Would libra have more success if it wasn’t launched by Facebook? November 11, 2019 At the World Blockchain Forum in September, one of the speakers asked who in the audience thought that libra was likely to succeed in taking cryptocurrencies mainstream. About half the room raised their hands. He then continued: “Who wants it to be Facebook that achieves this?” All hands were hastily lowered. It comes as no [...]
World Para Athletics Championships 2019: Is parasport the sponsorship industry’s best kept secret? November 10, 2019 The 2019 World Para Athletics Championships is currently being held at the new stadium of the Dubai Club for People of Determination – a fitting name for what will be the climax of the para athletics season. The championships are also the last major opportunity to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, so it’s [...]
Police watchdog denies delaying inquiry into Boris Johnson November 10, 2019 The police watchdog has denied it delayed releasing a report into whether to investigate Boris Johnson for criminal conduct in relation to conflict of interest claims. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating claims that Johnson used his influence as mayor of London to award a £10,000 grant to American tech entrepreneur Jennifer [...]
Keep an eye on these shares during General Election November 8, 2019 The UK is holding a general election on 12 December. All the political parties are keen to return discussion to domestic policies after years of neglect because of Brexit, but the UK’s proposed departure from the EU will continue to dominate the debate. Still, whichever party wins (or parties, if it results in a hung parliament) [...]
Spare a thought this winter for our poor under-valued MPs November 8, 2019 Why would anyone want to be an MP? If the number of prominent parliamentarians who have announced that they are standing down in this election — now more than 70, including some shock names like Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd, and Tom Watson — is any indication, that question is getting more complicated to answer. MPs, [...]
General Election 2019: Tory candidate throws in the towel after backlash from ‘unacceptable’ rape comments November 7, 2019 A Conservative election candidate who said that women should “keep their knickers on” during a conversation about rape has stood down from the contest. Nick Conrad, a BBC Radio Norfolk host, made a series of comments during a live debate about footballer Ched Evans, who was convicted of rape five years ago, before the sentence [...]
BritBox launches in the UK – but can it challenge Netflix? November 7, 2019 BritBox, the new streaming service from the BBC and ITV, has launched in the UK this morning as broadcasters attempt to muscle in on the lucrative online television market. The platform, which announced this morning that it would also feature content from Channel 4 and Channel 5, is entering a crowded market, with market leaders [...]
Sainsbury’s half-year profit plunges 92 per cent November 7, 2019 Sainsbury’s has suffered a 92 per cent drop in half-year profit, as costs from store closures took a toll on the grocer’s balance sheet. Read more: Sainsbury’s former boss wants government to halve business rates and raise VAT The figures Statutory pre-tax profit fell from £107m last year to just £9m in the three months [...]
Facebook executives planned ‘switcharoo’ on data policy change November 6, 2019 Facebook began cutting off access to user data for app developers from 2012 to squash potential rivals while presenting the move to the general public as a boon for user privacy, according to court documents reviewed by Reuters. Some executives at the world’s biggest social network appeared to refer to the strategy of promoting a [...]
Why does Lewis Hamilton not receive the recognition he deserves in Great Britain? November 6, 2019 When Lewis Hamilton claimed his sixth Formula One world title on Sunday there was an inevitability about it that detracted from the magnitude of his accomplishment. Hamilton is the second most successful F1 driver ever and among a pantheon of elite British sportspeople yet he remains largely under-appreciated in the UK. Undoubtedly he is admired [...]