European tech regulation will hold back free competition and hand power to digital giants April 27, 2021 Last month, the world’s eyes were on America as the CEOs of its most successful businesses came before Congress to testify about their companies’ content moderation practices. But while America debates if and how to regulate digital markets, the EU has been moving forward with similar proposals—proposals that would needlessly burden technology companies for decades [...]
FTSE 100 and Wall Street strike an upbeat tone to start the week April 26, 2021 Soaring copper prices and hopes of a summer holiday pushed the FTSE 100 to close higher on Monday while Wall Street rose ahead of a busy week for big tech earnings. London’s blue-chip index came under pressure this morning due to a stronger pound and weaker oil prices. However comments made by Ursula von der [...]
How mead emerged as the drink of summer 2021 April 26, 2021 These are heady times for British mead. The honey-based drink is thought to be the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage. It was probably being made in China in 7000 BC and King Arthur counted it amongst his favourite tipples. Chaucer mentions “braggot”, a form of mead made with honey and barley malt, and the Ancient Hindus [...]
City A.M. TV: Daily Market Snapshot (video) April 26, 2021 Since early April, US equity markets have been in a persistent uptrend. That’s been is aided and abetted by (i) notable US dollar weakness; (ii) lower bond yields (resulting in tech outperformance); and (iii) a strong Q1 earnings season, with most US companies surprising markets to the upside. In that respect, and while US equity indices [...]
How to pick the perfect wine to suit your tastes April 23, 2021 We have all been there. Staring down the barrel of the supermarket aisle trying to work out which wine to choose for dinner. Do you reach for the “reassuringly expensive” top shelf or look for what is currently on offer to grab yourself a bargain? You may have a better-made wine or a steal of [...]
Why the going is about to get tougher for investing in climate change April 23, 2021 2020 was an extraordinary year for climate change action. Public opinion, governments, businesses and financial markets all had major shifts in their appreciation of the urgent need to address the climate crisis. More investment, research and development, and international collaboration will now come together to enable a faster transition to a net zero economy. While [...]
Screenshot: Is the Super League the biggest PR disaster of all time? April 23, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Radio loses a legend **Is the Super League the biggest PR disaster of all time? **Is Netflix’s pandemic party finally over? Media Moment of the Week: Radio loses a legend For many Brits, radio has been a much-needed source of entertainment (and company) during the pandemic. But long [...]
AI-Powered Ubiquitous Investing April 22, 2021 Have you noticed that your bank statements are now a succession of Netflix, Uber, Spotify, Deliveroo, Apple and Amazon payments? All of them offer us all types of services at our fingertips. No more wasting time sourcing or waiting to access the best way to get an amazing selection of food, music, films, transport or [...]
The Oscars 2021: Our predictions for the big winners April 22, 2021 Hollywood’s big, back slapping Oscar party arrives on Sunday, but as with other awards ceremonies, the film industry will have to congratulate itself from a distance. It will be a different kind of awards, with a rumoured additional venue in London, but the same amount of anticipation regarding who will take home a gold statuette. [...]
Wizz Air redundancies ‘dangerously influenced’ flight safety culture claims whistleblower April 22, 2021 Covid-19-related redundancies at Wizz Air “dangerously influenced” flight safety culture, a whistleblower has claimed, after the way in which staff were selected for redundancy left them worried to call in sick. Last April London-listed Wizz Air laid off around 1,000 staff – around 20 per cent of its workforce – after a travel shutdown caused [...]