Drinking around the world: The Scots-Armenian wine alliance April 22, 2021 The Scottish Borders are famous for Sir Walter Scott’s old home Abbotsford House, Jedburgh snails and Hawick Balls boiled sweets, as well as being the birthplace of the “voice of rugby” Bill Maclaren. Somehow, it has also become the hub of Armenian wine appreciation and the UK’s centre of south Caucasus viniculture. “I knew Armenia made [...]
Sadiq Khan and Shaun Bailey row over ‘ludicrous’ £4.68bn tax bombshell claims April 22, 2021 Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and Sadiq Khan have today clashed over claims that the incumbent London mayor would raise taxes by £4.68bn over the next three years if re-elected. Bailey said today that Khan’s plans would mean households would have to pay £1,339 more in tax, however this figure comes mostly from a proposed [...]
Chick Fight review – lame comedy is far from a knockout April 22, 2021 In the absence of expensive promotion and cinema foyers, some films rely on a snappy title to stand out in streaming queues. Chick Fight might catch the eye for the wrong reasons, but a film will try anything to keep you from scrolling past. Sadly, most who see this film will wish they had. Malin [...]
Manufacturing optimism at highest levels in nearly 50 years April 22, 2021 UK manufacturers’ hopes for an economic rebound rose to their highest levels in nearly half a century this month as Britain slowly began its exit from Covid-19 lockdowns. According to the latest CBI quarterly Industrial Trends survey, its quarterly business optimism gauge jumped to +38, its highest level since April 1973. In January, amid the [...]
Black Bear review – a meta tale of twists and turns April 22, 2021 Recently, we’ve been treated to big budget studio fare in the on-demand space, as Godzilla fought Kong, Eddie Murphy’s prince returned to America, and Zack Snyder re-assembled his Justice League. However, with cinema re-openings just a few weeks away, the larger blockbusters are holding off and, for the moment at least, the VOD space has [...]
Greensill’s parent company enters liquidation April 22, 2021 Greensill Capital’s Australian business, which collapsed last month with debts of A$4.9bn, has entered liquidation. Administrator Grant Thornton said creditors had voted by 23 to zero, with a handful of abstentions, to liquidate the parent company of the disgraced supply chain firm. “As of today, the company is now in liquidation,” Grant Thornton said. “The [...]
Shopper, drinker and diner numbers recover as UK retailers and hospitality firms reopen April 22, 2021 Restaurant and pub reservations soared and shoppers headed back to the high street in vast numbers as coronavirus restrictions on outdoor hospitality and retailers lifted. The latest data showed that UK seated diner reservations on Saturday reached 60 per cent of the levels seen on the equivalent day in 2019, pre-pandemic. Figures were even higher [...]
HSBC hires former Wells Fargo lead as its new head of global banking April 22, 2021 HSBC has hired the former executive vice president of Wells Fargo as its new head of global banking in Europe based in the capital. Stepping into the role on 15 July, Lisa McGeough joins HSBC from the California-based bank after 15 years, most recently serving as both executive vice president and head of international. McGeough [...]
HSBC open to climate talks but cannot ‘condone vandalism’ April 22, 2021 Following a climate protest which saw windows smashed at its City headquarters, HSBC has said that it welcomed discussion on climate change but that it could not ‘condone vandalism’. “We welcome meaningful dialogue on our climate strategy; however, we cannot condone vandalism or actions that put people and property at risk,” a spokesman said. “We [...]
GB News: What is the new TV channel and when will it launch? April 22, 2021 There’s been a flurry of announcements in recent weeks ahead of the launch of GB News, a new opinion-led channel promising the biggest shakeup of British broadcast media for 30 years. The venture has caused a stir, with no shortage of controversy over its promise to take a “boldly different” approach. Plans are still being [...]
