Sky announces £500m share buyback as dividend sees ninth consecutive rise July 26, 2013 British Sky Broadcasting has announced a £500m capital return to shareholders via share buy-back, as it releases results for the year ended 30 June (release). The firm saw profit before tax rise to £1,257m from £1,189m in the same period last year and has seen 150,000 customers sign up for its new Sky Go Extra [...]
Miner Rio Tinto announces £670m investment in water supply project July 26, 2013 Rio Tinto has announced a $1.30bn (£670m) investment in a new 2,500 litre per sector seawater desalination facility to supply water to Escondida mine in Chile, in which Rio Tinto has a 30 per cent interest (release). The project will provide a sustainable supply of water for the new OGP1 copper concentrator approved in February [...]
Reach new heights July 25, 2013 Growing pressure on open spaces in the capital has created a surge of interest in properties with roof terraces. Naomi Mdudu rounds up the best on the market. Kensington Roof Gardens, Boundary, Soho House: us Londoners are suckers for a rooftop terrace. Great views over the city and a relaxing spot to indulge in a [...]
Elephant & Castle gets a lick of paint July 25, 2013 One The Elephant is the new development at the heart of the area’s regeneration, promising affordable living in Zone 1 One The Elephant is the latest big tower on the London skyline. When complete, the 37-storey building, which is designed by award winning architects Squire and Partners, will offer 254 new homes, from studios through [...]
Focus on: Chiswick July 25, 2013 NEED TO KNOW | AREA INSIGHT DESPITE being known as the a go-to destination for foodies, there’s more to Chiswick than its impressive stable of quality delicatessens, greengrocers and top-notch eateries. The affluent west London suburb is one of the top commuter hotspots due to its close proximity to central London and offers large properties [...]
Q and A July 25, 2013 Director, Douglas & Gordon Q I’m very confused about the Government’s Help to Buy scheme. Does the fact that I have owned a property before affect my eligibility? A You do not need to be a first time buyer to take advantage of the Help to Buy scheme, merely unable to afford to buy (they [...]
London barometer July 25, 2013 Director of Douglas & Gordon Compared to the same time last year, in July supply was down by 30 per cent, offers received and accepted were up 10 per cent, fall throughs almost halved and buyer levels remained steady. Political interference at the top end of the market seems to be having a dampening effect [...]
GlaxoSmithKline names Frenchman Gisserot as its new head of operations in China July 25, 2013 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the pharmaceutical company at the centre of a bribery scandal in China, has announced it is appointing a new head of operations in China. Herve Gisserot will take over from Mark Reilly, who will stay on as a senior member of the management team, a spokesman has told Reuters. Gisserot has held the [...]
Confusion over record outflow of Cyprus bank deposits July 25, 2013 Deposits in Cypriot banks appeared to fall at the fastest rate in history after a poorly reported adjustment to the banks included in the measure resulted in the headline stock figure reporting a yearly outflow of €5.3bn (£4.6bn) (release from Cyprus's central bank). If deposits really fell that much, it would be the fastest rate [...]
Nurses struck off over Stafford hospital scandal – but one is still employed by NHS July 25, 2013 Sharon Turner and Tracey White have become the first nurses to lose their licence to practice over the scandal at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust after a decision made this afternoon by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The nurses falsified accident and emergency discharge times to avoid missing the government goal for patients to be dealt with [...]