You couldn’t make it up! The rise of the ‘robo-writer’ February 12, 2019 A recent news story about political donations to Australia’s political parties isn’t normally something to grab my attention, but this brief article in the Guardian did – thanks to its byline. The reporter was a robot called “Reporter Mate”. The robot ‒ or experimental automated news reporting system, as Guardian Australia calls it ‒ is [...]
Maro means business: Itoje on Saracens’ European Cup final, England captaincy, his new clothing range and his NBA role models May 9, 2019 There will only be one thing on Maro Itoje’s mind when Saracens take on Leinster this Saturday: claiming a third Champions Cup title and regaining the club’s status as the best in Europe. It is an encounter that will see the England forward line up opposite James Ryan in what is sure to be a [...]
Wolves on course for Europa League, but is becoming the Premier League’s best of the rest worth it – or a poisoned chalice? March 28, 2019 Should Burnley manager Sean Dyche feel moved to dispense some characteristic no-nonsense wisdom to his opposite number this weekend, it might be of the be-careful-what-you-wish-for variety. Occupying the visitors’ dugout at Turf Moor on Saturday will be Nuno Espirito Santo, a rising star whose Wolves team have cut a dash in their first season back [...]
Tory leadership race: Who are the leading candidates to replace Prime Minister Theresa May? May 24, 2019 Theresa May's resignation today kicks off a Tory leadership race that could see more than a dozen candidates throw their hats into the ring. The leadership battle had already begun, with leading candidates raising cash, putting together support teams and giving the Sunday papers softball interviews in their kitchens. Some leadership contenders have publicly stated [...]
Beautiful Boy film review: Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet star in harrowing but flawed drug addiction memoir January 17, 2019 The drug movie is a tough genre to navigate. Go too far in one direction and it becomes preachy; too far in the other and you end up glamourising the fetid reality of addiction. Beautiful Boy is drawn from a pair of memoirs by the journalist David Sheff and his son Nicolas, and relates the [...]
May will need Brussels to help her sell the deal November 18, 2018 Brexit has shattered the normal rules of politics. Theresa May has suffered twenty-two ministerial resignations since becoming Prime Minister, and while not all of them have been Brexit related it would have been difficult to remain in office had so much support dripped away under other circumstances. Last week should have finished her off, with [...]
The Japanese Prime Minister’s visit is a chance to celebrate our friendship with like-minded nations January 10, 2019 I sometimes find that foreign leaders are more aware of Britain’s national strengths than we are at home. So let me itemise a few of them. The UK has the fifth biggest economy in the world, the third biggest overseas aid budget, the second largest military budget in Nato, and a world-class diplomatic network, including [...]
Food can’t save M&S as it posts weak results again November 8, 2018 High street bellwether Marks and Spencer issued another disappointing set of figures yesterday and warned that sales are unlikely to pick up any time soon. Shares closed down 0.5 per cent, having been over three per cent down earlier in the day. M&S warned of tough trading conditions due to fierce competition from online competitors [...]
Interiors: Laura Ivill reviews the new sustainable Ikea Greenwich on its opening weekend February 15, 2019 Four years in the planning, Ikea Greenwich opened last weekend as the company’s first “sustainable store” in the UK. A pilot ran in Germany, but the Swedish behemoth, the world’s largest homewares retailer, chose SE10 for its new dawn. Billed as taking sustainability to the next level, it opened with a BREEED 'excellent' accreditation for green [...]
Pepsico’s Pipers deal adds to record year for US acquisitions of UK firms November 6, 2018 Pepsico swooped on premium British crisp brand Pipers today adding to a bumper year for US acquisitions of UK firms, with deals already hitting a record $87bn (£66.4bn). The value of acquisitions has surged by a whopping $57bn since last year, according to figures compiled by Dealogic. The record figure does not include the undisclosed value [...]