FTSE 100 dips 0.5% by 34 to 6,641 points

The FTSE 100 dipped 0.5% today as traders fretted over interest rates rises and Rishi Sunak‘s Budget tax grab for big business. London‘s leading index was down by 34 points to 6,641 by mid-afternoon after US stocks plummeted on Wall Street yesterday. The FTSE closed 0.9% higher yesterday as market movers focused on the extension … Read more

All the living room’s a stage: PATRICK MARMION dips his toe in immersive online theatre 

Audience participation. Two words that used to strike terror into the hearts of theatregoers and make them long to cower beneath their velvet seats. Happily, there is little to fear from the virtual equivalent and the explosion of so-called ‘immersive online theatre’. These are shows, led by actors in videos and voiceovers, in which friends … Read more

Jay-Z is vacation chic as he dips his feet into the sand during beach workout in Hawaii 

Jay-Z hasn’t stopped focusing on fitness during his VIP vacation to Hawaii. The rapper/mogul, 50, took to the beach for more than one squat-heavy, group exercise session last week. Mr. Beyonce Knowles was dressed for the occasion, donning black Puma shorts and a dark tee shirt for the outing.  Priorities: Jay-Z made sure to fit … Read more

Icy dips in lidos, lakes and the sea can give you a daily high as good as any HRT 

The first 30 seconds are the worst. The cold bites, actually bites, causing your heart to beat so fast you can almost hear it, as you draw in your first rasping breath. Every cell in your body screams ‘what the hell is the point of this torture? Why aren’t you at home, in your nice … Read more

ALEX BRUMMER: Bailey dips into the toolbox at the Bank of England

As the Chancellor who dusted off long-neglected plans to give the Bank of England independence, Gordon Brown deserves to be heard. But whether the middle of a pandemic is the right time for grand plans about changing the Bank’s remit is debateable. The Old Lady’s response to lockdown was immediate and bears no resemblance to … Read more

US dips below 50,000 new cases but experts fear July 4 will act like ‘rocket fuel’ for pandemic 

The United States has dipped under 50,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time in four days, but experts fear celebrations for the July 4th Independence Day weekend will act like rocket fuel for the nation’s surging outbreak. Johns Hopkins University, which tallies confirmed cases, counted 45,300 new coronavirus infections in the U.S. on Saturday. … Read more