Rediscover the art of conversation at work in easy steps February 22, 2015 Making an effort to build new relationships pays big dividends. How often do you walk into your office and it’s quiet enough to hear a pin drop? Are your colleagues constantly plugged into their headphones, heads down, and cracking through their to-do lists? Do you even know their names? While we all need space [...]
FTSE stripped of £2.7bn by strong sterling February 22, 2015 The FTSE 350 was hit hard by the high pound in 2014, losing in excess of £2.7bn in sales, according to new analysis. For companies on the index with full year results with year ends up to the end of September, annual revenues on a like-for-like basis were down 1.7 per cent on the same [...]
UK investment bank Rothschild could pay bonuses early in case Labour wins February 22, 2015 UK investment bank Rothschild is weighing up paying staff bonuses early, in order to avoid new taxes that could be brought in if Labour wins the general election. The Financial Times spoke with two sources “familiar with the bank’s thinking” and revealed the banks could pay bonuses to its 1,000 London staff before the traditional [...]
Is Apple about to change its rules with its new mobile operating system? February 22, 2015 iPhone users could be about to get a developer’s view of Apple’s operating system. The tech giant is reportedly planning to open up its new iPhone software to all users, rather than just developers, as part of a plan to improve functionality and eliminate bugs before the final release. The beta launch may, however, be [...]
UK braces itself for ice, snow, flooding, and high tides February 22, 2015 A stormfront is approaching the UK; it’s 1,200 miles wide and could bring 50 foot waves and gusts of wind strong enough to stir up a blizzard. The Met Office issued the weather warnings for snow and ice for Scotland the north of England, even as the risk of flooding continues to hang over coastal [...]
Greece prepares to submit draft reforms to Eurogroup February 22, 2015 Greece has been busily preparing a list of draft proposals which are crucial in extending its rescue programme, ahead of tomorrow's deadline for its submission to the International Monetary Fund and EU institutions. The reforms, which will be largely "structural", are expected to focus on curbing things like tax evasion and corruption, as well as [...]
The Liberal Democrats want to go after companies who help with tax evasion February 22, 2015 The Liberal Democrats are pledging to get tough on tax evasion. Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said that under new proposals organisation and people who enable or aid tax evasion would face harsh financial penalties. The proposals include the creation of a new offence; corporate failure to avoid preventing an economic crime, [...]
Britain would lose economic influence if it left the EU, says Norwegian minister February 22, 2015 The UK faces a struggle to impose its economic will if it leaves the EU, according to Norway’s minister for Europe, Vidar Helgesen. Norway is often held up as a shining example of how a country can thrive outside of the European Union, but life beyond the bloc is not plain sailing. Talking to the [...]
One chart summing up Britain and Russia’s military spending February 22, 2015 The amount Britain spends of defence has been called into question, after RAF fighter jets were scrambled this earlier week when two Russian bear bomber aircrafts were spotted flying "close to UK airspace." It prompted Lord Stirrup, who headed the armed forces at the time of the 2010 strategic defence and security review to call for the reversal [...]
Why 2015 is the year to remortgage your home February 22, 2015 With the end in sight for record low borrowing costs, now is an "ideal time" for people to remortgage their homes, using fixed rates to lock-in favourable repayment terms ahead of a rate hike expected early next year. Since their peak in summer 2012, fixed rate mortgages fell in 18 of the 28 months to 3.15 [...]