Royal Dutch Shell wins legal battle in India over tax payments November 19, 2014 Royal Dutch Shell has won a billion-pound court battle over the underpricing of its shares. The Indian branch of the oil giant was accused of selling its stock for a lower-than-usual amount to its parent firm, and the country's authorities demanded it pay them tax on the interest they would have earned if the [...]
Pub chain shares battered after MP vote to end beer tie: Enterprise Inns, Punch Taverns suffer November 19, 2014 Shares in pub chains plummeted after MPs voted to let landlords buy their beer on the open market, as investors heeded industry warnings that the legislation would have a "hugely damaging" effect. Enterprise Inns led the fall, losing 15.3 per cent in mid-morning trade. Punch Taverns also shed 12. 5 per cent. Shares in Marston's and [...]
Brian Cox and Lord Rees back Kickstarter campaign to help Brits get to the moon – for just £50 November 19, 2014 Astronaut Neil Armstrong made a giant leap for mankind when he became the first person to walk on the moon in 1969. But now, a mere 45 years later, Brits could be about to head en masse to the earth's only natural satellite. In fact, as long as a scientist-backed crowd-funding mission is [...]
100,000 new homes could be built on government-owned land in London November 19, 2014 Potential sites for new homes on government-owned land in London (Source: Savills) As many as 100,000 homes could be built on land in London owned by the government, according to research by property services firm Savills. The figures, which also found that across the whole of the UK, public land could provide enough space for [...]
After banning high powered vacuums, Brussels takes aim at big screen TVs November 19, 2014 Just a few months after Brussels' decision to ban high-powered vacuum cleaners, the EU has come up with another bright energy-saving idea. This time, the target of the EU's drive for energy efficiency is big-screen TVs. New TV standards which could come into effect as soon as June 2016 would cap the amount of energy [...]
Bank of England MPC minutes: Policymakers defy expectations to stay firm on interest rate hike vote November 19, 2014 The Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) voted 7-2 against raising rates in November, unchanged from last month's vote – despite speculation there might be a stronger vote in favour of keeping rates low. However, the minutes did reveal that there was a "material spread of views" amongst policy makers over the future outlook. [...]
Victoria Station evacuated after fire alarm: Commuters resume travel following alert November 19, 2014 Services have now been resumed at Victoria Station after a fire alert left rush-hour passengers stranded on trains for up to 30 minutes. Travellers coming into London from Kent and the surrounding areas were thrown into chaos when the station was evacuated. Fire crews attended as hundreds of passengers as services going into and out [...]
Carillion wins prison contracts worth £200m November 19, 2014 Carillion has won contracts to provide facilities management services to 50 UK prisons. The company believes that the two contracts, which will run for five years, could produce revenue of £200m over the period. The amount could increase if the company secures subsequent one-year extensions. The contracts mean Carillion will provide a range of services, [...]
Bank of England’s Kristin Forbes: “Banking deglobalisation will have widespread repercussions for the United Kingdom” November 19, 2014 Shrinking international financial flows could make it more difficult for the UK to fund its current account deficit, Bank of England monetary policy committee member Kristin Forbes said today. The American economist argued that international financial flows have shrunk since the last financial crisis, leading to a climate of banking deglobalisation. Forbes, who [...]
Royal Mail share price falls as profits drop after struggles with competition November 19, 2014 This isn't what Royal Mail shareholders wanted to hear in the run-up to its busiest month: shares fell 7.3 per cent in the early afternoon as the 500-year-old postal service said its delivery operations faced "stiff competition" in the first half of the financial year. For the six months to 28 September, pre-tax profit [...]