Trump backs out of Christchurch online terror pledge May 15, 2019 The United States has refused to join other nations in signing a pledge to tackle the spread of violent and extremist content online. The White House said while it supported the document’s overall goals, it is “not currently in a position to join the endorsement”. Named the Christchurch Call, the statement asks governments and companies [...]
Huawei snaps up top Sky News journalist as senior spin doctor May 15, 2019 Embattled Chinese tech firm Huawei has hired a veteran Sky News journalist as its new senior spin doctor as it ramps up efforts to quash accusations of spying. Senior Sky News editor Paul Harrison, who previously served as the network’s royal and business correspondent, has said he will join Huawei in a senior communications role [...]
European markets back in red as China shows signs of hurting under trade war May 15, 2019 European stocks have fallen after opening higher this morning, as weaker-than-expected Chinese economic data hinted at the effects of the US-China trade war. Read more: China retaliates with tariffs on $60bn of US goods Official figures today showed China’s industrial output growth slowing to 5.4 per cent year-on-year in April, a worse-than-predicted figure and much [...]
Ex-Labour minster quits party with astonishing attack on the ‘Corbyn Cult’ May 14, 2019 A former Labour minister has quit the party with a savage attack on the “Corbyn Cult” she claims has taken over the leadership. Bridget Prentice, who served as a junior minister in the Ministry of Justice under Tony Blair, compared the Labour party to North Korea were “disloyalty to the leader is a criminal offence.” Prentice, [...]
Economists are united about Trump’s trade folly May 14, 2019 In George Bernard Shaw’s words, if all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion. Scour the pool of practitioners of the dismal science, and you will find supporters and detractors for almost every economic theory, from free markets to socialism. The one exception, however, is protectionism. Whether from the left [...]
Economists pour cold water on Trump’s tariff arguments May 13, 2019 Economists have said US President Donald Trump’s argument that American consumers will not face higher prices after tariff increases shows “a fundamental misunderstanding of how tariffs work”. Read more: China retaliates with tariffs on $60bn of US goods Trump tweeted today: “Their [sic] is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs, which take [...]
Why did Lush, Apple and Wetherspoons quit Twitter? May 13, 2019 Tapping into a dissatisfaction with social media, cosmetics firm Lush recently announced that it would move away from it, justifying its decision by drawing attention to the financial and ethical cost of using social media. The move marks Lush as the latest brand to take a new approach online. It’s a global brand, whose environmentally-conscious [...]
Twitter suspends 166,000 accounts in battle against online terrorism May 9, 2019 Twitter suspended more than 166,000 accounts in the last six months of 2018, it revealed today, as it makes progress on battling terrorism on its platform. Read more: Facebook bans Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos The number of users banned from the social network amounted to a 19 per cent drop from the first half of [...]
Chinese exports unexpectedly fall as pressure builds to reach trade deal with US May 8, 2019 China’s gigantic trade surplus unexpectedly narrowed in April, as the country’s exports fell 2.7 per cent year-on-year in a sign that pressure from the US was hurting the Chinese economy. Read more: Global markets in tailspin after Trump threatens huge China tariff rise Imports fared better, however, rising four per cent in April after a [...]
Watchdog bans Paddy Power ‘anti-loyalty’ ad starring Ryan Giggs’s brother May 8, 2019 The advertising watchdog has banned a Paddy Power advert starring the brother of former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs over complaints it glamourised gambling. The TV campaign, which promoted the betting firm’s rewards scheme, featured Rhodri Giggs in a pub and later driving a sports car. Read more: Vodafone broadband advert banned by watchdog for [...]