UK record label revenue grows as streaming offsets pandemic hit March 23, 2021 UK record label revenues ticked up last year as the booming popularity of streaming services helped to offset the impact of the pandemic. Recorded music revenue grew to £1.1bn in 2020, up 3.8 per cent on the previous 12 months and the highest level since 2006. It is also the fifth consecutive year of growth, [...]
Almost two in three adults fear mortgage holiday will hit credit score as deadline nears March 23, 2021 Nearly two in three adults fear a mortgage holiday could impact their credit score, according to the latest research published as the deadline for a payment break approaches. A survey of UK homeowners found that 73 per cent are worried that a mortgage holiday will impact their credit rating, with 10 per cent believing it [...]
Anti-virus firm Norton taken to court amid competition investigation March 23, 2021 The UK competition watchdog is taking anti-virus software firm Norton to court after it refused to provide information relating to an ongoing investigation. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has identified concerns that Norton’s practices for automatically renewing contracts result in customers paying for services they no longer want or need. It asked the company [...]
Barrister banned for six months for lewd sexual language towards trainee March 23, 2021 A barrister has been suspended from practice for six months after making lewd sexual comments towards a trainee who at the time was undertaking a mini-pupillage. The Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service (BATs) found Robert Kearney, a veteran criminal barrister, had “failed to act with integrity” when he was in a position of trust. BATs [...]
Wall Street opens in the red ahead of Fed chair testimony March 23, 2021 Wall Street ticked into the red this morning as energy and travel stocks slipped, while investors awaited remarks from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on the health of the US economy. Powell will join US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen to provide testimony to US politicians in Congress later today. He is expected to say that the [...]
Government mulls reform of long-haul air passenger duty to balance domestic cut March 23, 2021 The government has today kicked off its consultation on reforming the air passenger duty (APD) tax regime as part of its so-called “tax day”. Ministers are looking to change the current structure of the tax to improve intra-UK travel links without compromising its 2050 net zero emissions targets. As was previously announced, it will consider [...]
Exclusive: Galliard secures £76m loan to fund luxury flats above Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station March 23, 2021 The developers of a luxury residential block above Tottenham Court Road’s Crossrail station have secured £76m in financing from lenders to complete the project. Leumi UK, the London-based subsidiary of the Israeli bank, and Natwest have closed a multi-million-pound deal with Galliard Homes to fund the development of 92 flats in the West End, City [...]
Regulators have to front up to the cryptocurrency challenge as Bitcoin goes mainstream March 23, 2021 The recent surge in the value of Bitcoin has drawn attention to cryptocurrency from all quarters. Supposedly now at tipping point, the recent billion-dollar bet by Tesla added momentum to cryptocurrency’s growth and duly pushed the valuation past $1tn. Individuals and corporates are all diving into the world of Bitcoin. It’s not just Tesla; companies [...]
Global online tax on tech giants ‘in our grasp’, says Rishi Sunak March 23, 2021 Rishi Sunak has today said a global online tax on internet giants like Amazon and Facebook is “in our grasp”. Sunak said he was “very keen to see a resolution” on the issue, with the chancellor making it one of his top three priorities in G7 meetings this year that are hosted by the UK. [...]
Prince Harry takes executive role at Silicon Valley health startup Better Up March 23, 2021 Prince Harry is said to be taking up a senior role at a Silicon Valley health startup as the outspoken royal taps into new business ventures. The Duke of Sussex will become chief impact officer of Better Up, a San Francisco-based firm specialising in coaching and mental health, the Wall Street Journal reported. “I intend [...]
