Joe Biden must not meddle in Northern Ireland March 16, 2021 Amid ongoing post-Brexit discussions, the Northern Ireland office has dispatched a representative to the US to “build relations” with the Biden administration. Tensions flared last week as Unionist paramilitaries withdrew their support for the Good Friday agreement. Meanwhile, key Republican actors set about launching a campaign in the US to build support for their cause, [...]
Government signs deals for 200m rapid Covid tests ahead of lockdown lifting March 15, 2021 The government has signed deals with two British companies to supply 200m rapid Covid-19 tests ahead of plans to roll out a “mass testing blitz” once lockdown restrictions are lifted. The Department of Health announced it has inked agreements with Scotland-based Omega Diagnostics and Bedforshire-headquartered Global Access Diagnostics to produce the tests, which have a [...]
Women sentenced after faking husband’s death for £400,000 insurance claim March 15, 2021 A woman from London faces two years imprisonment after she reported her husband dead in an attempt to defraud her insurer £397,153. Thuile Bhebhe, 51, reported that her husband had died in Zimbabwe in August 2016, submitting false documents to her insurer, Aviva, in order to substantiate her claim. But discrepancies in the paperwork submitted [...]
Pandemic essentials: Hand gel, dumbbells and loungewear enjoy consumer boost March 15, 2021 Hand gel, dumbbells and men’s loungewear bottoms are among the latest post-pandemic additions to Britain’s official consumer price index this month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today. Consumer habits have transformed throughout the pandemic, reflected in data from ONS which has, unsurprisingly, revealed a rise in casual clothing, home exercise equipment and travel-sized [...]
Name-dropping: Elon Musk changes job title to Technoking of Tesla March 15, 2021 Eccentric billionaire Elon Musk has a history of riling shareholders with his unusual behaviour, and his latest stunt could put another black mark by his name. In a stock market filing today, the troublesome tycoon announced he has changed his job title to Technoking of Tesla, in addition to his current role of chief executive. [...]
What will we wear to work after Covid? We ask the experts March 13, 2021 Much has been written about our lockdown wardrobes, from those initial Zoom calls in shirt-sleeves and pyjama bottoms to the slow descent towards simply “working from bed”. Hairstyles have gone from immaculate to neanderthal, with “fix it at home” trim jobs performed by partners and flatmates. But what does the imminent return to office-based work [...]
UK HuffPost office next on Buzzfeed’s chopping block March 12, 2021 A total 16 full time journalists working at HuffPost in London are at risk of losing their job, as BuzzFeed begins consulting on plans to slim down Huffpost “operations” in the UK and in Australia. More than half of the 29 HuffPost journalists working in the London office have been informed they face redundancy, the [...]
The Entrepreneur’s overlooked cousin: companies must foster ‘Intrapreneurs’ for post-Covid creativity March 12, 2021 Entrepreneurs are the supposed heroes of our era. They are simultaneously titans of industry, Renaissance artists, and Hollywood Stars, building products, empires, and literal rocket ships that will be spoken about for decades to come. In the modern economy, those who create something out of nothing command ultimate respect. But the entrepreneur has a less [...]
John Lewis to close more stores in places ‘where people aren’t going’ after it lost £517m in 2020 March 12, 2021 John Lewis to close more stores in places 'where people aren't going' after it lost £517m in 2020
Analysts: UK economy ‘like a punchdrunk boxer hanging off the ropes’ March 12, 2021 UK’s GDP shrank by 2.9 per cent in January, it was announced this morning, blowing a “cold snap” through the UK economy as a third national lockdown was imposed. Analysts were torn as to whether the harsh fall is a glass of cold water to the face, or better than what was forecast. January’s figures [...]