The UK government’s Covid-19 venture capital fund has been mostly invested in what one director overseeing the portfolio called “zombie businesses”, leaving it with “a significant tail of dormant companies”, according to documents seen by the Financial Times. The Future Fund, a £1.1bn portfolio set up by then-chancellor Rishi Sunak and managed by the state-owned
On August 5, 2022, the American luxury jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co. announced that the company’s non-fungible token (NFT) mint called “Nftiff” sold out. Tiffany’s sold 250 Nftiffs for 30 ethereum per Nftiff raking in more than $12.5 million from the sale. The NFTs created by Tiffany’s have to be redeemed by August 12 and
The United States jobs data on Aug. 5 was above market expectations, indicating that inflation has not cooled down. The strong numbers reduce the possibility that the U.S. Federal Reserve will slow down its aggressive pace of rate hikes. After the release, the likelihood of a 75 basis points hike in September has risen to
Few movie stars have stirred Americans’ hearts like Audrey Hepburn. In the 1954 movie Sabrina, the last directed by Billy Wilder for Paramount Pictures, she co-starred with Humphrey Bogart and William Holden to portray the daughter of the chauffer to the wealthy Larrabees. The fictional family’s cinematic home was a gracious red brick house built
A vacation home that Justin Bieber rented for two weeks in 2015 at $10,000 per night for his entourage is headed to the auction block August 15 with a $5.99 million reserve, meaning the minimum price the seller is willing to accept for the home. Currently listed for $9.95 million, the property is one of
A task force in Nepal has proposed legal changes allowing the country’s central bank to issue its own digital currency. The move comes after a study indicated that such an initiative is feasible and recommended certain provisions that would authorize the regulator to proceed with its realization. Nepal Central Bank Prepares Legal Ground for National
British financial regulators have failed to tackle risks outside traditional banking and should now develop a comprehensive UK policy instead of waiting for an international agreement, according to a former Bank of England deputy governor. Paul Tucker accused the BoE of inadequate regulation of the so-called shadow banking sector at a private event last month,
The Chinese military culminated its largest-ever military exercise around Taiwan on Sunday with practice bombing raids and missile attacks on the main island as Beijing said it had met its objective of intimidating “Taiwan independence forces” and deterring US intervention. The People’s Liberation Army said on Sunday night that multiple groups of aircraft had trained
In 43 days, the Ethereum network could finally see a full transition from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS) via The Merge. Meanwhile, during the last 38 days, Ethereum’s layer one (L1) onchain transaction fees have dropped below the $5 mark and tumbled even lower by the end of July. At the time of writing, the
The UK government is to review a £4.2bn foreign takeover of a key part of the country’s gas infrastructure amid increased concerns about energy security. The sale of a 60 per cent stake in National Grid’s gas transmission business to an international consortium led by Australia’s Macquarie, the world’s largest infrastructure investor, is to be
It was a perfect first date. It started with a trip to an amusement park nestled in an alpine valley, where colorful roller coasters wound through the trees. Then the couple played a round of miniature golf before topping the night off with a shared bucket of popcorn at a movie theater. And it all
We ask the buidlers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for their thoughts on the industry… and throw in a few random zingers to keep them on their toes! This week, our 6 Questions go to Tongtong Bee, co-founder of Panony — an incubator, investor and adviser for blockchain and Web3 business. I’m Tongtong Bee,
After meeting the leaders of Ivory Coast and Senegal in July, the CEO of the cryptocurrency Binance, Changpeng Zhao, revealed in a tweet that he had recently met the President of the Central African Republic (CAR). Some of the topics discussed by the two were focused on “education, investments and crypto adoption in the Central
Blockchain technology has spawned many applications over the past few years, the most popular being cryptocurrencies. It has also facilitated the creation of many decentralized, secure and transparent marketplaces in the digital economy. Offering far more trust since all transactions are immutably recorded on the blockchain, this technology has been well supplemented by the smart
In this article ARCB ABNB CRUS PINS MPWR The Airbnb logo is seen on a little mini pyramid under the glass Pyramid of the Louvre museum in Paris, France, March 12, 2019. Charles Platiau | Reuters Economic data and earnings reports have been dictating the pace of the market as investors search for hints on
Firefighters pull up to a burning house during the Kincade fire in Healdsburg, California, on Oct. 27, 2019. Josh Edelson | Afp | Getty Images As climate change threatens the U.S. with more natural disasters, it’s becoming increasingly costly for Americans to insure their homes — and it’s only expected to get worse, according to
The peaceful pro-democracy protests that swept through Belarus in August 2020 evoked memories of Solidarity, the mass movement that had arisen in neighbouring Poland 40 years earlier. The focus of discontent was identical: a repressive regime, aligned with Moscow, that mistreated citizens and brought shame on the nation. Even the patriotic colours on display in
The Isle of Sheppey on the Thames estuary is ranked among the most deprived areas of Britain and like millions of people living on low incomes, its residents are grappling with the rising cost of food and fuel. All are bracing themselves for even harder times this winter. In a pub car park on the
From ominous speculation about the potential economic fallout of military conflict between Taiwan and China, to markets being flooded with designer watches in the wake of a crypto downturn, to warnings of worse bear markets and soccer franchises pushing forward in the realm of metaverse ambitions, there’s once again never a dull moment in the
Liz Truss has promised an immediate cut to National Insurance rates if she becomes prime minister in September, but faced claims from her Tory leadership rival Rishi Sunak that the change would “not touch the sides” for many poorer households battling a crisis in living costs. Truss, foreign secretary, told the Financial Times on Friday