Weekend read: A hybrid high street August 30, 2021 In March 2020 as physical stores were closed, brands with existing e-commerce channels were able to quickly adapt and many enjoyed a boom in online sales led by an increase in mobile shopping. More customers than ever relied on their phones to shop, with global mobile app audiences growing by 31 per cent — nearly twice the [...]
Crypto currencies have always shunned institutions, but to gain legitimacy they must learn from banks August 28, 2021 Crypto has had a whirlwind of a year. Bitcoin bounced between dizzying peaks and rock bottom troughs, financial institutions bought and sold crypto assets in droves, mainstream consumer payment providers started offering digital assets to customers, and scores of crypto exchanges and custodians were hit by expensive cyberattacks. Crypto’s greatest challenge is simply lack of [...]
We have a moral duty to share our data August 27, 2021 The majority of consumers would be happy to share their data with companies if it improved their experience, according to a recent survey. However, reality seems to suggest otherwise. The health service launched a data sharing initiative, NHS Digital, in June this year. It would allow personal, but anonymised data, from doctors’ patient records to [...]
A viral discussion on bin collections proves the case for digital democracy August 27, 2021 Around midnight on Wednesday night, British Twitter erupted, united over a single issue: bin collections. It all started with a “Twitter Space” – a public audio forum where anyone can join as a listener and up to 13 people can speak at once. What started out as an ironic experiment culminated in around 1,600 people joining in [...]
Afghanistan evacuation: Campaigns for Pen Farthing’s dogs expose a complete misalignment of priorities August 26, 2021 “Music is forbidden in Islam,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the New York Times, “but we’re hoping that we can persuade people not to do such things, instead of pressuring them.” Under Taliban rule, women have been beaten for showing their ankles in public. A light punishment, in the context. Where the Taliban draws the [...]
City Pages Review: Twitter fame, the meaning of life and abortion rights August 26, 2021 Since the curtains came down on 2019, many of us have spent more time inside our homes than we had ever imagined. The pandemic has thrown up political and social change rarely seen in peacetime, but living through and talking about Covid has consumed incredible amounts of oxygen, often to the exclusion of other worthy [...]
The UK’s plans for Afghan refugees will be a test of the nation’s moral character August 26, 2021 The UK has promised to welcome 20,000 Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban. The proposal looks set to mirror a scheme introduced at the height of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, under which more than 20,000 vulnerable refugees have been resettled by the start of 2021. In its first year, the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme will [...]
Britain and its allies must not use the IMF’s new special drawing rights to heap more debt on poor countries August 26, 2021 In 2008, the IMF created Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) – an international reserve asset used to supplement member countries’ official reserves – in response to the global financial crisis. This week it has done so again with a new target in mind: coronavirus. The IMF estimates ending the pandemic could inject $9tn into the global [...]
City Pages Review: The legacy of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s bizarre bond August 25, 2021 Since the curtains came down on 2019, many of us have spent more time inside our homes than we had ever imagined. The pandemic has thrown up political and social change rarely seen in peacetime, but living through and talking about Covid has consumed incredible amounts of oxygen, often to the exclusion of other worthy [...]
Westminster needs to get a grip and learn some digital skills August 25, 2021 In the last year, the Queen convened her historic Privy Council by video, parliamentarians have voted online and the Cabinet has been meeting via Zoom. Even the hardened leaders of the country in Westminster and Whitehall have had to adapt to different ways of working because of Covid. This will be particularly useful as many politicians [...]