Don’t lament the sale of homegrown businesses – they are a sign of success for Britain’s burgeoning tech sector November 25, 2016 In business, a good exit is a good exit – regardless of whether the sale is to a foreign company. The acquisition of one of the UK’s tech unicorns by China’s Ctrip is another win for the country’s technology industry and the latest signal that investing in UK tech pays off. It’s also a much needed [...]
Your Name: this Japanese body-swap disaster anime is the most beautiful film of the year November 24, 2016 Your Name is ridiculously, heartbreakingly beautiful. Every frame is filled with flourishes that amaze and delight; a sunbeam refracted in a tear-drop, motes of dust swimming in the morning light, the technicolour trail of a mysterious comet. It’s the latest film from the hip young gunslinger of Japanese animation, Makoto Shinkai, and it arrives in [...]
The Airbus rival to the Boeing 777 just had its maiden flight November 24, 2016 Airbus' new jewel in its crown and rival to Boeing's well-known 777, the Airbus A350-1000, took to the skies for its maiden flight today. Europe's largest twin-engined passenger jet took off this morning at Blagnac in Toulouse France (at 10.42am local time just in case you were wondering). Equipped with specially developed Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 [...]
Sky is having a Black Friday sale and it includes a free TV, laptop or Xbox One November 24, 2016 Black Friday might be a US thing, but that doesn't mean some of the biggest British brands aren't getting involved. And many of them aren't even retailers. Step forward, Sky, which has launched its own Black Friday shop, with deals on TV bundles and broadband. And you could end up with a free TV. The [...]
Nigel Farage is moving to the US, according to reports November 24, 2016 Nigel Farage is said to be planning to follow in the footsteps of millions of immigrants throughout history, with a move to the United States. The interim Ukip leader has told friends that he and his wife are planning to emigrate, the Times has reported. The news comes the morning after Farage attended a party held [...]
Dishonored 2: This first-person assassin game by Arkane is a glorious steampunk wonderland November 23, 2016 Dishonored 2 feels reassuringly familiar. The action may have shifted from plague-ridden, Dickensian squalor to sun-baked, equatorial squalor, but the constituent parts remain: it looks the same, it plays the same, it almost smells the same. Thank goodness, because Dishonored is at the very apex of video-game design, dense and textured, beautiful despite the muck [...]
“It’s like Dad’s Army”: Michael O’Leary criticises government for “lunatic optimism” over Brexit November 22, 2016 Nobody could ever accuse Michael O’Leary of being bland. The Ryanair boss was vocal about his concerns ahead of Brexit and now he's speaking out once more over how the government is handling Britain’s departure from the European Union. Speaking at the Airport Operators Association’s annual conference, he criticised the government again for its approach and reaffirmed [...]
Legal & General in advanced talks to sell Dutch operations to Chesnara November 21, 2016 Legal & General (L&G) is in advanced talks to sell its Dutch arm to Chesnara, with an announcement of the sale expected later this week. According to Sky News, Chesnara, the London-listed owner of Countrywide Assured, is in talks to buy the overseas unit of L&G and is expected to pay around £130m for the Dutch [...]
Chris Grayling says the world of aviation will be prioritised in Brexit negotiations November 21, 2016 Airlines were among the first to battle Brexit turbulence and transport secretary Chris Grayling has now pledged the aviation industry will be prioritised in Brexit negotiations. Speaking at the Airport Operators Association’s annual conference, Grayling said: "I can give that assurance." The industry remains uncertain over its standing in Europe and elsewhere in the world going forward, while [...]
Dear Mr Trump… An open letter to the President-Elect on the foreign policy principles that will maintain America’s greatness November 21, 2016 “Now on the street tonight the lights grow dim/The walls of my room are closing in/There’s a war outside still raging/You say it ain’t ours anymore to win/I want to sleep beneath/Peaceful skies in my lover’s bed/With a wide open country in my eyes/And these romantic dreams in my head” – Bruce Springsteen, No Surrender [...]