Vodafone and Three hit back at national security concerns June 26, 2023 Vodafone and Three UK have dismissed concerns about their merger threatening national security after facing criticism from MPs and trade bodies over Three’s ties to China. Three UK, owned entirely by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchinson Holdings, has provoked MPs and trade bodies to flag their concerns that the telecoms company’s links to China may endanger [...]
Viagogo exec: The noise doesn’t bother us – we just want fans to get through the door June 26, 2023 Not everyone likes secondary tickets platform Viagogo. But exec Chris Miller believes fans are ultimately the winners.
The Notebook: Sir Rocco Forte on the hated tourist tax, counteracting climate hysteria and Boris Johnson’s legacy June 26, 2023 The Notebook is a column where interesting people say interesting things. Today, it’s hotel industry giant Sir Rocco Forte, chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels My hotels in Italy, Germany and Belgium are booming. But occupancy in London is not what it was last year nor what we saw pre-pandemic. Official statistics bear this out, showing [...]
Elton John Glastonbury recap: Better than we could ever have hoped June 25, 2023 Elton John at Glastonbury review and star rating: ★★★★★ Of course he chose mostly unknown special guests: he was the star. At Glastonbury, Elton John was more mesmerising and emotionally-charged than even his fans who’d camped out at the front of the Pyramid Stage since 4am could have hoped. The veteran rocker sounded better than [...]
Putin promises to ‘defend the people’ amid Wagner group rebellion call June 24, 2023 Russian President Vladimir Putin has called an armed rebellion led by the Wagner mercenary group chief a “betrayal”, and has promised to “defend the people” and Russia. Mr Putin addressed the nation on Saturday morning after mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his troops reached the key Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. The Russian leader said the [...]
Ex Asda boss: Cutting prices for cash-strapped Brits is ‘very important’ after Sunuk plea June 23, 2023 Supermarkets regard cutting prices as “very important”, according to a former boss of Asda, after the Prime Minister warned retailers about pricing “responsibly and fairly”. Andy Clarke, who served as Asda’s chief executive officer between 2010 and 2016, said the big chains were “heavily focused” on competitive pricing as the industry hit back over suggestions [...]
Forget Marvel: Meet the Barbie Universe, says Mattel boss Ynon Kreiz June 21, 2023 Ynon Kreiz is the CEO of a $6bn company, responsible for some of the world’s most recognisable brands, and I’m pressing him on whether or not he has a favourite Barbie. “I wish I had one so I can give you a straight answer,” he says after the third time I ask him. “But I [...]
We can’t base artificial intelligence laws off of the risks we only imagine to be real June 21, 2023 We’ve heard endless calls to ‘do something’ on artificial intelligence, but politicians are still basing their thinking on the risks they assume to be real, not the ones we know about, writes James Boyd-Wallis. Last week, Rishi Sunak said he wants to balance safety and innovation to realise the potential of artificial intelligence. But to [...]
Q&A: Why Premier League gave Chelsea’s Paramount Plus sponsorship the red card June 20, 2023 Chelsea’s hunt for a new main shirt sponsor hit the news this week when it emerged that the Premier League had refused to sanction a potential deal with Paramount Plus. Here’s why the agreement was not allowed, why this situation isn’t unique to Chelsea or the top division of English football, and what it means [...]
Race against time as British billionaire and his son among five onboard lost Titanic shipwreck voyage June 20, 2023 Rescue teams are continuing the search for a submersible tourist vessel which went missing during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck with a British billionaire and his son among the five people aboard. Hamish Harding is chairman of private plane firm Action Aviation, which said he is one of the mission specialists on the five-person [...]