Chris Froome: How much will his Tour de France exit cost him? July 9, 2014 Reigning Tour de France champion Chris Froome has pulled out of this year’s race because of the damage caused by a fall, but how much could the exit damage his earnings? The cyclist last year pocketed almost half a million from his success in the Tour, including the biggest handout for winners of €450,000. In [...]
Fed minutes: QE stimulus to end in October July 9, 2014 The US Federal Reserve plans to end its program of quantitative easing in October according to minutes released from meetings in June. US markets dipped briefly on the news but quickly moved higher. The end of the bond buying program which began in September 2012 has already slowed by $10bn each month and the US [...]
Pope Francis appoints Lord Patten as Vatican media advisor July 9, 2014 Former BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten has been appointed as a media advisor to Pope Francis, as the Vatican looks for ways to get its message across online. Leading British catholic Lord Patten said that the role involves chairing an advisory committee examining how the Church can develop its media outlets, which include a newspaper, [...]
UK managers now working an extra day a week in overtime – but they’re not getting paid July 9, 2014 Nearly half of UK managers report to working an extra day in unpaid overtime each week, as pressure from employers fuels Britain's long hours culture. According to a survey from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), 47 per cent of bosses say that they work at least an additional day – 7.5 hours or [...]
In photos: Country house prices are still below their 2007 peak. Which will you choose? July 9, 2014 As we reported yesterday, Knight Frank, a real estate consultancy company, has collected data showing that country house prices are on the rise across the country. What the report also shows is that prime country house prices are yet to reach their 2007 peak, unlike the average property price across England and Wales. Here's a graph [...]
Germany’s thrashing of Brazil smashes Twitter records July 9, 2014 Germany's ruthless 7-1 semi-final demolition of tournament hosts Brazil had records tumbling – both on and off the pitch. The thrashing was Brazil's heaviest ever defeat, eclipsing a 6-0 loss at the hands of Uruguay in 1920 as well as being the side's first defeat at home in a competitive fixture in 39 years. Perhaps unsurprisingly, [...]
UBS: A No vote on Scottish independence will still shake financial markets July 9, 2014 International investors aren't taking the Scottish referendum seriously enough. That's the verdict from Swiss bank UBS. In all their discussions with investors, "the topic of Scotland's independence referendum (if it is mentioned at all) is generally not treated seriously". Globally, the media has treated the referendum as a light entertainment story, and Google data suggests [...]
Where will London’s newest Thames bridge be? Nine Elms bridge to be built July 9, 2014 Wandsworth Council is set to launch a global competition to find a design for a new £40m bridge in west London. The planned bridge will span the water at one of five possible locations, all linking Nine Elms to Pimlico. The pedestrianised crossing will also provide a quiet route for cyclists, and is likely to [...]
AbbVie retracts statements suggesting Shire shareholder support for latest bid July 9, 2014 US drugmarker AbbVie has retracted statements made by its chief executive claiming support for the company's bid for UK rival Shire. Just a day after AbbVie made its much anticipated fourth takeover bid for the UK-listed drug company, lifting its previous offer for the group by 11 per cent to bid £30.1bn, the US firm has been [...]
UK house prices see rare fall this June: But the trend still sees values soar July 9, 2014 House prices have surprised analysts with a slight fall this June. Prices are 0.6 per cent lower, according to the latest Halifax house price index data. It's only the fourth time that Halifax has recorded a monthly house price in the last year. And while home sales are some three per cent lower in May, [...]