Suits you: Lloyd’s of London lets staff dress down May 25, 2018 Venerable insurance market Lloyd’s of London confirmed today that it has relaxed the once-strict dress code for its underwriting room. Previously not wearing a tie or a jacket would have been enough to have someone ejected. However, this policy has been relaxed as Lloyd’s looks to move with the times. Read more: Dress-down Friday? Dress-down [...]
Vedanta share price tumbles after killing of protesters demanding closure of plant in Tamil Nadu, India May 25, 2018 UK metals and mining group Vedanta Resources is facing harsh criticism after 13 people were killed while protesting a copper smelter run by the company in India’s Tamil Nadu state. On Tuesday, police opened fire on protesters who were demanding that the smelter in the port city of Thoothukudi be shut down on environmental grounds. [...]
Focus On Balham: What’s the property market like in SW12, the historically less cool neighbour to Battersea and Clapham? May 25, 2018 No one wants to be the runt of the litter, but that is exactly what Balham was historically, sandwiched as it is between the Chelsea-aspirant hordes of Battersea and Clapham. “In the past Balham could have been described as the ugly sister of Battersea and Clapham,” says Hamish Scott, branch manager of Hamptons International estate [...]
Police seize bitcoins from criminal hacker in first case of its kind May 25, 2018 Police have seized around half a million pounds worth of bitcoin from a “prolific” hacker in the first case of its kind for the Met. Grant West was responsible for attacks on more than 100 companies worldwide, obtaining the financial data of tens of thousands of people though phishing scams, which he would then sell [...]
Pound sterling (GBP) drops to five-month low after UK GDP slumps May 25, 2018 The pound eased in afternoon trading today, following a disappointing second estimate of first-quarter GDP growth from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Sterling was down 0.31 per cent to trade at $1.3339 against the dollar, its lowest level since mid-December last year. Read more: UK GDP: Economy suffers worst rate of growth in six [...]
Property prices in Croydon, who is buy and more May 25, 2018 There was a time when Croydon was famous for three things; Kate Moss, trams and Mark and Jez’s dingy flat in Peep Show. Thankfully, its reputation – and its housing stock – have improved since then and it’s now notable for a whole host of other reasons. “In recent years, Croydon has seen a reversal [...]
Brexit: Senior EU official derides UK position as “fantasy” May 25, 2018 The UK has been described as living in a “fantasy” when it comes to Brexit, prompting an angry response from Whitehall. This week saw officials return to the negotiating table in Brussels for another round of Brexit talks in which withdrawal issues, Northern Ireland and the future relationship were up for discussion. But in a [...]
Graze backer Draper Esprit’s ‘funny’ profits on a par with Marks & Spencer May 25, 2018 A disruptive venture capital fund today said it was “funny” that it made the same profits as retail giant Marks & Spencer. Aim-quoted Draper Esprit, which has masterminded the growth of brands such as Graze, Revolut and Crowdcube, doubled annual profits to £65.3m. The firm’s primary portfolio value swelled 116 per cent to £243.5m generating [...]
UK GDP: Economy suffers worst rate of growth in six years May 25, 2018 The UK’s economy grew at the worst rate since 2012, figures out this morning show. GDP grew by just 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of the year, according to the second, unrevised, estimate put out by the Office for National Statistics. And once you adjust for population changes, the figures are even worse: [...]
Late May bank holiday weather: London temperatures to reach high 20s – but thunderstorms loom May 25, 2018 Mixed weather news for all those planning to stay in the capital for the long weekend: London could be one of the warmest parts of the country, but might also suffer from a thunderstorm or two. Temperatures are expected to heat up over the next few days, peaking at 28°C on Monday, according to the [...]