below” last year’s due to the coronavirus pandemic. The FTSE 100 firm said that a fall in sales in its clean air division as a result of lower demand and temporary shutdowns was the main cause of the decline. In a [...]
Daimler sets sights on profit after sales slump due to coronavirus July 23, 2020 German car giant Daimler said it expected profit to rebound in the second half of the year even as it reported a 34 per cent fall in vehicle sales due to coronavirus. In total, the Mercedes-Benz owner said vehicle sales in the second quarter totalled 541,800, down from 821,700 in the same period last year. [...]
Watchdog slams government for lack of pandemic economic plan July 23, 2020 Parliament’s financial watchdog has slammed the government for its failure to plan for the economic consequences of a pandemic, saying it was “astonished” that the UK was not better prepared. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the Treasury waited until mid-March to design schemes to support the economy. That was despite it [...]
G4S shares surge as outsourcer beats first half expectations July 23, 2020 Outsourcing giant G4S said that it had beaten its first half expectations for profit after a solid performance by its core security division. Shares in the firm rose 6.2 per cent as markets opened this morning. The figures Profit at the firm fell 4.6 per cent over the period, down from £196m last year to [...]
Ofcom orders TV, phone and internet providers to stop preying on vulnerable customers July 23, 2020 Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has ordered phone, broadband and pay-TV companies to stop threatening to disconnect vulnerable customers struggling to pay their bills amid financial uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic. In new guidance issued this morning, Ofcom said the coronavirus pandemic has increased the likelihood of customers’ circumstances changing suddenly, making it more likely some customers [...]