March budget may be delayed, says transport secretary Grant Shapps February 16, 2020 The government is likely to delay next month’s budget in the wake of Sajid Javid’s resignation, according to the transport secretary. Richmond (Yorkshire) MP Rishi Sunak was promoted to chancellor in Thursday’s cabinet reshuffle, after Javid refused to sack all of his special advisers as demanded by Boris Johnson. Sunak will now handle the country’s [...]
Banknote printer De La Rue set for review of finances February 15, 2020 The Bank of England’s banknote printer, De La Rue, is set for talks with its lenders after calling in advisers to review the business. De La Rue’s banking syndicate, led by HSBC, has appointed FTI Consulting to negotiate the future of its borrowing arrangements with lenders, according to Sky News Last November, the firm said [...]
Steve McQueen at Tate Modern review: Dramatic retrospective muses on what it means to be human February 14, 2020 I’m not sure anybody has perfected the art of translating video installations into blockbuster gallery retrospectives, but the Tate Modern comes pretty darned close. Having Steve McQueen as your subject helps, of course. He’s the man with the Midas touch, a Turner-prize winning artist turned Oscar-winning director. The Tate collects pieces from after his 1999 [...]
The Twilight Zone: The best way to find powder snow in Morzine? Try uphill skiing in the dark… February 14, 2020 It’s a still night on the mountain, with the full moon glinting on the snow. By the light of the torch on my head I can only see a narrow path as I trudge through the forests of Morzine in the French Alps. Despite the freezing cold I’m rapidly stripping off layers, overheating with the [...]
Labour MP self-isolates after attending conference with coronavirus patient February 14, 2020 A person diagnosed with coronavirus in the UK attended a conference near parliament last week along with 250 other delegates and Labour MP Alex Sobel. The patient attended the UK Bus Summit at the QEII centre on 6 February, according to Sky News. Among the speakers listed were Baroness Vere, Nusrat Ghani who lost her [...]
Coronavirus: What are the symptoms of Covid-19 and how can I avoid catching it? February 14, 2020 Having originated in China at the beginning of the year, a new coronavirus called Covid-19 has now spread to 24 countries, stoking fears of a pandemic. There have been nine confirmed cases in the UK, five of which were linked to the same person. The UK has raised the risk posed by the illness from [...]
Passenger with suspected coronavirus lands at Heathrow February 14, 2020 A passenger travelling from San Francisco suspected of having coronavirus has landed at Heathrow airport this morning having fallen ill on the flight. The United Airlines flight from the US landed in London this morning with the captain telling passengers “someone on the plane has suspected coronavirus”. Passengers were forced to wait on board the [...]
It’s time to make space for cosmic investing February 14, 2020 Valentine’s Day 2020 will be about more than roses and chocolate. It marks the 30th anniversary of one of the most iconic images of all time: a parting photograph of Earth taken by the Voyager 1 space probe. This image became notorious as the Pale Blue Dot, a seemingly insignificant pixel against a vast black [...]
BP’s plan is far bigger than a PR move February 13, 2020 The closest thing to a boastful holiday snap on Bernard Looney’s new Instagram page is a rather dreary image of Bonn. BP’s new boss was in the German city last week, so the caption tells us, to meet the head of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change. It should have come as no surprise [...]
Government to hold crunch talks with Flybe over potential loan February 12, 2020 The government is set to hold talks with struggling regional airline Flybe this week over proposals for a potential loan. Whitehall officials are expected to meet with the airline and its shareholders as soon as tomorrow to discuss a potential £100m in government support, Sky News reported. One scenario for the proposed deal could see [...]