Joe Media loss deepens as parent company starts layoffs February 9, 2020 Digital publisher Joe Media has posted a widening loss in its latest full-year accounts, weeks after its parent company announced job cuts in a bid to turn around its ailing finances. The news site, which also runs the popular House of Rugby podcast, reported a loss of £1.7m in 2018, compared to a £1.6m loss [...]
Endgame at the Old Vic review: Samuel Beckett double bill is delightfully taxing February 7, 2020 There was a club night in Glasgow in the early 2000s called Optimo, which occasionally used the slogan: “You won’t like it, sugar” (taken from the lyrics of a Whitehouse track that you really shouldn’t google). It always struck me as a brilliant bit of marketing, at once embracing and ridiculing musical elitism. I can [...]
Daniel Isn’t Real review: Arnie Jr stars in this neon horror mashup February 7, 2020 ‘Keep your friends close and your imaginary friends closer’ could be the tagline for this psycho-horror starring the handsome young progeny of Arnold Schwarzenegger. It follows introverted law student Luke, whose childhood-trauma coping-mechanism, an invisible pal called Daniel, reemerges with violent intent. While Daniel Isn’t Real’s budget is relatively meagre, it brings to mind an [...]
Parasite movie review: Bong Joon Ho’s surreal social commentary is a work of rare genius February 7, 2020 Over the last 90 years, the Academy has deigned to nominate just 10 foreign language films for the Best Picture gong, with none of them walking away with the gold statue. There’s an 11th in the running this year: Bong Joon Ho’s superlative Parasite. The director, whose oeuvre spans both Korean- (The Host, Mother) and [...]
Change is in the air across the Irish Sea, as Leo Varadkar is learning the hard way February 7, 2020 Change is the word du jour across the Republic of Ireland right now. As the General Election comes to its final stages tomorrow, the word has become so ubiquitous — in the leaders’ debates and on the campaign trail — it feels it has lost all meaning. For nearly 10 years, centre-right Fine Gael has [...]
Eddie Jones will be under the spotlight on his first return to Murrayfield since being ‘verbally and physically abused’ in 2018 February 7, 2020 There can be few places Eddie Jones would rather avoid more than Murrayfield this weekend as he leads England north of the border amid growing doubts about his team. Despite taking them to a Rugby World Cup final just three months ago, last weekend’s 24-17 defeat to France in the opening round of the Six [...]
With apprenticeships, firms can teach old dogs new tricks February 7, 2020 We are living through extraordinary times. Disruptive tech innovations, dizzying political upheavals, and growing public demand for action on issues from inequality to the environment are all contributing to a landscape of unprecedented change. But we are still clinging to outdated ideas of how — and when — we should gain new skills. The use [...]
Faltering England face a tough test of their mettle in feisty Six Nations clash with Scotland at Murrayfield February 6, 2020 England face Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday in a match which carries huge significance, both historically and for the tournament. Eddie Jones has opted to make five changes as England attempt to wrestle back momentum following their disappointing 24-17 defeat against France in the opening game. They were poor in Paris, but I [...]
Sajid Javid’s growth plan unlikely to succeed, says think tank February 6, 2020 Sajid Javid’s plan to double the UK’s economic growth rate has little chance of success, according to a major think tank, as Britain pays the price for weak productivity. Javid has said he wants to boost UK economic growth to around 2.75 per cent by “levelling up” spending across the country. Yet the National Institute [...]
Airbnb bans under-25s from booking ‘party houses’ after violence February 6, 2020 Airbnb has launched a crackdown on young people booking entire properties in a bid to prevent house parties from descending into violence. The new rules have been rolled out in Canada as part of a trial programme, though the company did not say whether it will be extended to other countries. It comes after a [...]