Why Test cricket is back on Channel 4 and what it means for the future of sport on terrestrial TV February 2, 2021 For the first time since the heady 2005 Ashes series, Test cricket is returning to British terrestrial television. Channel 4 has bought the rights to show England’s tour of India, which begins on Friday in Chennai. But why is cricket back on a free-to-air broadcaster? Who stands to gain? And what does this mean for [...]
The rise of TikTok ‘finfluencers’ offers lessons for the investment industry February 2, 2021 No longer just a platform for teenage dance challenges, TikTok is becoming the number one spot for financial advice.
University students to receive share of £50m funding amid Covid disruption to teaching February 2, 2021 Universities are set to receive an additional £50m to support financially struggling students amid mounting backlash over continuing fees during the pandemic. The new funding, which comes on top of a £20m package offered to disadvantaged students in December, follows a slew of rent strikes and protests from students. Many have asked for rent on [...]
Woolard review: FCA cracks down on £2.7bn buy-now-pay-later market February 2, 2021 Interest-free buy-now-pay-later credit agreements will be regulated by the City watchdog after the market swelled to £2.7bn last year. The plans, drawn up by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), have been designed to protect consumers, after the use of buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) transactions tripled in 2020, as shoppers looked for ways to spread their money further [...]
Myanmar military seizes power, detains elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi February 2, 2021 (Reuters) – Myanmar’s military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her party in early morning raids. Western nations condemned the sudden turn of events, which derailed years of efforts to establish democracy in the [...]
Best of travel: From Canada to Mexico to find Trump’s legacy February 1, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. This week we revisit Ashwin Bhandari’s coast-to-coast trip across America to try to understand the Trump phenomenon. ••• The Seattle skyline, with the iconic Space Needle against the backdrop of Mt Rainier, may be familiar from TV [...]
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 [...]
The likelihood of a bubble forming in financial markets February 1, 2021 Concerns are mounting as to whether financial markets may have entered bubble territory over the past few weeks. Some analysts are warning that instances of excessive behaviour have become apparent and more frequent. The usual key ingredients to form a bubble in financial markets include cheap credit or easy money and an enticing narrative, with [...]
Elon Musk in the Clubhouse, not the Dogehouse! February 1, 2021 Crypto at a Glance If you caught last week’s episode of ‘The Markets do the Funniest Things’, you’ll undoubtedly have been on the edge of your seat waiting to see how it all turns out this week. But let’s start with a quick recap. Friday’s cliffhanger saw GameStop back up and running on Robinhood and [...]
Ryanair on track for record loss after €306m third quarter hit February 1, 2021 Ryanair this morning plunged to a €306m (£222.6m) loss as the Irish carrier continued to suffer “the most challenging year in its history”. The Irish carrier said that passenger numbers were down almost 80 per cent to just 8m people over the three month period. As a result, it said it was reducing its full [...]