Aviva unveils new UK chief November 26, 2009 INSURER Aviva has announced a shake-up of its business with a new boss and management structure. The move will see its UK Life and Pensions unit come under the leadership of new chief executive Mark Hodges. Under the restructure, which will take effect on 1 January, a series of other executive changes will also be [...]
Investors grill Lloyds bosses on HBOS deal November 26, 2009 TOP executives of Lloyds Banking Group were given an uncomfortable afternoon by a large turnout of angry shareholders in Birmingham yesterday. Though they voted 99 per cent in favour of the group’s record £13.5bn rights issue, both the chairman and chief executive were grilled repeatedly over the bank’s takeover of HBOS. Lloyds Banking Group called [...]
Low copper prices strike Antofagasta November 26, 2009 CHILEAN copper miner Antofagasta said yesterday that weak copper prices and a decline in output had severely impacted its business over the first nine months of the year, causing losses to spiral out of control. The London Stock Exchange-listed firm posted a pre-tax loss of $125m (£75.8m) over the nine months to September, more than [...]
Helical Bar announces plans to kickstart London projects November 26, 2009 COMMERCIAL property firm Helical Bar plans to kickstart its development pipeline in the next 12 to 18 months as the UK market rebounds and the company may raise its full-year dividend. “Let’s hope we can raise the full-year dividend. We usually, and very rarely not, annually raise the dividend by 10 to 12 per cent, [...]
Both black and white beers will bring out the best in oysters November 26, 2009 London's connection with oysters goes back as far as the city itself. The eating of oysters in London began in Roman times, when the British product was shipped as far as Rome. They continued to be popular in medieval times, when the church imposed lots of “fish days”, during which seafood had to be eaten [...]
A tale of betrayal and backstabbing in vicious Westminster-on-the-Tiber November 25, 2009 LUSTRUMBY ROBERT HARRISHutchinson, £18.99 ROBERT Harris is the author of best-selling historical novels such as Fatherland and Enigma. In 2003, he wrote the first of his books based in Ancient Rome, Pompeii. This was followed in 2006 by Imperium, the first in a trilogy about the statesman and orator Cicero. Lustrum is the second. It [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS November 25, 2009 PERFECT THOSE CARVING SKILLS Roast turkey may be a central part of the Christmas experience, but it can be ruined by bad carving. Just in time, Sloane Square’s historic department store, Peter Jones, is coming to the aid of inexperienced carvers with a couple of carving tutorial sessions next month. Head Chef Chris Mclean will [...]
F&C DITCHES THE DORCHESTER FOR A LEANER SHOWING AT PING PONG November 25, 2009 THINGS may be looking up in terms of the economy, but the corporate Christmas goose is looking just as lean as it was in the depths of the financial crisis last year – and a little bird tells me that asset management firm F&C Investments is among the companies trimming its budget. Usually, F&C staffers [...]
Anelka books top spot for smooth Blues November 25, 2009 FC PORTO (0) vs CHELSEA (1) CHELSEA boss Carlo Ancelotti spoke of his delight after the Blues finished top of Group D with an impressive away victory over Porto. Striker Nicolas Anelka netted a third successive winning goal for Ancelotti’s side in the Champions League, heading home Florent Malouda’s 69th minute cross to put paid [...]
Fergie rages as proud Euro run is halted November 25, 2009 MANCHESTER UTD (0) vs BESIKTAS (1) SIR Alex Ferguson insisted Manchester United had been robbed by a questionable refereeing decision after his youthful side succumbed to a European home defeat for the first time in more than four years. Group B whipping boys Besiktas, already consigned to bottom place, ended the 23-match run courtesy of [...]
