Conservatives hit back in debate over promise of EU referendum November 10, 2014 Senior Tories yesterday hit back at critics of the party’s promise of an EU referendum. Prime Minister David Cameron denied the move would create business uncertainty, as suggested by Labour leader Ed Miliband, telling the Confederation of British Industry’s annual conference that the idea is unfounded. And striking back at the Labour leader [...]
Don’t look down (or up) November 10, 2014 The new glass-floored crossing which opened at Tower Bridge yesterday may cause headaches for those with a fear of heights, but pedestrians sporting skirts and kilts need not worry about their dignity, a Tower Bridge spokesperson has said. “No it won’t be possible [to see up women’s skirts]. The layers within the glass, combined with [...]
Challenger banks Virgin Money and Yorkshire Building Society call for RBS and Lloyds to be split up November 10, 2014 Small lenders are calling on the competition watchdog to look at breaking up RBS and Lloyds, arguing the market is too focused on giant players. The Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) and Virgin Money have both written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to push for the big banks to carve out more new challengers from [...]
Aldi to hire 35,000 new staff for expanding discount drive November 10, 2014 GERMAN discounter Aldi is to create 35,000 new jobs and employ up to 1,000 apprentices as it continues to expand its presence in the UK, the company announced yesterday. During a visit from the Prime Minister David Cameron to the chain’s headquarters in Atherstone, Warwickshire, Aldi reiterated its commitment to increasing the number of stores [...]
Rocket Internet share price soars after Goldman gives its rating lift off November 10, 2014 Rocket Internet saw its shares surge in response to yesterday’s decision by Goldman Sachs to place the German internet group on its list of so-called “conviction buys”, with a price target of €69. Shares reached €48 yesterday, a 12.81 per cent rise following the investment bank’s note on the firm. Goldman’s decision marks an impressive [...]
GoPro goes to extreme lengths to raise $100m? November 10, 2014 Up to $800m (£505m) in shares in GoPro, the wearable camera loved by extreme sports afficionados, will be coming to market in a secondary offering. It plans to raise $100m in new capital, plus give some existing investors the chance to sell shares following June’s $491m initial public offering (IPO). Chief executive Nick Woodman announced [...]
Serco share price plummets after profit warning November 10, 2014 Outsourcing firm Serco sent share prices tumbling by almost 33 per cent yesterday, after issuing a profit warning and revealing that it was seeking to raise up to £550m with a rights issue in the first quarter of 2015. The company announced that its forecast profit for 2014 had been reduced by approximately £20m, [...]
E-cigarette ad gets first airing on British TV November 10, 2014 UK TELEVISION viewers yesterday saw the first ever advert showing someone smoking – or “vaping” – an e-cigarette. While adverts for e-cigarettes have been airing for some time, the device itself and the act of “vaping” were prohibited until an amendment to advertising regulation came into force yesterday morning. Cigarette adverts have been banned in the [...]
VIP ecigarette advert: Sex sells but is vaping’s credibility up in smoke? November 10, 2014 Well, they do say sex sells, and VIP’s pioneering ecigarette advert – shown for the first time last night after the 9pm watershed – has sex in bucketloads. A minefield of innuendo, the ad features a dewy-lipped young woman in a little black dress. There are two versions, a long and short one. In [...]
Gherkin bought by Safra Group: Meet the Brazilian-Lebanese billionaire behind the £700m deal November 10, 2014 The City's iconic Gherkin has been snapped up for more than £700m by the Safra Group, the investment giant controlled by Brazilian-Lebanese billionaire Joseph Safra. Safra, which last month won a $682m (£430m) takeover battle for banana group Chiquita, said yesterday it had agreed to buy the 590-foot tower at 30 St Mary’s [...]