Allelujah has a vital message, but the film’s plot gets tangled March 19, 2023 New British comedy-drama Allelujah is based on the 2018 play by Alan Bennett. Its focus on health care is interesting, given the amount that has changed since it debuted on stage. However, the subject is still pertinent. The film centres around the geriatric unit of a Yorkshire hospital. Overseen by a caring doctor (Bally Gill) [...]
Winners is a charming celebration of childhood enthusiasm March 19, 2023 In a wonderful bit of programming, Iranian comedy-drama Winners comes out in the afterglow of the Oscars. While set many miles from Los Angeles, this charming independent movie captures the mystique and awe so many of us witness when looking up at the big screen. Winners is about the Oscars, or more specifically an Oscar. [...]
Shazam: Fury of the Gods is another DC superhero dud March 19, 2023 The long in-development Shazam sequel (four years is an age for superhero films) arrives at a strange time. Audiences seem to be burned out on Marvel and DC, with many recent releases either bombing or being the subject of fan ire. With a new strategy planned for the DC Universe, can Zachary Levi’s superkid convince [...]
Deloitte fined £25m by China over audit of state-owned asset manager March 18, 2023 China has fined auditing firm Deloitte 211.9m yuan (£25.3m) for failing to perform its duty in assessing the asset quality of China Huarong Asset Management Co Ltd, the finance ministry said on its website on Friday. Deloitte’s Beijing operations also will be suspended for three months, the ministry said in a statement. China Huarong and its [...]
Let’s insist male guests at the Oscars wear white tie March 18, 2023 The Oscars earlier this week were a confection of elements: sure, they’re a nod to the year’s cinematographic output, but really, isn’t it all about looking at what the guests were wearing? Voyeurs tend to focus on the female stars, from Grace Kelly’s immaculate Edith Head gown in 1955 to Björk’s quirky swan dress in [...]
FTSE 100 live: London index joins European markets to close in the red as jitters over Credit Suisse contagion continue March 17, 2023 A dramatic week for European markets has ended on a low, with a number of interventions from global banks failing to calm the nerves of jittery investors. London’s FTSE 100 closed firmly in the red despite seeing gains in early trading on Friday. It followed a group of US banking giants injecting 30 billion US [...]
International Criminal Court issues ‘war crimes’ arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over abduction of children in Ukraine March 17, 2023 The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine. The court said in a statement that Mr Putin “is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of [...]
American candy stores: Calls for ‘stronger’ laws and business rate reform to clamp down on shops which blight Oxford Street March 17, 2023 Westminster City Council has called for a “stronger” economic crime bill and reform of business rates to officially bring a halt to American candy and souvenir stores which continue to litter Oxford Street. “We are dealing here with a sophisticated operation which is skilled at exploiting UK legal loopholes,” Cllr Adam Hug, leader of Westminster [...]
Pension pain: Savers who bought lifetime allowance ‘protection’ warned they may still find their tax-free lump sum capped March 17, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s decision to scrap the pension lifetime allowance (LTA) in Wednesday’s Spring Budget, was heralded as an incentive for wealthier employees over 50 to stay in the workforce. But some pensions experts say for those who took out a form of LTA protection may still have to watch they do not go over [...]
Banks, bonds, inflation, recession and energy: Five lessons the markets taught us this week March 17, 2023 The third week of March proved to be a rollercoaster for the world’s investors, with a rout on banks and the spectre of inflation, recession and the growing cost of living making their presence felt. These themes may indeed play on in future, so here are the five lessons we’ve learned from the markets this [...]