Why yak hair is taking over our homes and wardrobes February 1, 2021 As we sit around our houses staring at the same four walls, we seem to have come to a collective conclusion: short-legged, long-haired ox and even-toed ungulates are in. One of the less predictable trends emerging in 2021 is our increasing propensity to dress ourselves and our interiors in the understated but highly functional elegance [...]
Covid testing push in Surrey after South African variant found with no travel links February 1, 2021 Residents in Woking, Surrey will be offered coronavirus tests after two people in the community tested positive for the South African variant, with no travel links to South Africa. Households in the Goldsworth Park and St Johns areas of Woking will be visited and requested to carry out a Covid-19 test – regardless of whether [...]
City watchdog to crack down on ‘buy now pay later’ firms February 1, 2021 The City watchdog is preparing to move in on so-called buy now pay later firms such as Klarna following a review of the unsecured credit market. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will this morning publish a report by interim chief executive Chris Woolard recommending that the sector be brought under the regulator’s remit, Sky News [...]
New UK Covid cases down 33 per cent over the past week January 31, 2021 The UK recorded another 21,088 Covid cases today, with the seven-day average falling by 32.5 per cent this week. Government figures also showed another 587 people died from Covid in the UK today, which brings the seven-day figure to 8,219 – a 5.3 per cent week-on-week drop. Patients admitted to hospital over the past seven [...]
Liz Truss: ‘Too early’ for UK to consider giving vaccines away to other nations January 31, 2021 It is “too early” for the UK to consider the prospect of giving away excess Covid-19 vaccines to other countries, according to international trade secretary Liz Truss. Truss said the UK was on track to vaccinate every adult in the UK by autumn and that the UK was committed to ensure “vaccines are there to [...]
Former England cricket chief Colin Graves: ‘I know Indian investment in The Hundred is there if the doors are opened’ January 30, 2021 Colin Graves may have stepped down as chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last year but he is not done shaping the game he loves. This month, the 73-year-old joined the board of Oakwell Sports Advisory, which advised CVC Capital Partners on its investment in Premiership Rugby and the Pro14. The man [...]
US investment giant Fidelity in talks over £100m Starling Bank stake January 29, 2021 US finance giant Fidelity is said to be in discussions over taking a £100m stake in Starling Bank amid surging interest in digital lenders. Fidelity Management & Research (FMR), which manages trillions of dollars in assets, is in advanced talks to lead a fresh round of funding worth £200m, Sky News reported. The US investment [...]
World’s first ‘flying car’ and drone airport to open in Coventry January 28, 2021 A pop-up urban airport that will showcase so-called “flying cars” and drones will be opened in Coventry later this year. The airport, called Air One, is scheduled to open in November and will be located close to the Ricoh Arena in the north of the City, Sky News reported. The project has received a [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Premier League still No1 in China; Leeds boss keeping busy; Matchroom’s media move; Wimbledon optimism; London 2012 gold for sale January 28, 2021 The Premier League’s ongoing dispute with a Chinese broadcaster doesn’t appear to have affected its popularity in the Far East. England’s top division has been named the most popular football league in China by a new report ranking digital performance. It had 80 per cent more engagement on leading social media platform Weibo than La [...]
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 [...]