Uni pension fund to vote on changes June 28, 2010 BRITAIN’S second-largest private retirement scheme – which pays pensions to university staff ??– could be forced to cut benefits and shift away from equities as it tackles a huge deficit. Next week, a University Superannuation Scheme (USS) committee will try to decide between two proposals to address a deficit which stood at £17bn as of [...]
Unite to delay strike ballot on new BA offer June 28, 2010 UNITE has decided to postpone balloting British Airways (BA) cabin crew on another potential strike after the trade union said that it will give members time to consider a new offer made by the airline. A third strike ballot was expected yesterday, but an offer made by BA management last week caused Unite to delay [...]
Angola expensive for ex-pats June 28, 2010 Luanda in Angola is the most expensive place in the world for foreigners to live, says research by consultants Mercer. London is the 17th most expensive city for expatriates, while Belfast is one of the cheapest. It is the first time an African city has topped the survey, which measures 214 cities on the price [...]
Luxury hotel focuses on China June 28, 2010 Luxury hotel chain Mandarin Oriental International is planning on almost doubling its international presence in the next three years and sees China as a major focus, the company said yesterday. The hotel investment and management group will grow from about 24 deluxe hotels and resorts currently, to about 42 in the next 36 months, the [...]
Greece plans T-bill auction June 28, 2010 GREECE yesterday announced plans to issue Treasury bills in mid-July to cover maturing debt. The move is seen by analysts as a bold but risky test of market appetite as it is Greece’s first auction since securing a mammoth EU and IMF bailout last month. The debt-choked country is not expected to issue longer-term debt [...]
Nordic Investment Bank to hike capital base for projects June 28, 2010 THE Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) said its board has agreed to hike the bank’s capital base by €2bn (£1.63bn)) to better fund projects, especially in the environmental and transport fields. “There are reasons to believe that the demand for long-term financing will remain high in the coming years; also when the current crisis is over,” [...]
Sweden finishes top in the digital economy stakes, with UK in 13th June 28, 2010 SWEDEN has knocked Denmark off the top spot in digital economy rankings. The list, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit assesses the prevalence and quality of countries’ broadband and mobile access, based on fibre and 3G connections. The US finished third, with the UK dropping a place to end up 14th – one place ahead [...]
The boss of the world’s number one caterer is drawing up plans to grow June 28, 2010 It is no exaggeration to say that Compass and its chief executive Richard Cousins has elevated the term low-key into something of an art form. A modest three-storey red brick building in Chertsey, Surrey, is home to the biggest caterer in the world. Cousins, a 51-year-old father of two who rarely gives interviews, is the [...]
BT strikes up a footy deal with BSkyB June 28, 2010 BT HAS finalised a deal with BSkyB to offer its subscribers top-flight football next season. The move, which means football fans can watch their teams on BT Vision for the first time, could rock Sky’s dominance of the pay TV market after decades controlling the lion’s share of subscribers. It follows a controversial Ofcom ruling [...]
Product placement rules are laid out June 28, 2010 OFCOM yesterday published a series of proposals for new rules to allow product placement on radio and TV. Ofcom says it plans to restrict the types of products that can be placed. Companies advertising gambling, tobacco, alcohol, baby milk and medicines will be banned from product placement, as will sellers of salty and sugary food. [...]