Senior Tories urge Theresa May to drop Brexit appeal case November 19, 2016 Senior Conservative Party members have urged Theresa May to abandon an appeal against the Brexit High Court ruling that means MPs must vote on the UK leaving the EU. The former head of the government's Brexit unit, Oliver Letwin, and two former justice officers have said the case should not go to the Supreme Court and that [...]
US President-elect Donald Trump agrees to pay $25m to settle Trump University lawsuits November 19, 2016 US-President elect Donald Trump has reached an agreement to settle lawsuits in connection with his Trump University for $25m (£20m). If the settlement, announced yesterday, is approved, it will put to rest fraud allegations brought forward by former students at the now-defunct for-profit education company that offered real estate training from 2005 to 2010. New York attorney [...]
There are now 50/1 odds Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones will be the UK’s next Prime Minister November 19, 2016 If British politics follows the US example, allowing an outsider businessman to ascend to the helm of the nation, Peter Jones could soon be swapping the set of Dragons' Den for Number 10. There are now 50/1 odds that Jones will be the UK's next Prime Minister, according to online betting site BetStars, after the entrepreneur [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond to announce ban on pensions cold calling in Autumn Statement next week November 19, 2016 Pensions cold callers who target the elderly and trick them out of their life savings will be banned in chancellor Philip Hammond's Autumn Statement this week. Around 250m scam calls are made every year, or equivalent to eight every second, the government said today. Cowboy cold callers prey upon almost 11m pensioners a year and [...]
Alcohol industries call for duty freezes in Autumn Statement to distill Brexit fears November 18, 2016 The beer and spirit industries are hopeful for another year of duty freezes, while the wine sector looks for a levelled playing field ahead of Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement. Earlier this year, George Osborne froze the duty rates on beer, spirits and most ciders, but most wines and higher strength sparkling cider were set to go up, [...]
Opinion: Installing tech gadgets could increase the value of your home by £25,000 – if you do it tastefully November 18, 2016 Performing a valuation is never as simple as it appears. A property's true value can only be determined once you step inside and inspect in great detail. A home’s more obscure characteristics, from off-street parking to its historical significance, can often add a substantial premium. In our most recent agent survey, Savills looked at what [...]
Microsoft is using wind to power an entire datacentre November 18, 2016 Microsoft Corporation has always been known for their image of environmental protection but this may be their biggest validation to date. The tech company announced on Monday they are in the process converting their datacenter in Cheyenne Wyoming to rely entirely on wind energy. Microsoft will be using three wind farms, two in Kansas owned [...]
Interiors: Two big trends are dominating Christmas homeware – contemporary and cosy – what will you choose? November 18, 2016 Contemporary The depths of winter always benefit from a little razzle-dazzle, which is one reason we like to put on the glitz for the party season. And this year it's true of our homes, too. Trailblazer Tom Dixon adopted metallics as a signature look many moons ago and his copper Melt pendant lights, as seen [...]
Lo-sers: Sterling and the FTSE 100 both fell today as the dollar strengthened November 18, 2016 It's been a quiet day on the markets – but that didn't stop the pound and the FTSE 100 both losing ground as the dollar continued to climb. Sterling was 0.7 per cent lower at $1.2323 in late afternoon trading, and 0.3 per cent lower against the euro at €1.1647. To be fair, that was an improvement [...]
US President-elect Donald Trump nears $20m settlement in Trump University fraud case November 18, 2016 US President-elect Donald Trump is reported to be close to agreeing a settlement of around $20m (£16.2m) in fraud lawsuits connected with Trump University. Lawyers for Trump are dealing with cases brought by former students who claim they were lured by false promises into paying up to $35,000 to learn Trump's real estate investing "secrets" from [...]