British Chambers of Commerce calls for commercial eviction ban extension January 28, 2021 One of the UK’s largest business lobbies has called for the government to extend its commercial eviction ban beyond March as businesses continue to face strict Covid-19 restrictions. The British Chambers of Commerce said today that businesses desperately needed certainty beyond March, with the majority of British businesses still expected to be closed even when [...]
Pension funds will reap rewards from playing a part in the UK’s green drive January 28, 2021 In November, heads of state, climate experts and campaigners will come together in Glasgow for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the biggest summit ever hosted by the UK, to discuss, and commit to, ambitious climate targets and concrete steps to protect our planet. International collaboration is essential, but the success of global action will comprise the [...]
Synchronic review – A bleak but unique sci-fi January 28, 2021 One of the very few advantages of the current global situation is many people’s ability to catch up on the content they might have missed, or challenge themselves with something different. Of the many choices coming your way in the next twelve months, few can boast to be as different as Synchronic. Avenger Anthony Mackie [...]
BEIS audit reform proposals coming ‘in next couple of weeks’ January 28, 2021 The BEIS consultation on reforms to the audit sector is understood to be coming out “in the next couple of weeks”, and is expected to be extensive. The consultation will contain detail on the minimum standards for audit committees, among other things that “UK PLC will gasp at”, Scott Knight, head of audit and assurance [...]
Could the secret to longevity be hidden in remote Costa Rica? January 28, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. This week we revisit Ashwin Bhandari‘s trip to Costa Rica in search of the secret to long life. ••• The town hall in Nicoya, western Costa Rica, is one of the few colonial buildings left in the [...]
The Dig – Mulligan and Fiennes shine in gentle period drama January 28, 2021 The true story of the Sutton Hoo excavation gets the Netflix treatment in a handsome period drama The Dig, an awards hopeful that quietly works its way into your affections. The story takes place in idyllic Suffolk in 1939. Wealthy widow Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) hires softly spoken excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to investigate [...]
Issues on Ethereum and DeFi as an emerging market January 28, 2021 Ethereum, the second most popular crypto asset by market cap, has seen its growth halted by notorious scalability issues and high gas fees. However, Decentralised Finance (or DeFi) which is built on the Ethereum Network is a different story. It was only as recent as the summer of 2020 when DeFi started to gain widespread [...]
Can DeFi offer a way to circumvent regulators in the fund management sector? – CityAM : CityAM January 28, 2021 One of the ways regulators try and protect ‘less sophisticated investors’ is to only allow High Net Worth (HNW) or professional investors to access certain types of funds. The use of options and futures (derivatives) by an asset manager to reduce a fund’s exposure to the stock market or a particular equity (under the guise [...]
Easyjet boss: We can ‘take advantage’ of European rivals who got state bailouts January 28, 2021 Easyjet’s chief executive has said not getting government bailouts like continental rivals during Covid-19 could benefit the budget carrier as it seeks to grow in Europe. Unlike in many European countries, the UK government has not propped up the country’s airlines despite multiple calls to do so. But Johan Lundgren said the restrictions imposed on [...]
Concrete changes can allow Britain’s digital firms to fly January 28, 2021 Britain’s technology entrepreneurs seem the last people who need any attention from Government right now. Valuations are soaring. IPOs are being lined up. Even as the pandemic constrains our daily lives, businesses that will deliver the jobs, growth and tax revenues of the future are thriving. But in the great global race to create and [...]