De La Rue in talks to produce ‘Covid passports’ November 25, 2020 De La Rue is in talks with governments and pharmaceutical companies about producing ‘Covid passports’. The banknote printer is also in conversations surrounding security seals and tracking systems to guarantee that vaccines and tests are genuine, according to the Telegraph. At the unveiling of the group’s interim results, chief executive Clive Vacher said: “We do [...]
Eternal Beauty review – a gripping and peculiar story of love and mental illness November 25, 2020 Actor Craig Roberts (Submarine) follows up his 2015 directorial debut Just Jim with Eternal Beauty, a gripping and peculiar story of love and mental illness. Sally Hawkins stars as Jane, a woman living alone in a hellish British suburb. She suffers from depression and schizophrenia related to various traumas from her past, such as a [...]
Jungleland: An indie movie with heart and style November 25, 2020 Like a swift left-hand jab, Jungleland has popped up out of nowhere in this year’s jumbled cinema landscape. It’s a film that seems destined for streaming queues – starring two actors you probably recognise from “that thing they did a few years ago”, with a plot that sounds inviting enough to give it a shot. [...]
Audrey documentary review – a cinematic Wikipedia entry November 25, 2020 If there’s one thing to take away from that unsettling 2014 chocolate bar advert, it’s that Audrey Hepburn remains a figure of fascination for millions. Thirty years on from her death, her image is still iconic in the world of cinema and fashion, with the famous image from Breakfast At Tiffany’s adorning walls around the [...]
Khan: Nothing to help London in any meaningful way in spending review November 25, 2020 London mayor Sadiq Khan has given a damning verdict on the chancellor's spending review, saying there was nothing in it to would help London
OBR: ‘No-deal’ Brexit to wipe 2 per cent off GDP – with finance worst hit November 25, 2020 Official forecasts suggest a “no-deal” Brexit will hit the UK economy to the tune of two per cent next year and scar the economy for years to come. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that real GDP will be 1.5 per cent lower in five years than its current central GDP assumption if London [...]
Bertelsmann snaps up Simon & Schuster in $2.2bn deal November 25, 2020 The German media group behind Penguin Random House has acquired US publisher Simon & Schuster for $2.2bn (£1.6bn). Bertelsmann today confirmed it had secured the deal with owner Viacom CBS following a closely-fought bidding war. The takeover cements Bertelsmann’s position as the world’s largest book publisher, and strengthens its footprint in the US — its [...]
Sunak pledges £100bn in capital spending to fund ‘once in a generation’ infrastructure investment November 25, 2020 Capital spending will increase to £100bn next year, Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged today, as the government looks to make a “once in a generation investment” in its infrastructure. The plans, which were announced as part of today’s Spending Review, will see new money for housebuilding, a “levelling-up” fund for local projects, and a new national [...]
OBR forecasts house prices to fall next year as furlough and stamp duty holiday end November 25, 2020 House prices are expected to fall next year due to the end of the stamp duty holiday and a hit to household incomes when the furlough scheme draws to a close.
Central Bank Digital Currencies, Stablecoins and developing regulatory trends November 25, 2020 It seems that the recent Covid pandemic has triggered a number ‘digitisation’ obsessions across the globe. The Central Bank issued Digital Currencies discussions feels at times like a new pandemic and despite the significant research and guidelines seeking to establish standards for regulating and issuing such currencies. At a high level, the G20, and the [...]
