Boris Johnson promises ‘no children will go hungry’ as free school meals row escalates October 26, 2020 Boris Johnson has promised “no children” in England “ go hungry this winter”, as the Prime Minister faces mounting pressure to U-turn on a decision not to extend free school meals over the October half-term. “We certainly recognise that there is an issue. We have been dealing with it continuously throughout the period of the [...]
HS2 boss says only building line to Crewe ‘doesn’t do justice to the business case’ March 10, 2020 The boss of controversial rail project HS2 has said that only building the line to Crewe “doesn’t do justice to the business case” after doubts emerged over whether the proposed eastern route to Leeds would be built. In a speech last month Andrew Stephenson, the new minister responsible for the project, made no mention of [...]
In memoriam: Ian Taylor 1946-2020 January 16, 2021 Ian Taylor, who died in June of last year, ran Vitol for two decades. He was well-liked in the City not just for his business acumen, but for his philanthropy – which, it was revealed last week, continued after his death. Bloomberg reported he left £1m to the Royal Opera House and significantly more than [...]
Uh-oh, spaghettio: Could Italy be next in line on UK quarantine list? October 8, 2020 Italy could be the next country to be added to the quarantine list after the number of coronavirus cases surged past the UK’s threshold for reimposing restrictions. Over the last seven days, the number of cases per 100,000 has ticked up to 31.0, according to travel consultancy the PC Agency. Transport secretary Grant Shapps has [...]
Cardiff City v Manchester United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to spark happy new era at old stomping ground December 20, 2018 When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer parted ways with Cardiff City in September 2014, the Norwegian could not have envisaged the circumstances of his return. Solskjaer, in his own words, “stepped aside” at Cardiff due to a “difference in philosophy” with owner Vincent Tan, but the brutal reality is that he had failed during his nine-month spell [...]
Coronavirus claims third victim in the UK March 8, 2020 A man in his 60s has become the third person to die from coronavirus in the UK. The man who had “significant” underlying health conditions was being treated at North Manchester General Hospital. Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said: “I am very sorry to report that a third patient in England who [...]
Rishi Sunak extends support to businesses facing Tier 2 restrictions October 22, 2020 The government has expanded its job support scheme for businesses facing Tier 2 restrictions, with Rishi Sunak announcing that the government will pay significantly more of companies’ wage bills under the new post-furlough scheme. Businesses will only need to pay five per cent of workers’ unworked hours under the new part-time Jobs Support Scheme instead [...]
FTSE 100 closes higher after upbeat UK earnings October 20, 2020 The FTSE 100 recovered from an early fall to close in the green after a day of positive quarterly earnings, although residual fears over coronavirus and new restrictions remain. London’s blue-chip index fell 0.3 per cent but crept back through the day to close up by the same margin at 5,899 points. The FTSE 250 [...]
20 times that AI has tried to make it in the music business June 4, 2021 Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming omnipresent across every segment of cultural and economic activity. But this phenomenon is not new – AI has been trying to carve a name for itself in the music business as a collaborator, composer, artist and lyricist since 1951… 1) The first computer generated music (1951) In 1951 British mathematician Alan [...]
Snakes and Ladders: Who is moving jobs in the City this week? November 18, 2020 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Firms are continuing to adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic as they vie to be in prime position to recover from the economic fallout of the crisis. This week, [...]