Steve Jobs had it right: the office is a hub for creativity January 7, 2021 IN 1986 Steve Jobs became the majority shareholder of a little-known company called the Lucasfilm Graphics Group. For the small sum of $5 million, Jobs acquired a motley crew of 40 computer scientists and graphic artists. But it wasn’t long before the company started making a loss. Products weren’t shifting. Something had to give. Under [...]
Wework unsure over long-term liquidity due to how Covid-19 changed the way we work January 6, 2021 Flexible office space giant Wework has raised concerns over its long-term future after the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a dramatic shift to remote-working. The company said today that it has sufficient liquidity to “mitigate the near-term uncertainty associated with Covid-19”. However it said the key judgements in relation to approving the company’s accounts as a going [...]
Trump phone call: Democrats ask FBI to open criminal investigation January 5, 2021 Two Democrats have asked the FBI to open a criminal investigation into US President Donald Trump over a phone call in which he pressurised a top Georgian official to overturn his election defeat. In the call this weekend, Trump told Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to reverse Joe Biden’s victory [...]
Sunday Talk: Mark Ridley, CEO of real estate giant Savills January 2, 2021 In a wide-ranging interview, City A.M. discusses fundraising challenges, Brexit and the shift to home working with Mark Ridley, who has been the group CEO of Savills since 2019, the London-based, LSE-listed real estate services giant which had a revenue of £1.93bn in 2019 and currently employs around 40,000 people in the UK and across Europe. The [...]
Brexit: Ireland beefs up police patrols at Northern Ireland border January 1, 2021 Ireland will intensify its police presence at the Northern Ireland border from today in a bid to stop organised crime taking advantage of post-Brexit changes. Ireland’s national police force, Garda, had already increased officers posted at the border by 20 per cent since 2016 and are set to add more as the Brexit transition period [...]
Eurotunnel operator ‘confident’ there will not be border chaos tomorrow December 31, 2020 The Eurotunnel’s operator has said there will not be chaos at the border after the UK leaves the EU’s single market and customs union tonight. Channel Tunnel operator Getlink has said it is “confident” there will not be a repeat of scenes last week when 800-long lorry queues were seen at the Kent border. John [...]
Sold: Connells pick up estate agent Countrywide after protracted takeover battle December 31, 2020 Embattled estate agent Countrywide has been taken over by rivals Connells after a protracted and public takeover battle. Connells, which owns Barnard Marcus and a host of other real estate brands, has been in talks since early November. Read more: Retail wonks hope for a brighter 2021 It sealed the deal upping its offer to [...]
Tech predictions for 2021 December 30, 2020 2020 will forever be remembered as the year of the pandemic. The economic fallout was felt by millions of people and businesses around the world, across different sectors. The tech industry, however, has proved remarkably resilient. The big tech story of 2020 has been how many companies actually thrived during this unprecedented period, surpassing expectations. [...]
A booming Britain will need a broadband boost, too December 29, 2020 The best possible platform from which to launch the UK into its post-Brexit future outside the European Union is world class digital infrastructure. Only underpinned by the fastest Full Fibre networks will the UK be able to establish itself as a leading digital economy. Full Fibre will enable us to compete with countries and companies [...]
Mobile roaming: Will I be charged for using my phone in the EU after Brexit? December 29, 2020 Since 2017, Brits travelling in the EU have been able to enjoy using their mobile phone without racking up any additional roaming charges. The UK has now secured a post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc, ensuring a smoother transition after the transition period ends on 31 December. But Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove this week [...]