Tara Isabella Burton, the author of “Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World,” calls it the bespoke-ification of religion, or the unbundling of rituals — a reference to how cable TV packages split apart after the advent of streaming services. In the unbundled world, people pick what they want […]
dead
Banks accused of inviting fraudsters to go after dead people’s money
Lawyers have accused banks of inviting fraudsters to go after dead people’s money through a loophole created by changes relaxing probate rules during the pandemic. A number of banks including Lloyds and NatWest have raised the threshold for when a grant of probate – the legal permission for dealing with a […]
Coronavirus could bring flawed but vital Help to Buy back from the dead
The worst recession for 300 years is looming on the horizon, but some housebuilders are rubbing their hands. It may seem counter-intuitive, as the 2008 financial crisis almost ruined the industry. But economic forces and a mini credit crunch, forged by cautious banks, will push first-time buyers into a corner, […]
Japanese diplomatic luminary Okamoto dead at 74
TOKYO — Yukio Okamoto, a diplomatic expert who advised two Japanese prime ministers on issues ranging from the return of a U.S. military base in Okinawa to Iraq reconstruction, died in late April. He was 74. Okamoto had contracted the coronavirus, a Japanese government source said. A graduate of Hitotsubashi University, […]