West End extends festive period in bid to win back shoppers October 16, 2020 The West End is set to extend the festive shopping season as ailing retailers look to lure Londoners back into shops. The Christmas lights switch-on will take place on Oxford Street and Bond Street on Monday 2 November and Thursday 12 November respectively, marking the earliest ever start to the festive season for the district. [...]
The Circuit Breakers should be honest about what they’re asking for: lockdown until Christmas and beyond October 16, 2020 “Circuit breaker lockdown”: sounds cool, doesn’t it? Edgy, effective, high-tech. Circuits involve electricity, electricity is physics, so a circuit breaker must be about science — the kind of science that makes light bulbs flash and powers cutting-edge revolutions that can save a nation from ruin. With pressure building for the government to impose this two-week [...]
Amazon to escape UK tech tax as global crackdown falters October 14, 2020 Amazon is facing fresh scrutiny over its tax liabilities after it emerged the tech giant will not be affected by the government’s landmark digital services tax. In April ministers unveiled the new tax — which charges a two per cent levy on the revenue of internet companies — saying it would ensure companies contribute their [...]
Asos sounds cautious note on future demand after profit quadruples October 14, 2020 Asos reported a quadrupling in full-year profit following a spike in online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic, but warned on the outlook for consumer spending among its young customer base. The fashion ecommerce giant reported profit before tax of £142.1m for the year to 31 August, up from £33.1m the year before. Read more: Asos [...]
Amazon Prime Day piles pressure on retailers ahead of Christmas trading period October 13, 2020 Amazon Prime Day has launched today, kicking off the crucial Christmas trading period and piling the pressure on retailers to keep up with online discounting. The Amazon sale, which will see the e-commerce giant slash prices on 13 and 14 October, was postponed from July, bringing it closer to the Black Friday discounting bonanza and [...]
Christmas isn’t cancelled — Santa is accepting buy now, pay later October 13, 2020 One thing’s for sure: we’re going to be tempted to spend more than ever this Christmas, because 2020 has not been a joyful year. Let’s face it, if 2020 were a wine, it would be reduced to being a bin-end, and a pretty poor one at that. But as furlough unwinds, and with a no-deal [...]
Alex Cruz: Five days to forget for the outbound British Airways boss October 12, 2020 The travel world awoke to a shock this morning as it was announced that British Airways boss Alex Cruz would leave the firm with immediate effect. He departs with aviation mired in the deepest crisis in its history, with passenger numbers still at historic lows due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision is the first [...]
Astrazeneca partners up with Thailand for vaccine manufacture in Southeast Asia October 12, 2020 Thailand has announced it will partner up with Astrazeneca to scale up production of its potential coronavirus vaccine, as the pharmaceuticals company seeks to strengthen manufacture of the drug further afield. The Thai Ministry of Public Health today said it will roll out “large scale manufacturing” of the potential Covid vaccine at Siam Bioscience in [...]
More than 1,300 arts organisations to share £257m survival fund October 12, 2020 The London Symphony Orchestra and the Young Vic are among more than 1,300 arts organisations across England that will share a £257m coronavirus survival fund. The funding is the latest tranche of the government’s £1.6bn Cultural Recovery Fund, which is designed to support theatres, museums and music venues that have been forced to close during [...]
Charles Hoskinson Talks Poets And Cuneiform Beauty And Blockchain October 7, 2020 The first law of podcasting is to ensure that the record button is on, the second law of podcasting is to ensure that the record button is on… et cetera, et cetera. That’s why in June 2020 the world was robbed of the best-ever conversation not recorded on a podcast between yours truly and Cardano [...]