A Facebook bank is far more likely than you imagine May 13, 2012 THE internet gives banks innovative ways of providing services to customers. But it also brings new dangers. Online giants like PayPal, Facebook and Amazon are leading the way on customer experience. Could they go further, and take on banks directly? Facebook has already moved into the world of “virtual currency”. Facebook Credits, costing 10 cents [...]
ROWLING AWARDED FREEDOM OF CITY May 8, 2012 JK Rowling, the author who penned the blockbuster Harry Potter novels, was awarded the Freedom of the City yesterday for her services to children’s literature. Rowling was presented with the distinction at Mansion House, the Lord Mayor’s official residence. “I am prouder than I can say to be given the Freedom of the City,” she [...]
Mervyn’s magical money machine April 9, 2012 ROBERT Chote, chief of the Office of Budgetary Responsibility, recently revealed his – and the Treasury’s – favoured means of estimating the chances of a Eurozone breakup: looking up the odds on William Hill (it’s a 1/5 shot against, by the way). But there is another burning question on bankers’ lips: who is going to [...]
Improving Chelsea can stake a claim for fourth March 22, 2012 CHELSEA vs TOTTENHAM Tomorrow – 12.45pm Sky Sports 2 ANDRE Villas-Boas must be wondering what his former Chelsea players have been eating for breakfast since he was sacked earlier this month. The Blues have looked a completely different side since Roberto di Matteo took over, winning four of five across all competitions, and almost becoming [...]
Cineworld profit lifted by blockbusters March 8, 2012 British cinema chain Cineworld posted a higher full-year profit helped by a string of popular releases during the Christmas season, and said it expected a strong blockbuster line-up for 2012. The operator of cinema complexes throughout the UK and Ireland said films such as the latest in the Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean and [...]
Lego builds higher profit thanks to cinema tie-ups March 1, 2012 TOY firm Lego posted a sharp rise in profits yesterday, boosted by bumper sales of its popular Star Wars and Harry Potter tie-ins. Net income at the company increase by 12 per cent to a record 4.16bn Danish krone (£470m) in 2011, while revenues rose 17 per cent to reach 18.7bn krone. The group said [...]
WHY DO YOU THINK LEGO IS STILL SO POPULAR IN THE AGE OF VIDEO GAMES? March 1, 2012 AMY WRIGHT | BUCK “Lego engages the imagination. Children can create something they thought of themselves whereas a video game is pre-conceived by someone else. Video games also reach an end, but the possibilities with Lego are endless.” RICHARD WILLIAMS | HUDSON “It’s quite a versatile product. Lego’s success is also down to the fact [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING February 23, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE DRAWS FIRE OVER BORSA SYNERGIES The LSE’s takeover of the Milan bourse five years ago “has not fulfilled expectations either in Italy or London” in terms of stimulating cross-border capital flows or increased investment in Italian companies, the Italian securities regulator has claimed. QUINN CASE THROWS LIGHT ON IRISH BANKING [...]
BLOOMSBURY PLANS PUSH INTO INDIA February 14, 2012 HARRY Potter publisher Bloomsbury announced yesterday it is planning to open a dedicated India business to take advantage of the 50m people in the emerging economy buying English books every year. Bloomsbury has already been operating in India for 25 years through a marketing and distribution partnership with Penguin. “We are hugely enthusiastic about this [...]
Harry Potter conjures up profits for Time Warner February 8, 2012 TIME Warner rounded off a better-than-expected year on the back of its growing cable networks and the lucrative final Harry Potter film. The New York-based media and entertainment company reported fourth quarter profits of $772m (£488m), up slightly on last year’s $766m, from a five per cent rise in quarterly revenue to $8.2bn. This contributed [...]