Syria is the climax in the long battle over the soul of American foreign policy October 28, 2019 In defying the American foreign policy establishment, I once wrote a book that cost me my job. In 2006, in response to the looming debacle in Iraq, the British thinker Anatol Lieven and I wrote Ethical Realism. It was a broadside castigating the brain-dead, pro-interventionist intellectual sameness of the US foreign policy establishment, and the [...]
DEBATE: Is there any point to LinkedIn? October 28, 2019 Is there any point to LinkedIn? Asad Moghal, digital and content manager at legal PR specialist Byfield Consultancy, says YES. It is probably obvious from my job title why I would say this, but there is a point to LinkedIn. Since Microsoft purchased the platform in 2016, LinkedIn has successfully changed its reputation as the [...]
The UK has a vital role to play in leading the global fourth industrial revolution October 28, 2019 For nearly a year, my mayoral programme – Shaping Tomorrow’s City Today – has promoted UK innovation and technology, addressed social and digital exclusion, and championed digital skills. And during my recent business delegation visit to Kenya, I saw the great potential that technological innovation offers to individuals and communities seeking financial empowerment. Over the [...]
Online retail acquisitions rise with high streets in decline October 28, 2019 The number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) among online retailers rose markedly in 2019, new analysis has shown, as companies faced shareholder pressure to boost their web-based sales. Read more: Major UK retailers suffer plunging profit margins The number of M&A deals among UK online retailers rose to 12 in the year to June, City-based [...]
Wealthy UK cities showing resilience to retail downturn October 28, 2019 A group of wealthy cities such as London and Cambridge are faring relatively well during the UK retail sector’s downturn while shops in poorer and more rural areas suffer, a new report has said. Read more: Retailers brace for tough Christmas as confidence slumps Shopping parks have also shown resilience as the bricks-and-mortar retail sector [...]
MPs slam bank IT failures and float higher levies on sector October 28, 2019 MPs have harshly criticised IT failures among some of the UK’s biggest banks as “unacceptable” and recommended that regulators take action to make lenders improve their systems. Read more: TSB returns to growth after IT meltdown A detailed report from parliament’s Treasury Select Committee (TSC) said bigger levies on the financial sector could be used [...]
London’s Aim still well ahead of competitors despite rough year October 28, 2019 London’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim) remains by far the biggest growth stock market in Europe despite falling numbers of floats and questions over regulatory standards, new analysis has shown. Read more: Muddy Waters says Burford Capital ‘continues to evade key questions’ about its accounting In the year ending in September, £3.9bn of capital was raised [...]
HMRC collects nearly £10bn via tax probes October 28, 2019 Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collected £9.8bn in extra revenue through tax investigations into the UK’s largest businesses last year, up 12 per cent from £8.7bn in 2017-18. Analysis published today by law firm Pinsent Masons showed that the biggest element of this was £6bn from tax investigations into valued added tax (VAT) and [...]
UK art exports surge to £6.8bn as weak sterling boosts US demand October 28, 2019 The value of art exports from the UK surged by almost a quarter in the last year thanks to increased appetite from US collectors. Sales of art and antiques hit £6.8bn in the year to the end of August, up 24 per cent on the previous 12 months, according to figures compiled by private wealth [...]
Zamna raises $5m as it secures deal with IAG for airport security tech October 28, 2019 UK startup Zamna, which develops software to automate airport security checks, has bagged $5m (£3.9m) in funding and confirmed International Airlines Group (IAG) as its first client. The seed funding round was led by venture capital firms Localglobe and Oxford Capital, alongside Seedcamp, the London Co-Investment Fund and O2 parent company Telefonica. Read more: Tory [...]