Rishi Sunak doubles down on 2021 deadline for global tech tax deal February 12, 2021 Rishi Sunak has doubled down on a commitment to establish a new global tax on tech firms in the coming months following years of conflict over a new regime targeting Silicon Valley. In a G7 meeting today the chancellor said the new digital tax framework was a “key priority” and called on member nations to [...]
UK prosecution of Mike Lynch ‘would delay justice’, court hears February 12, 2021 A criminal prosecution of Mike Lynch, the British tech entrepreneur, in the UK would result in severe delays, the US government argued today as it fought to extradite the Autonomy founder to be tried on fraud charges in America. The UK’s Serious Fraud Office has reserved the right to prosecute the case if Lynch is [...]
Best of travel: Ko Samui is more than a backpackers’ paradise February 12, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Laura Millar’s exploration of Thai island Ko Samui’s more luxurious side. ••• The taxi taking me on the ten-minute journey from Ko Samui’s tiny, open-air airport terminal to my hotel on Chaweng beach, one [...]
FTSE 100 gains despite record slump in UK GDP February 12, 2021 The FTSE 100 pared back its losses this afternoon despite data showing the UK economy shrank by a record 9.9 per cent last year. The figures reflect the damaging economic nature of national lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. Mining and financial stocks led the declines, as the FTSE 250 also dipped by [...]
RFU: No relegation from Premiership or Championship this season February 12, 2021 The Rugby Football Union has confirmed that there will be no relegation from either the Premiership or Championship at the end of the current season. One team will be promoted from the Championship, meaning next year’s Premiership will consist of 13 teams, and the Championship 11. That team is widely expected to be Saracens, who [...]
Hotel quarantine booking site still not working February 12, 2021 Hotel quarantine booking site launches, there are no spots at London airports until Wednesday
WandaVision Episode 6 review – a spooky special February 12, 2021 *** WARNING: This review contains spoilers for all current episodes of WandaVision *** Episode 5 of WandaVision was a huge info dump, as events both sides of The Hex began to run parallel to each other. Episode 6 has its own share of explainers, but we do get a big departure in terms of aesthetic. [...]
UK financial services sector contributed record £76bn in tax last year February 12, 2021 The UK’s financial services sector paid a record £75.6bn in tax last year, according to a new report. The sector’s contribution in the fiscal year ended March 2020 included £34.1bn in taxes borne directly by firms and an additional £41.5bn from employees and customers, according to a recent report by the City of London Corporation. [...]
Supreme Court rules that Nigerians can sue Shell over oil spills February 12, 2021 The Supreme Court has today ruled that a group of 42,500 Nigerians farmers and fishermen can sue oil giant Shell for numerous oil spills in the Niger Delta. Judges found that claimants could sue the firm for the activities of its Nigeria-based subsidiary. The local Ogale and Bille people alleged their lives and health have [...]
Lawyers, guns and money: How to futureproof the defence industry February 12, 2021 They say that everything is bigger in America. That is certainly true when it comes to defence spending. The prime minister recently announced an increase in UK military expenditure of £16.5 billion over four years, which seems like a lot of money: but then remember that the Pentagon’s annual budget for this year is a [...]
