For the price of a two bed London flat you can buy an Orkney island July 12, 2014 Have you studiously saved £600,000 for a flat in London? You could always spend it on this private Orkney island and coastal farm instead. The Orkney islands are located about 20 miles to the north of the Scottish mainland, and the island of Littlequouy in Burray, which Savills has put on the market for [...]
RAC says government not doing enough to ensure foreign vehicles are taxed July 12, 2014 British automotive services company RAC has said that the government must do more to investigate untaxed foreign vehicles, warning that they could be draining the UK of millions of pounds every year. It said that while an estimated 60,000 foreign vehicles are registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), a further 15,000 [...]
Why HBOS failed: review to be released July 12, 2014 Details on why HBOS bank failed during the financial crisis will be published in a review before the end of the year, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The regulatory body said that considerable investigation had already taken place, but that the review could now proceed in full force because disciplinary hearings related [...]
UN calls on European nations to accept more Syrian refugees July 11, 2014 The UN refugee agency United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has asked European nations to accept more Syrian refugees, saying that they have welcomed a “minuscule” number of them so far, while the countries neighbouring Syria have reached "saturation point". The number of refugees who have fled Syria is set to exceed 3m [...]
Meet the seven new galaxies that could shed light on our own galaxy July 11, 2014 Astronomers at Yale University have discovered seven new galaxies 20 million light years away from our own, “the blink of an eye in cosmological terms,” according to lead researcher Professor van Dokkum. They discovered them using a new type of telescope, made by stitching together telephoto lenses, while probing a nearby spiral galaxy called [...]
New data shows card transactions reached 990m in May July 11, 2014 Credit card transactions rose in the UK last month, at the fastest rate since 2005. At 990m, the number of transactions reached almost 1bn and totalled £47.1bn. The rise equates to an annualised increase of 9.1 per cent. Of that total, 70 per cent was spent on debit cards, with debit spend up 8.5 per [...]
Burberry shareholders vote against Christopher Bailey pay deal July 11, 2014 Shareholders have struck a blow to Britain's iconic luxury fashion brand Burberry by voting against the proposed multi-million pound pay package for new chief executive Christopher Bailey. More than 50 per cent of those who voted at the luxury giant's annual general meeting today went against the directors' remuneration report. The lucrative package includes a [...]
Work in Progress: Living in a postcard at One Tower Bridge July 11, 2014 While many new homes boast of their panoramic views across London, none are quite as iconic as the sight from One Tower Bridge. This landmark development from Berkeley is being built right next to one of the world’s most famous river crossings. It’s a mixed use site so, if you’re not planning on living [...]
UK construction sector dip compounds week of disappointing economic data July 11, 2014 The British construction sector seems to have lost its momentum. In another tentative sign that the swift economic recovery construction has been enjoying of late could now be slowing, construction in the UK retreated by 1.1 per cent in May according to the Office of National Statistics, a stark drop in light of economists predicting a [...]
Author Allan Ahlberg turns down award because it is sponsored by Amazon July 11, 2014 Revered children's author Allan Ahlberg has turned down an award for lifetime achievement because it is sponsored by Amazon, saying “the idea that my 'lifetime achievement' should have the Amazon tag attached to it is unacceptable". The award was offered to him by the Booktrust at its Best Book Awards earlier this month, and [...]