December may not turn out to be the Brexit election after all October 25, 2019 I was 14 when I voted in my first election. Not for real, of course, but in a school-wide mock poll to get us all engaged with politics back in 2005. Sixth-form students assumed the role of candidates (one for each party) and published simplified manifestos based on what the national parties had put forward. [...]
Netflix speaks out against Georgia’s anti-abortion law May 28, 2019 Netflix has pledged to work with activist organisations and politicians to fight the US state of Georgia’s recent anti-abortion legislation. The streaming giant’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos said the firm has many female employees in Georgia, which is a major hub for television and film production. “It’s why we will work with the American Civil [...]
Could MPs on all sides please stop acting like unruly school kids? September 13, 2019 The end of the school term goes hand-in-hand with discipline being somewhat relaxed. Lessons focus on pointless activities, farcical excuses for lack of homework are proffered, and boisterous singing will probably break out at some point. So it has proved too with the end of the parliamentary term. On Monday, having lamented that the prorogation of [...]
Sick of the Brexit saga? You’ll miss it when it’s finally over September 18, 2019 Not for the first time, it struck me last week in the midst of parliamentary shenanigans and court challenges how much my friends and acquaintances like to talk about the B word. The conversation arose over pudding at a dinner party, and though all the guests rolled their eyes and groaned sophisticatedly at the interminability [...]
On the Basis of Sex film review: Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic is timely but takes few risks February 22, 2019 On the Basis of Sex is a timely reminder of all that US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg accomplished on the long, winding road towards gender equality, and why it still matters today. We open on the Harvard victory song, extolling the triumphs of the “men” in attendance. It is 1956, the sixth year [...]
Court brings £14bn Mastercard mega-claim back to life April 16, 2019 A £14bn class action against Mastercard has been revived after the Court of Appeal reversed an earlier decision to have the claim dismissed. Three judges found that the case, led by the former financial ombudsman Walter Merricks, could be reheard for certification in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which ruled in 2017 that the claim [...]
US Election: Biden’s (almost certain) win: How it happened November 6, 2020 Live updates on the US Presidential Election 2020 as Donald Trump and Joe Biden go head to head. Rolling coverage as Americans vote.
Morrisons records 14th quarter of growth despite hit from political uncertainty May 9, 2019 Morrisons took a hit from British political uncertainty in the first quarter of the financial year, it revealed today, as its sales growth slowed to put it behind major rival Tesco. Excluding fuel, like-for-like sales grew 2.3 per cent in the quarter, Morrisons said, a slowdown from 3.6 per cent in the first three months of [...]
British American Tobacco hit with £436m damages claim from Canada court cases March 5, 2019 British American Tobacco (BAT) has taken a £436m charge related to Canadian court cases, it said today. Read more: No smoke without fire in BAT boardroom The tobacco giant must pay the money to smokers from Quebec who said cigarette firms did not warn them of the risks associated with smoking. The companies at fault [...]
Chinese AI firm slaps Apple with $1.4bn patent lawsuit August 3, 2020 Chinese artificial intelligence firm Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology has filed a $1.4bn lawsuit against Apple, claiming the iPhone giant has infringed on a patent for its voice assistant technology. Shanghai Zhizhen, also known as Xiao-i, is calling for 10bn yuan ($1.4bn) in damages and demands that Apple cease “manufacturing, using, promising to sell, selling, and [...]