Easyjet boss Stelios loses Telegraph libel case over ‘strawmen’ claim November 2, 2020 Easyjet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou has lost his libel case against the Daily Telegraph over an article that disputed the outspoken founder’s claims about three shareholders. The suit related to an article published in May in which Telegraph journalist Ben Marlow wrote that the budget airline boss was engaging in “increasingly wild conspiracy theories”. The article [...]
Nigel Farage to relaunch Brexit Party as anti-lockdown Reform UK November 2, 2020 Nigel Farage is set to relaunch the Brexit Party as a new anti-lockdown party called Reform UK as he rails against the government’s “woeful” response to the coronavirus crisis. The party, which was launched 21 months ago to put pressure on the government’s Brexit strategy, has applied to the Electoral Commission to change its name. [...]
Software firm The Bytes Group unveils plans for London stock market float November 2, 2020 Software firm The Bytes Group today unveiled plans for an initial public offering after posting a rise in revenue and profit thanks to the shift in home working. The planned float would see the firm demerge from its South African parent company Altron and pursue a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and a [...]
Primark warns of £375m sales hit due to second lockdown November 2, 2020 The owner of Primark has warned it will suffer a sales hit of £375m as it prepares to shutter stores across England due to new lockdown measures. In a market update this morning, Associated British Foods (ABF) said 19 per cent of its selling space is currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions in the Republic [...]
The Hollywood of Europe: How the Canary Islands are being reinvented as a film hub October 31, 2020 In the opening scenes of action-thriller Jason Bourne, the film’s forgetful hero, played by Matt Damon, strides through violent protests on the streets of Athens. He meets his spy partner in the iconic Syntagma Square, before being chased through a sea of blue and white flags by a menacing CIA hit squad. But for eagle-eyed [...]
Sazka taps Olympics chief Keith Mills to lead National Lottery bid October 31, 2020 European lottery group Sazka has appointed the man behind London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics to lead its tender for the UK’s National Lottery licence. Earlier this month Sazka, which is Europe’s largest lottery owner, launched a surprise challenge to take the licence from current operator Camelot for the first time since the prize [...]
Covid-19 now spreading faster than worst case scenario, Sage warns October 30, 2020 Covid-19 is now spreading “significantly” faster across England than the government’s worst-case scenario, top scientists have warned. Newly published documents from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) warned the rapid spread of the virus meant the number of deaths this winter could surpass the 85,000 previously forecast. The document, which is dated 14 October, [...]
Nightclub owner Deltic puts itself up for sale as cash dries up October 30, 2020 The UK’s largest nightclub owner Deltic Group has put itself up for sale after months of closure due to the Covid-19 crisis has driven it to the brink of collapse. Deltic, which owns brands including Pryzm and Atik, has begun a sale process while it considers other options, including a company voluntary arrangement, in a [...]
Marriott International fined £18.4m over customer data breach October 30, 2020 Marriott International has been handed an £18.4m fine by the UK data watchdog over a data breach that compromised the personal details of millions of customers. The fine relates to an attack on the Starwood hotels chain that exposed records belonging to 339m guests worldwide. The cyber attack began in 2014, before Marriott took over [...]
Screenshot: Will Tim Davie win the generation game? October 30, 2020 A weekly column from City A.M. bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week: ** Media Moment of the Week: A sorry soy saga ** Tim Davie and the BBC’s tug of war ** The tech titans’ tumultuous year Media Moment of the Week This week it’s another [...]