Rare Beasts review – a biting debut from Billie Piper May 20, 2021 The laws of cinema dictate that the directorial debut of a famous star should be an exercise in self-service. Somewhat shallow stories are lifted into the spotlight because of the involvement of the celebrity, who has spotted a chance to get some behind-the-camera cred while also giving themselves the meatiest part. Rare Beasts lives up to [...]
Modernising Burnley: How ALK Capital plan to use artificial intelligence and a network of partner clubs to take the Clarets into a new era May 20, 2021 Think of Burnley FC and you think of target men, tigerish midfielders and hulking centre-backs. Of manager Sean Dyche’s gravelly tones. Of one of the Premier League’s less fashionable and most traditional clubs consistently outperforming more glamorous rivals with a defiantly no-nonsense brand of football. But for all that they have punched above their weight, [...]
China’s CMB International and Nervos Foundation launch $50m blockchain fund May 20, 2021 CMB International (CMBI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Merchants Bank, has announced the launch of a $50 million fund with Nervos - China’s leading blockchain.
EU to demand tougher pledges from tech giants over fake news May 19, 2021 Tech giants such as Facebook and Google will be forced to make firmer pledges to crack down on misinformation on their platforms on new rules being prepared by the EU. The European Commission is planning to hold social media firms more responsible for curbing the money they make through advertising placed next to false information. [...]
Beijing has done irreparable damage to Hong Kong after freezing top media mogul’s assets May 19, 2021 On Friday, the owner of Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy newspaper had his assets, amounting to HKD$500 million, frozen. Mr Lai was already facing trumped up charges under the National Security Law, but this step is the biggest blow to date for press freedoms and puts the long-run viability of his newspaper, Apple Daily, into question. [...]
Hockney at Royal Academy: I hate these paintings in my bones May 19, 2021 I have a theory. I think someone has done a Kathy Bates on David Hockney. They have kidnapped him, stuck him in a chair, handed him an iPad and told him – on pain of a sledgehammer to the knees – to paint. And paint he has, again and again and again. Tree after tree, [...]
Future’s revenue surges 89 per cent with eCommerce and media lockdown boost May 19, 2021 Specialist media platform Future saw its revenue surge 89 per cent in the six months to 31 March, following growth in its eCommerce and media divisions amid global lockdowns. The group, which bought Marie Claire US earlier this month and the UK edition last year, saw its revenue lift to £272.6m from 144.3m in the [...]
Scientists’ dire warning of thousands of deaths from Indian variant is a dangerous abuse of public trust May 19, 2021 The epidemiologists are at it again. The Indian variant of the Covid virus has resurrected their projections of doom and gloom. The scientists who advise the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) have said the full lifting of lockdown on 21 June could lead to 1,000 deaths a day and no fewer than 10,000 hospitalisations [...]
Senior Credit Suisse bankers flee to Barclays, Goldman and Citi after Archegos disaster May 19, 2021 About a dozen managing directors at Credit Suisse have recently left the banking giant or are in the process of doing so, with most of them poached by rivals including Barclays, Goldman Sachs and Citibank. Moreover, a range of senior bankers are expected to announce their departure in the coming weeks, with several others also [...]
Stream team: How Discovery and Warner Media plan to take on Netflix May 18, 2021 It was a plot hatched in the utmost secrecy. After striking up a rapport over their shared interest in golf, Discovery chief executive David Zaslov and AT&T boss John Stankey devised a plan to merge their media assets, shaking up the world of streaming in the process. Following a few whirlwind months of negotiations, which [...]