Fuel price decline lifts spending power for embattled consumers August 25, 2014 The drop in fuel prices and lower inflation on other essential items is helping to prop up discretionary incomes in the UK, according to figures released this morning. Fuel prices fell by 2.9 per cent in the year to July, according to research conducted by Asda, while food prices also dipped by 0.4 per cent. [...]
Roche buys InterMune for $8.3bn in Swiss firm’s biggest deal for five years August 25, 2014 Roche, the huge Swiss-based pharmaceutical company, has bought biotechnology company InterMune for $8.3bn (£5bn), in Roche’s biggest acquisition for five years. The deal will see Roche pay $74 a share for rare lung disease specialist InterMune in an all cash transaction. The price represents a premium of 38 per cent on InterMune’s closing price [...]
Professional services hiring hits a record high even as growth eases August 25, 2014 Professional and business services firms are currently snapping up new staff at the fastest pace in at least 16 years, with slower growth in the sector failing to stem a wave of hiring. According to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) this morning, more business and professional services firms are reporting that they are recruiting [...]
Fears of threat to UK house prices from shale gas fracking rejected by government August 25, 2014 The government has stuck to its guns over fracking despite claims that the practice could be damaging to property values. The Department of Energy & Climate Change (Decc), led by minister Ed Davey, told City A.M. shale exploration would have no impact on house prices, despite suggestions homes near drilling sites could be put into [...]
Zoopla’s UK property rich list reveals number of housing millionaires set to hit 500,000 August 25, 2014 Almost 500,000 homeowners in the UK are now part of the so-called property millionaires club after an explosion in the number of houses valued over £1m during the past year. The property rich list, released today by property website Zoopla, said that 484,081 flats and houses are now worth a seven-figure sum – up 49 [...]
Iceland’s Bardarbunga volcano still a threat despite warning downgrade from red to orange August 25, 2014 Iceland’s Met Office has reduced aviation alerts from red to orange, following scientific evaluation of volcanic activity at Bardarbunga. The new alert level means that all restrictions on aviation have been cancelled and all scheduled services airports in Iceland are open. While a sub-glacial eruption was believed to have occurred on Saturday evening, observations showed [...]
Tidworth is top town in Royal Mail list of UK’s most desirable postcodes August 25, 2014 The UK’s most desirable postcodes, based on a range of qualities from education to the affordability of housing, were revealed by the Royal Mail yesterday, with a town in Wiltshire ranking top of the list. The study, which was conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) on behalf of the Royal [...]
Netflix poised to scoop another 6m European users in five years August 25, 2014 Europe could bring another six million subscribers to Netflix by the end of 2018, as the online streaming video service prepares to launch in six new European countries next month, according to researcher IHS. Netflix, which has 50m subscribers globally, is not just disrupting distribution – putting traditional players like Sky and BT in the [...]
City spat comes to an end with win for Guy Naggar August 25, 2014 A line has finally been drawn under a long-running City row between veteran stockbroker Barry Townsley and his former business partner and friend Guy Naggar. Townsley lost his claim against Naggar last summer and lost his appeal of that decision this summer. Now the time in which he could apply to appeal once more has [...]
Sophie Turner is (Sansa) stark choice for Karen Millen’s new campaign August 25, 2014 Having released a teaser video last week, in which viewers follow a mystery red-head as she strides around east London, clothing brand Karen Millen has revealed the face of its autumn/winter campaign to be Game of Thrones’ Sansa Stark (or actress Sophie Turner to be precise). “The London-focused KM campaign is a culmination of a [...]