Going, going, Ghosn: Ex-Nissan boss flees Japanese justice system to Lebanon December 31, 2019 Carlos Ghosn has fled what he described as “injustice and political persecution” in Japan to Lebanon, months before the ousted Nissan boss was due to stand trial over alleged financial misconduct. Ghosn’s abrupt departure from Japan for his native Lebanon, in breach of his strict bail conditions, marks the latest dramatic twist in a saga [...]
UK stocks 2020: Which shares are City A.M. staff backing in the new year? December 30, 2019 The UK stock market looks set to end the year on a high after the Tories’ election win and progress in US-China trade talks alleviated the uncertainty that has weighed on markets for months. But the road ahead is far from clear, with the looming Brexit date of 31st January and various upcoming trade negotiations [...]
Tidy: BBC wins Christmas broadcast battle with Gavin and Stacey special December 26, 2019 The BBC has emerged triumphant in the fight to win Christmas Day eyeballs after a special episode of Gavin and Stacey pulled in 11.6m viewers. The bumper viewing figures mean the hour-long sitcom special was the most-watched show on Christmas Day and boasts the best festive ratings in more than a decade. Read more: Boris [...]
Disney’s latest Star Wars film disappoints at box office over opening weekend December 23, 2019 The latest instalment in the Star Wars film saga was a relative disappointment for opening weekend ticket sales compared to other films in the franchise. The Rise of Skywalker took $374m (£288m) in global sales over its first weekend. Read more: Can The Rise of Skywalker reawaken Disney’s Force? US sales down nearly 30 per [...]
Hong Kong protests to continue throughout Christmas week December 23, 2019 Hong Kong is facing a Christmas week of protests, with demonstrators planning to gather across the city over the coming days. Protesters plan to gather in five malls on Christmas eve, and will count down to Christmas near the city’s harbour front in the bustling Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district. Read more: Clashes as police [...]
Broadband speeds are increasing but rural towns lag behind December 20, 2019 Rural areas of the UK are lagging behind cities and towns as Boris Johnson’ government brings the nation’s digital divide into focus. A report by Ofcom, the UK’s telecoms regulator, showed that around 155,000 UK properties can not access decent broadband. These homes will be able to request coverage from BT from March 2020, the [...]
Why Davos matters in the millennial world December 20, 2019 Davos. Even the word conjures up images of Alpine glamour, exclusivity, high society and power. This week we learned that Boris Johnson has banned his ministers from attending the 2020 World Economic Forum in the Swiss town, Downing Street stressing that the new government is focusing on “delivering for the people, not champagne with billionaires”. [...]
Brexit Department set to be scrapped in the new year December 19, 2019 The government’s Brexit department is set to be wound up early in the new year. Staff at the Department for Exiting the European Union have been told that the department will be closed, after the UK leaves the EU in January. Read more: Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings eye Whitehall overhaul It is expected that [...]
How the Tories pulled off the best campaign of a generation December 19, 2019 One week on, post-election commentary continues to be dominated by analysis of Labour’s woes. In plummeting to its worst defeat since the Second World War, the party now faces an identity crisis, and the fear is that things can only get worse. This focus on Labour’s existential spiral, however, ignores one side of how the [...]
Panic station: Major disruptions at London Victoria December 18, 2019 Commuters travelling home from London Victoria faced major delays and cancellations this evening, as a signal failure caused severe disruption at one of the country’s busiest stations. Victoria was brought to a standstill, with images on social media showing hundreds of passengers held on the station concourse waiting for Southern, Southeastern and Gatwick Express trains [...]