Frustrated French energy minister quits during live radio interview August 28, 2018 Nicolas Hulot, France’s energy and environment minister, resigned suddenly this morning, saying in a radio broadcast that President Emmanuel Macron’s administration had frustrated his environmentalist efforts. The green activist and TV presenter, a vocal critic of nuclear power, said “I don’t want to lie anymore,” during a live interview public radio channel France Inter, adding [...]
GAM Holding sets out plan to pay back investors amid £5.8bn fund crisis August 28, 2018 GAM Holding, the embattled Swiss asset manager, will begin next month to liquidate funds that had been frozen after it suspended the investment director who ran them, the group said today. The asset manager announced earlier this month that it would liquidate nine funds, representing total assets worth SFr7.33bn (£5.82bn). Shares in GAM tumbled last [...]
Stamp duty keeps pensioners sitting tight as housebuilding giant calls for tax exemption August 28, 2018 More than a fifth of pensioners would consider moving house if stamp duty was abolished, according to new research which suggests the property tax is hampering housing market activity. In a YouGov poll out today, 22 per cent of adults over 65 said they would be more likely to move if there was a stamp [...]
Heathrow launches new direct flight to Chinese megacity Chongqing August 28, 2018 Heathrow has launched its first direct flight to Chongqing, in what marks the hub airport's 10th direct flight to China. Tianjin Airlines will operate the route to the Chinese 'megacity' three times a week, carrying up to 81,000 passengers a year, as well as nearly 4,000 tonnes worth of exports. Heathrow has been growing its list of [...]
ECI makes £45m investment in technology consultancy MThree August 28, 2018 Private equity firm ECI Partners announced today it has made an investment into MThree, a global technology consultancy that trains graduates for roles in financial services organisations and tech companies. The investment is aimed to allow MThree, which was founded in 2010, to increase overseas expansion and accelerate growth. The value of the investment was [...]
Brewdog temporarily takes down parody porn site after backlash August 28, 2018 Brewdog has pulled a parody porn site from the internet to "tweak" it after a backlash from beer fans. The pugnacious Scottish brewer, known for its attention-grabbing marketing initiatives, announced yesterday that it had launched a parody porn website under the URL beer.porn, which showcased videos from its new streaming network under sexually suggestive titles. [...]
London Euston reopens after bank holiday disruption – but will close again this weekend August 28, 2018 London Euston station will close again this weekend after its closure over the bank holiday weekend caused disruption for passengers up and down the country. The station will remain closed until this Sunday. It has been closed on certain weekends in August while rail workers carry out repairs on the North Wembley junction, one of the [...]
The Zone Two slump: Prime property prices tumble in London’s fringes August 28, 2018 Expensive homes on the outskirts of central London have suffered significant price drops over the last 12 months, as buyers and sellers decide to stay put amid growing political uncertainty. House prices for prime properties in Zone Two areas such as Fulham and Putney have tumbled 5.3 per cent and 3.9 per cent respectively in the [...]
Feeling thirsty? London is getting 20 new drinking fountains at train stations and shopping hotspots August 28, 2018 The summer heatwave might be nought but a distant memory now, but if the capital sees the sun again this side of Christmas Londoners will be thankful for 20 new water fountains coming to train stations, shopping centres and museums around the city. Four of the Mayor of London's watering holes (we don't mean pubs) are [...]
Sports Direct named least reputable retailer in annual rankings while Amazon takes top spot August 28, 2018 Sports Direct has been named the least reputable retailer in the UK after a survey of consumer attitudes. The sports gear retailer languished at the bottom of the rankings compiled by the Reputation Institute for its annual UK Retail RepTrack. Sports Direct scored poorly on four measures: workplace, governance, citizenship and leadership. It comes just weeks after [...]