London homes snapped up by Hong Kong buyers quadruples April 29, 2021 The number of London homes being bought by Hong Kong buyers has quadrupled since the UK’s visa scheme has allowed many to relocate. Hong Kong buyers now account for four per cent of transactions in the capital, up from one per cent, according to client data from property firm Benham and Reeves. Since the British National [...]
City Pub Group expands portfolio in vote of confidence in London’s hospitality sector April 29, 2021 The City Pub Group has increased its stake in two hospitality chains in a vote of confidence in London’s pub sector. It has bought a 49 per cent stake in Barts Pub, the owner of Ladbroke Grove’s Kensington Park Hotel, for £750,000, and will operate the pub under a management contract. The City Pub Group [...]
The Artist’s Wife review – an indie drama lacking inspiration April 29, 2021 Acting legends Leno Olin and Bruce Dern star in a film about the pressures of supporting greatness. Olin plays Claire Smythson, the wife of celebrated painter Richard (Dern). Living comfortably in their old age, Claire keeps their lives running while Richard is allowed to surround himself with painting and teaching. When he begins to show [...]
Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse: Michael B Jordan in so-so thriller April 29, 2021 The latest in the long line of cinema releases that have migrated to streaming, Michael B Jordan hopes to kick off another franchise in an adaptation of this Tom Clancy novel, itself a spin-off of the Jack Ryan series. He plays John, a committed Navy SEAL who is part of a raid in Syria that [...]
Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation review April 29, 2021 There have been many documentaries in recent years that take the form of audio-visual mosaics. Asif Kapadia’s Amy, Listen To Me Marlon, and last year’s Billie brought to life the journeys of famous faces through archive footage and lost conversations. Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation looks at the lives of Truman Capote and Tennessee [...]
Cardano leading the charge against Bitcoin dominance April 29, 2021 As Bitcoin's market dominance falls below 50 per cent, alt season is in full swing with Cardano leading from the front.
Greensill, PPE and cronyism: Ministers need to be honest with each other about procurement contracts as well as the public April 29, 2021 Procurement normally only captures our attention when something has gone seriously wrong: the collapse of Carillion, who-you-know Covid contracts, unusual supply chain finance proposals, or jewellery designers and hedge-funds supplying PPE at extortionate prices. Although such blunders rarely escape the front pages, those who care to see taxpayers’ money well spent should also pay attention [...]
Brand London: How will the capital change after Covid and Brexit? April 29, 2021 As the UK gradually emerges from lockdown, the deserted streets of London are beginning to show hints of their former vibrancy. But a return to normality will be far from straightforward. Not only has London been left reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, it is still working through the fallout from Brexit, which has sparked a [...]
UK set to formally recognise the EU’s ambassador in bid to cool tensions April 29, 2021 The UK is set to grant full diplomatic status to the EU’s ambassador to the UK in a move that could cool tensions and put to bed a long-running dispute. João Vale de Almeida, a near lifetime Eurocrat, took up the ambassadorial post last year, but had not been formally recognised by Boris Johnson’s government. [...]
London-based food-tech platform Taster raises $37m in funding April 29, 2021 London-based digital restaurant platform Taster has raised $37m in series B funding, led by Cazoo-backing firm, the company confirmed today. Backed by the same firm that helped used-car platform Cazoo land its £5bn valuation, Octopus Ventures, Taster has capitalised on the growth seen within the food delivery industry over the last 18 months. “If McDonald’s [...]
