Will 2014 be a white Christmas in the UK? According to the Met Office and Ladbrokes, the chances are slight December 22, 2014 As we enter the business end of the festive season, many people will be wondering what the odds are of a white Christmas. That depends on the definition. The most widely definition for this isn’t all that practical: rather than enough of the white stuff to build a snowman or igloo, all that is needed [...]
Theresa May slammed over anti-migration plot to kick foreign graduates out of UK December 22, 2014 Business groups and politicians expressed dismay yesterday at plans by home secretary Theresa May to force foreign students to leave the UK before re-applying for work visas. May wants the Conservatives to include the measure in their party manifesto ahead of the general election next year. Current coalition partners the Liberal Democrats sought to [...]
Bailey and the jets: Burberry boss attends Elton’s wedding December 22, 2014 CHRIS Bailey, the Burberry chief executive, was a guest at Elton John’s wedding yesterday to long-term partner David Furnish. Bailey, who went to the event in Windsor with his partner, the actor Simon Woods, joined a sparkling guest-list that included the Beckhams, David Walliams, Elizabeth Hurley and Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev. Romeo Beckham recently [...]
Oil groups taking action to help North Sea firms as prices continue to fall December 22, 2014 The leader of Aberdeen City Council has called on the Scottish and UK governments to attend a summit on the “emerging crisis” in the North Sea oil industry. Jenny Laing announced yesterday that the council was aiming to bring together governments, trade unions and industry bodies to develop a strategic plan to save jobs in [...]
Drought, disease and olive oil shortage to cost consumers dear December 22, 2014 CONSUMERS may have to think twice before generously dousing their meals with olive oil next year. Dire harvests in the world’s top olive oil producing countries Spain and Italy mean global production this season will hit a 15-year low, sending prices spiralling upwards. According to the International Olive Council (IOC), global production for 2014-15 is [...]
Greece’s Prime Minister offers election bargain December 22, 2014 GREEK Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said yesterday he would call a snap election at the end of 2015 if parties agree to elect his presidential candidate. His New Democracy party failed last week in its first attempt to get candidate Stavros Dimas elected. Dimas only achieved 160 votes compared to the 200 majority needed. Tomorrow [...]
Barclays’ Asian investment arm cuts clients list December 22, 2014 The Asian arm of Barclays’ investment bank has cut down its list of possible clients by close to a third following a review into its activities in the region, it emerged yesterday. The move comes after the British bank started a process in May to restructure its under-performing investment banking business, which will include the [...]
Searchlight Capital Partners spots £80m deal for British billboard company Ocean Outdoor December 22, 2014 British private equity firm Searchlight Capital Partners is set to complete an £80m deal to buy London-based billboard company Ocean Outdoor, it emerged yesterday. Ocean operates outdoor advertising sites in cities across the UK, including the BFI Imax cinema at Waterloo and the Westfield shopping centre in White City, west London. Searchlight is in [...]
King’s Cross owners to sell stake in London’s biggest development December 22, 2014 THE PARTNERSHIP behind the regeneration of King’s Cross is planning to sell a 20 per cent stake in the 67-acre scheme. Argent, taxpayer-owned London & Continental Railways and DHL, have appointed Rothschild to find potential buyers as they prepare for the next stage of development. The transformation of the North London site got underway in [...]
Women making up larger slice of high earners December 22, 2014 The number of high-earning women is rising faster than the number of high-earning men. The number of women who are now higher-rate tax payers was 17 per cent greater in the financial year 2013-14 (April to April) than 2012-13, according to official data crunched by Radius Equity. This is quicker growth than in high-earning [...]