POWER-DRESS LIKE A LADY November 26, 2009 Sara HollambyStyle Counsel THANKS to a 19th century decree, Parisian women are – apparently – banned from wearing trousers, because it says that women should not dress like men. Maybe this is why Parisian women have such a reputation for being chic – they are female and proud of it. In London, however, it’s hard [...]
Think inside the Square: why the City is a top spot to buy a home November 26, 2009 IF YOU’RE looking for the ultimate Tube-busting pied a terre, the Square Mile can’t be bettered for history, beauty and – of course – convenience. Other financial centres are not exactly places you’d want to live: tightly packed with skyscrapers and fumes, they have a sterile, uninhabitable feel (just think of mid-town New York or [...]
Q&A: RENTING November 26, 2009 Louise SavageDIRECTOR OF RESIDENTIAL LAND Q. Dear Louise, I’ve seen a lot of websites springing up where you can rent out your property independently. I’m tempted but I’m a bit nervous. What do you think?A. These websites have their place in the market in exactly the same way that letting agents do and they will [...]
Nat Ex loses East Anglia line November 26, 2009 EMBATTLED transport group National Express was dealt a further blow yesterday, after the Department for Transport (DfT) said it would take back its East Anglia franchise early. The government, which franchises the lines out to operators like National Express and FirstGroup, will take the line back on 31 March 2011, it said, rather than extending [...]
BAEslashes 642 further jobs in slump November 26, 2009 DEFENCE GIANT BAE Systems is planning to slash up to 642 jobs at eight sites across the UK, it said yesterday, as demand at one of its units plummeted. The sites affected are part of the company’s BAE Systems Insyte unit, which supplies radar surveillance, command and information systems, mission training and underwater systems programmes [...]
Network Rail is on track with cutting costs, but says revenue is still falling November 26, 2009 NETWORK RAIL, the rail infrastructure company, reported pre-tax profits of £146m for the six months to September yesterday, but said its net debt remained at more than £22bn, and its pension deficit had risen to almost £1bn. But chief executive Iain Coucher said the group was making good progress towards its efficiency savings target of [...]
Zurich and CSC in $2.9bn deal November 26, 2009 Computer Sciences Corp (CSC) has signed a $2.9bn (£1.76bn), 10-and-a-half year master service agreement with Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) for IT services in Europe and North America. The deal is expected to pave the way for country specific agreements later. Under the contract, CSC will centralise Zurich’s data centre and virtualise its servers and [...]
Walsh makes runway case November 26, 2009 British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh yesterday launched a roadshow to drum up regional support for Heathrow’s third runway. Walsh spoke to business leaders in Newcastle, saying Heathrow was an important domestic hub for businesses outside London needing a connection for long-haul flights. The speech was the opening gambit in a bid to soften Conservative [...]
Volkswagen invests in Brazil November 26, 2009 Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, plans to invest up to 6.2bn reais (£2.25bn) between 2010 and 2014 in Brazil to meet growing demand for automobiles, the head of its unit in the country said yesterday. VW expects Brazil’s car sales to reach 4m units by 2014, compared with about 3m now, chairman of Brazil VW Thomas [...]
Pick up a pad in London’s smartest areas on the cheap November 26, 2009 THERE’S living in London, and then there’s living in a London area with a truly sought-after postcode. It’s not just about status – it really is smarter, and nicer. Of course the problem with London’s poshest parts is that they cost the earth, plus a bit more. But for those considering splashing some bonus-fuelled cash [...]
