Ticketmaster handed $10m fine for hacking into rival company January 5, 2021 Ticketmaster has been slapped with a $10m (£7.4m) fine after it was charged with repeatedly hacking into the computer systems of a rival company. In court documents filed last week, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said several Ticketmaster employees used stolen passwords to access confidential information in a bid to “choke off” competition from a [...]
Confusion risk: the next frontier January 4, 2021 When people talk about the frontiers of FinTech, they usually mean new technologies or processes; something that changes the way we do things and causes wonderment. Usually, the last thing they think about is legal and regulatory issues. As 2021 dawns, this is going to change. Except perhaps the lack of wonderment about regulation. New [...]
UK court blocks Julian Assange US extradition on espionage charges January 4, 2021 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the US to face espionage charges, a UK court has ruled. Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and computer fraud in the US and could be sentenced to as many as 175 years behind bars. In a landmark decision at the Old Bailey this morning, district judge [...]
Coronavirus: Latest updates on lockdowns, vaccines and Covid mutations around the world January 4, 2021 Countries around the world continue to grapple with rising coronavirus rates, as two new mutations of the virus have sparked calls for fresh restrictions across the globe. German politicians have called for a three-week lockdown extension, as current measures fail to stem ballooning cases across the country. Tight restrictions in place including the closure of [...]
UK court to rule on Julian Assange extradition case January 4, 2021 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will today find out whether he will be extradited to the US to face espionage charges in a landmark press freedom case. Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and computer fraud in the US and could be sentenced to as many as 175 years behind bars. His fate will be decided [...]
15 incredible Londoners in the New Year’s Honours List January 2, 2021 In a list that was largely dominated by health staff and civil servants this year, Christopher Woolard, who served as interim Chief Exec of the FCA in 2020, became a Commander of the British Empire, while Kate Nicholls, a vocal advocate for the hospitality industry throughout this terrible year for bars, pubs and restaurants, received [...]
Defying Trump, McConnell puts off vote on $2,000 checks, urges override of defense bill veto December 30, 2020 By David Morgan and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday put off a vote on increasing COVID-19 relief checks from $600 to $2,000 and urged senators to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense bill, in a rare challenge to his fellow Republican three weeks before Trump leaves [...]
Boris must find the bandwidth to take on Sturgeon – and keep the UK united December 30, 2020 Being prime minister is not an easy job. Whether you adopt the approach of Thatcher’s four-hours-a-night, or Macmillan’s retreating to Trollope novels at moments of extreme stress, it is a position which occupies your every waking (and probably many a sleeping) moment; the situation is not helped by the fact that the vast majority of [...]
Sportspeople have never had so much power. In 2021 they will continue to change the way they are defined December 29, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has been the dominant theme of 2020 for the entire global population and its impact on the world of sport – its events, competitions, clubs and athletes – has been equally transformative. But, as Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote states, out of adversity comes opportunity. And as we look ahead to the sporting [...]
The top gadgets of 2020, from the iPhone 12 to the first next gen console December 27, 2020 It already feels like a cliche to describe 2020 as a year we’d rather forget. But it was also a year we found different ways to communicate with each other, and sought solace in digital escapism. In no particular order, here are our favourite gadgets of 2020, with links to our full reviews. Xbox Series [...]