The next crash: Why the global hotel boom signals probable disaster ahead August 17, 2015 It’s seven years since the last crash. We know there will be another one soon but where will it happen? Looking at the cranes in the sky has always been a reliable indicator. I remember surveying Reykjavik’s skyline in 2007 and wondering who was going to live in the fancy apartments being erected. Now they’re [...]
Can Alexis Tsipras survive as Greece’s Prime Minister? August 16, 2015 Dennis Novy, a professor at Warwick University, says Yes. Alexis Tsipras will be able to survive, for one simple reason: there’s no better alternative. The Greeks don’t want to leave the Eurozone. The last months have shown that the government’s previous approach hasn’t worked. Predominantly, this is because of too much resistance from other countries, [...]
You could soon travel into space via this space elevator – and it would be 20 times higher than any building on earth August 16, 2015 Unless you're an astronaut or extremely wealthy, travelling into space is practically impossible. But that could soon change, thanks to a Canadian company that hopes to build the world's first space elevator. Read more: A history of human space travel: Here's what we've achieved since the first trip into space Thoth Technology has just [...]
Xherdan Shaqiri: Stoke transfer is just latest in European exodus to Premier League’s middle class August 12, 2015 Leading players are increasingly quitting top continental clubs to play for some of the Premier League’s least glamorous outfits as England’s top-flight middle-class flexes its new-found financial muscle. Graphic by Chris Parmenter Stoke’s £12m capture of Switzerland star Xherdan Shaqiri from 18-time Italian champions Inter yesterday is just the latest example of the trend, which [...]
BT and Sky square up in battle to win over Premier League football fans August 12, 2015 The new Premier League season has kicked off to the usual fanfare, but another battle is raging off the pitch, between rival broadcasters Sky and BT. Both companies have launched high profile advertising campaigns in order to win over new subscribers. Sky Sports has opted for a nostalgic look back at seasons gone by, integrating [...]
Regulators rule out huge fines in Co-op Bank probe August 11, 2015 The City’s watchdogs are set to announce the conclusion of their 18-month enforcement probe into the Co-operative Bank today, with the scandal-hit lender expected to avoid any threat of huge fines. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) launched their investigations of the troubled firm in January 2014. The regulators will [...]
Why sport hits business for six at data analytics August 9, 2015 Professional sport has been transformed by real-time data analytics. Fans, coaches and even players themselves are now using statistics to enrich their experience, or to gain some kind of advantage over the competition. Unsurprisingly, it’s football (the biggest and most popular sport in the world) that is pioneering the use of data. Gary Neville’s detailed [...]
Watch: This is what it’s like to zip wire across the Wembley pitch August 7, 2015 Ever wondered what England's most famous football stadium looks like from the skies? Of course you have. Well wonder no more, City A.M. strapped into Wembley's newly installed-for-summer zip line and captured the 200m trip on camera. Dangling 45 metres in the air and reaching a top speed of 30 miles per hour, the EE [...]
Why widening the Suez Canal might not boost trade between Asia and Europe August 6, 2015 Egypt has just spent a huge $8bn (£5bn) on widening the Suez Canal – the fastest trade route between Asia and Europe. Read more: Egypt to build a new Suez Canal for $45bn By adding a new 21 mile long bypass along the 120 mile canal, Egypt hopes to transform its economy by [...]
Freesat unveils 200 pc boost to Freetime customers August 6, 2015 Subscription-free satellite TV service Freesat boosted subscribers to its Freetime TV service by 200 per cent in the first half of this year, it said this morning The figures In results posted this morning the company said sales of its Freetime service grew 48 per cent year-on-year in the first six months of the year, with [...]