Metaverse switch: Young people jump ship from Facebook and embrace virtual reality platform March 15, 2022 The metaverse could become a mainstream way to make friends and even date, with nearly a fifth of young people ready to ditch more conventional social media platforms. With more than a tenth having already made their own metaverse avatar, data from Zen Internet highlighted that 18 per cent of 16-24 year olds are already [...]
TfL commissioner Andy Byford supports formalisation of river crossing committee March 15, 2022 Transport for London’s (TfL) commissioner Andy Byford said yesterday he would be in favour of formalising the existence of a committee to oversee maintenance of London’s river crossings. Speaking at the London Assembly’s transport committee, Byford agreed that TfL alongside the central government and London boroughs should formalise the mandate of the Thames River Crossing [...]
Roaring jobs market steps up case for another Bank of England rate hike March 15, 2022 A roaring jobs market in the UK is stepping up the case for another rate hike by the Bank of England on Thursday. Strong demand for workers rubbing up against weak labour supply is intensifying inflationary pressures in the jobs market, demonstrating the UK economy is ready for more rate hikes, according to economists. The [...]
Ocean Outdoor holds on to £25m BFI IMAX advertising contract March 15, 2022 The leading operator of premium digital out of home advertising in the UK, the Netherlands, the Nordics and Germany, Ocean Outdoor has nabbed the contract for the iconic BFI IMAX in London yet again.
Pfizer to donate Russian profits to Ukrainian humanitarian support March 15, 2022 Pfizer is set to donate all of its Russian profits to humanitarian support for Ukraine, the company confirmed late last night, as it vowed to continue to supply medicines to Russian patients. The biotech giant, which rose to fame amid the pandemic, said in a statement that “a voluntary pause in the flow of our [...]
Covid no more: Heathrow removes mask requirements as BA and Virgin Atlantic prepare to follow suit March 15, 2022 Heathrow announced it has dropped the requirement for passengers and employees to wear a face mask. Travellers, from tomorrow, will no longer need to wear face coverings while passing through the airport, as the policy applies to all Heathrow’s terminals, bus and railway stations. The airport will continue to suggest that its workers – especially [...]
Major breakthrough in Iran: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe gets passport back as UK negotiators land in Tehran March 15, 2022 A British negotiating team is in the Iranian capital to discuss the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe while the British-Iranian mother has had her passport returned, her local MP has said. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been detained in Iran since her arrest in 2016 on charges of plotting to overthrow the government – allegations she has always [...]
London is back: Office occupancy reaches pre-pandemic levels March 15, 2022 London office occupancy peaked at 42 per cent on Thursday 10 March, the highest single daily rate in the capital since before the pandemic in 2020. The weekly average prior to the pandemic was 63 per cent. Furthermore, last week was the highest weekly average for the UK and London, with both averaging 31 per [...]
Hard to Believe: Music giant which worked with Slayer and Björk will keep operating in Russia, and advises artists how to get around ban March 15, 2022 A French music giant has vowed to continue its operations in Russia, and even advised its partners how to work around sanctions. The ‘Believe’ group, which has worked with acts including Björk and Slayer, also has a UK arm, reportedly sent a newsletter last week to its partners in Russia, according to The Guardian, which [...]
Onlookers expect Russia to default on £90m duo international bond repayments March 15, 2022 Onlookers are expecting Russia to default on its foreign creditors, as Moscow seeks to repay two bonds in roubles – which has fallen over 40 per cent against the dollar. It would be the first time this had occurred since the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 under Bolshevik Lenin, The Times first reported. Russia’s economy is [...]