BILL OF THE WEEK June 7, 2009 A GROUP of nine City boys arrived at the Mint Leaf Lounge in Angel Court to cool off during that all-too-brief spell of hot, sunny weather last week. They wolfed down the restaurant’s new chilled mango and canteloupe soup, prawn mango salad and scallops, followed by lobster tails, lamb biryani and seabass. But though the [...]
The Apprentice winner Yasmina uncovers the sweet side of Sugar June 7, 2009 Yasmina is excited. Very excited. “It just feels amazing”, she says of her victory. “Phenomenal. Amazing. Great. Ecstatic. You’ve caught me at a good time. I’m in the Apprentice bubble. I’m loving it.” She’s obviously delighted by her win, but not surprised. “Before I met the other candidates in the house I was petrified. I [...]
Chocolate gives finalists plenty to chew on June 7, 2009 Nearly there. After 13 firings, ten challenges and one peerage, the lowest budget Apprentice to date was drawing to a close. Sir Alan congratulated his finalists before bringing on The Apprentice alumnus to help out with the make-or-break task. Kate and Yasmina grinned as their old friends strutted back in, looking like a Marks and [...]
Oscar-winner who loves London stage June 7, 2009 I ARRIVE 20 minutes early at Ronald Harwood’s Chelsea mansion block, and rather than knock, I sit on the steps outside. I don’t want to risk the ire of the man who won an Oscar for The Pianist and who has two West End plays about Nazi Germany on simultaneously – Taking Sides and Collaboration [...]
BROWN CRUSHED AS VOTERS DUMP LABOUR June 7, 2009 PRIME Minister Gordon Brown will today face renewed pressure to quit after Labour suffered a drubbing in the European elections. Labour was humiliated in the polls, with support around 16 per cent of the national vote, putting it on a par with the eurosceptic UK Independence Party (Ukip). The Conservative party swept to victory, even [...]
Brown in key MPs’ meeting June 7, 2009 GORDON Brown will be fighting for his political survival today in a make-or-break meeting with MPs. Rebel MPs have still not come up with the 100 signatures they promised in a letter of no confidence. They need the backing of 71 of Labour’s 350 lawmakers to trigger a leadership contest, which would take about three [...]
Disastrous for Labour, good for the Tories June 7, 2009 IT was a disastrous night for Labour, and an even worse one for Gordon Brown, now a lame duck prime minister who cannot even appoint the cabinet of his choice. But Labour’s crushing defeat – it got just 21.3 per cent of the vote in London, was beaten in Wales by the Tories for the [...]
There’s value in the City June 7, 2009 LONDON has become the best-value real estate hub in the world, thanks to the severe drop in the value of City of London offices, according to the annual Money into Property report published by consultancy DTZ. DTZ said that the period between 2008 and 2010 will see the worst cumulative returns for UK property since [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 7, 2009 THE SUNDAYSThe Sunday Telegraph WIGLEY TO ADVISE ADVENTThe former chairman of Merrill Lynch’s European operations and a respected City figure, is joining the private equity firm Advent International to identify investment opportunities across the financial services industry. Wigley will become a part-time operating partner at Advent, which is sitting on a large cash-pile after raising [...]
FSA fines up by 514 per cent June 7, 2009 The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has delivered on its vow to toughen up on market abuse, fining companies and individuals a record-breaking total of £27.3m in the year to 31 March, a 514 per cent increase on the previous year. Over the period, the regulator prohibited 46 individuals or companies from carrying out regulated activity [...]