A new WTO boss who understands Africa is a good thing for the global economy February 14, 2021 After diplomatic horse-trading, the new head of the WTO has been all but confirmed – former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She will be the first African to take the role. The Rt. Hon. Mark Simmonds, a former Foreign Office minister with responsibility for the continent, argues it’s a good thing for the globe. Okonjo-Iweala’s familiarity [...]
Angels in America, now on-demand, is more relevant than ever February 13, 2021 In the same month Russell T Davies’ It’s A Sin has become the most talked-about TV show in the world, the National Theatre has made its own dramatisation of the AIDS crisis, Angels in America, available to watch on-demand for the first time. Both begin in the 1980s, just as the virus is taking hold [...]
Covid-19: Oxford extends vaccine study to children in world first February 13, 2021 Children as young as six will be given the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and Astrazeneca as part of a world-first trial to test the efficacy of the jab in young people. Researchers will enrol 300 volunteers to assess whether the coronavirus vaccine produces a strong immune system response in children and young [...]
Lockdown games are dangerous but very fun February 12, 2021 A friend of mine has become so bored of Lockdown 3.0 that he has created a new game called Middle Gear, loosely based on the driving TV show that featured three entitled idiots; Shorty, Geeky and Wanky.In this game, he meets a friend after dusk on the M25 with mutually full tanks of petrol and [...]
The TV shows that kept us sane through lockdown February 12, 2021 As we approach the anniversary of the first lockdown, it’s becoming hard to remember a time when we did anything besides working all day in our pyjamas and settling down for yet another evening of TV. More than ever, the things that we have watched have helped to define and reflect the public mood, either [...]
Dragon Rider review – familiar animated family fun February 11, 2021 While most of the industry has scrambled to find a release strategy during the pandemic, animated family films have thrived thanks to captive audiences and a need for home-based entertainment. According to rating compiler Neilsen, Pixar’s Soul was the most watched content over the Christmas period, while films like Trolls World Tour and Scoob benefitted [...]
Tickr: We don’t want to be a socks and sandals, preachy investment platform February 10, 2021 Everyone has something to say about ESG or “impact” investing these days. It has become the go-to buzzword for corporate firms and investment platforms. But unlike platforms that have added socially responsible features, London-based Tickr launched with a sole purpose of “impact investing”. Founded in 2018, Tickr aims to demystify sustainable investing and only offers [...]
Paul Greengrass’ News of The World is a warm-hearted Western February 10, 2021 The publicity for western News of The World has been relatively subdued – while the film had a modest cinema release in The States, it comes straight to Netflix internationally. As such, many people might see the film in their streaming queues and wonder if there’s an old Tom Hanks movie that passed them by. [...]
Office Politics: Apprenticeships aren’t the only way to nurture young talent February 9, 2021 This week is National Apprenticeships Week – a focal point of the national drive to make more training accessible for young people. But rather than a laser-like focus on apprenticeships or to focus on the Kickstart false-start – what it should be about is businesses recognising that apprenticeships aren’t the only way, and there are [...]
A message from the City of London Police: Top tips on National Internet Safety Day February 9, 2021 Today [9 February] is National Internet Safety Day. Marking this date feels more important than ever this year due to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the way we all communicate with others. We are now in the midst of our third UK lockdown with schools closed for the second time in a year [...]