US evacuating all embassy staff in Kyiv this weekend as thousands of Brits flee Ukraine February 12, 2022 US officials confirmed this morning the US is set to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv ahead of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. The news comes as thousands of Britons are being urged to flee Ukraine immediately over growing concerns that Russia could launch an invasion in the coming days. The Foreign Office updated its [...]
First drink in 793: Britain’s oldest pub shuts down after 1,229 years February 12, 2022 A pub that is believed to be the first and oldest in Britain is closing down after 1,229 years in operation. The St Albans-based tavern, which poured its first drink in 793, has run into financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic. The owner of The Ye Olde Fighting Cocks said in a message [...]
Saturday review: Samsung has created a compelling experience with new S22 February 12, 2022 Samsung’s new flagship smartphone, which combines features from its two biggest ranges for the first time, is the result of the tech giant listening to the customer to create a compelling experience. On Wednesday, the phone maker unveiled the S22 range, which includes the S22 Ultra, the top-of-the-line device which includes Samsung’s S-Pen stylus built [...]
Blinken’s unmistakable warning to China: US will fight aggression and defend rules-based system February 11, 2022 America and its allies must stand up for a rules-based system threatened by Chinese aggression, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has warned although he stressed a confrontation with China is not inevitable. Blinken spoke shortly before a meeting with the foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan in Melbourne. The four nations form the [...]
Exclusive: The City’s hydrogen authority on Jeff Bezos’ first nuclear fusion plant in Britain February 11, 2022 Tower 42-based Gavin Watson, generally considered the City’s go-to lawyer for hydrogen projects, recently advised on the launch of a Jeff Bezos-backed, UK-first nuclear fusion plant, which uses hydrogen as an input. Given the growing investor interest in this gas and Boris Johnson’s claim that he intends for Britain to become the ‘Qatar of hydrogen’, time [...]
Mark Zuckerberg and team consider shutting down Facebook and Instagram in Europe if Meta can not process Europeans’ data on US servers February 10, 2022 If Meta is not given the option to transfer, store and process data from its European users on US-based servers, Facebook and Instagram may be shut down across Europe, the social media giants’ owner reportedly warned in its annual report. The key issue for Meta is transatlantic data transfers, regulated via the so-called Privacy Shield [...]
Brexit in Bern: EU immigration row heats up as Switzerland threatens to leave Schengen area February 10, 2022 Switzerland is threatening to leave the Schengen zone if the EU countries that are part of the visa treaty move to strengthen their border force Frontex, which Brussels is pushing for. Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard, is the collective term for national border and coast guard forces within the EU’s Schengen Area, as [...]
End of an era: Prudential chief Mike Wells steps down with new boss and all top roles moving to Asia February 10, 2022 Insurance giant Prudential said this morning that its chief Mike Wells plans to retire at the end of March after seven years in the role, with his replacement set to be based in Asia. Chief finance officer and chief operating officer Mark FitzPatrick will replace Wells as chief executive on an interim basis, but has [...]
Valentine’s Day: Most Brits plan to spoil their better half with a card, sex, dinner, flowers or a takeaway February 10, 2022 Following last year’s Valentine’s Day lockdown, most lovebirds are in the mood to celebrate this year, with more than half planning something special. In fact, with the very recent lifting of all Covid restrictions in the UK, over three-quarters plan to celebrate the day like they “usually would” (versus 23 per cent) despite lingering safety [...]
Exclusive: Majority of hospitality businesses in UK on brink of collapse February 10, 2022 Covid-19 has pushed the majority of UK hospitality businesses to the brink of closure, according to new research shared exclusively with City A.M. today. More than three fifths (63 per cent) have experienced a decline in demand for their goods or services since the beginning of the pandemic, while 67 per cent have seen their [...]
