Japan is taking on the Swiss with a little help from Studio Ghibli December 9, 2024 Next year the sell-out stage adaptation of Hayao Mizyaki’s tale of two girls, a catbus and a forest spirit, My Neighbour Totoro, will transfer to the West End. This year Spirited Away, another Studio Ghibli classic about a girl, a bathhouse for gods, and a boy who turns into a dragon, was staged at the [...]
A night at the museum: The amazing Palazzo Previtera, Sicily December 9, 2024 Palazzo Previtera is a Sicilian guesthouse like no other. Steve Dinneen checks in for a stay at this “living museum” in the foothills of Mt Etna ••• I was sitting on my private terrace, glass of local Mt Etna Mascalese red in hand, when the air raid siren went off, its terrible drone bouncing off [...]
Who killed the Gif? How the dancing banana split December 9, 2024 In a 2021 Twitter (now ‘X’) post, US journalist Jenny Zhang wrote, “Any time I see someone use a reaction gif I immediately know they are above the age of 33”. The replies to the post featured a mix of indignation and applause, but Jenny had a point. Once the quick and easy reaction to [...]
‘It’s about confronting death’: The people paying authors to write their life story December 9, 2024 How do you want to be remembered? It’s a question humans have asked since time began, but have you ever paused to think about it – I mean really think about it? Who do you want to be remembered as, which stories do you want your grandchildren to hear? When you’re dead and gone and [...]
Subdial: How the pre-owned seller is changing the watch game December 9, 2024 Subdial, the pre-owned, data-driven watch retail platform, has a new investor in the form of former Watchfinder CEO Stuart Hennell. Hennell, who left Watchfinder, following its sale to Richemont, in 2018 has purchased a substantial minority interest in the business. Hennell is uniquely placed to advise Subdial. Unlike the likes of Chrono24, which is essentially [...]
FTSE 100 rises as Assad’s overthrow in Syria drives oil prices higher December 9, 2024 The FTSE 100 ticked up on Monday morning as oil prices jumped after rebels overthrew the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the week. Britain’s blue-chip index gained 0.28 per cent to 8,331.88, while the mid-cap FTSE 250, which is more closely aligned with the health of the UK economy, traded mostly flat at 21,047.56. Brent [...]
Team GB star tipped to end 20-year wait at Sports Personality of the Year December 9, 2024 Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson is tipped to become the first female track and field athlete to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year for two decades after the shortlist was announced on Monday. Team GB’s golden girl of middle distance running is the odds-on favourite with bookmakers to claim the prize, which is decided [...]
Boohoo shares rebound from historic low amid battle over its future December 9, 2024 Shares in fast fashion group Boohoo have recovered from a historic low as the battle over its future took another twist ahead of a crunch vote before Christmas. The Manchester-headquartered group, whose brands include Debenhams and Prettylittlething, suffered a slump in its share price in July from 35p to 27p. However, shares in Boohoo have [...]
Former HSBC banker to lead Australian lender ANZ December 9, 2024 Australian bank ANZ has appointed former HSBC banker Nuno Matos as its next chief executive after he missed out on the same position at the London-based lender this summer. Matos is set to join the Melbourne-based bank in July 2025 and replace Shayne Elliott, who is retiring from ANZ after nine years at the helm. [...]
No Christmas cheer for employers as 2024 draws to a close December 9, 2024 There are plenty of reasons to be cheerful at this time of year, but the state of the economy isn’t one of them. As Christmas trees go up and celebrations get underway, there are worrying signs that large parts of corporate Britain are preparing to end the year in a state of nervousness and pessimism. [...]