Barratt, Taylor Wimpey and Bellway among 16 national house builders to sign up to government’s Starter Homes initiative December 15, 2014 Some of the UK's biggest property developers have signed up to a new government scheme designed to help first-time buyers get a foot on the ladder. Avant, Barratt, Taylor Wimpey and Bellway are among 16 house builders to have put their name to the scheme, which offers first-time buyers under the age of 40 [...]
In pictures: Geminid meteor shower sends shooting stars over London, Macedonia and the US December 15, 2014 This weekend the night sky was lit up by a meteor show of up to 100 shooting stars an hour. The Geminid meteor shower was seen in both hemispheres, with both professional and amateur astronomers braving freezing temperatures to capture the phenomenon. The best time to see the meteors in London was around midnight, but [...]
Greggs’ share price soars after beefing up profit forecast December 15, 2014 The figures Bakery chain Greggs has reported a strong half-year trading, with like-for-like sales in its own shops up 5.2 per cent for the 24 weeks to December 13. That's quite an improvement on the growth it was seeing this time last year – 0.7 per cent on 2012 – and, as a result, Greggs [...]
From Vibease to Elon Musk’s underwhelming big reveal, here are nine of the worst inventions of 2014 December 13, 2014 If you're looking for Christmas present ideas, you've come to the wrong listicle. This is all about the worst inventions of 2014, and there have been some real crackers. If you end up with one of these under the tree, you know your family hate you. 1. Pizza Hut's mind-reading menu app We're pretty certain [...]
From Grumpy Cat and falling oil prices to Google blackouts and the weather bomb: Here are 10 things we learned this week December 12, 2014 It's been another busy week… here's our pick of the things we learned. 1. Grumpy Cat may not look too impressed but for once she certainly had something to smile about. Turns out the feline internet celebrity earned £32m last year. That's more than a host of business bosses, including Sir Martin Sorrell, Jamie [...]
Gucci’s chief executive and creative director to leave within two months of each other December 12, 2014 Gucci's creative director Frida Giannani and chief executive Patrizio di Marco are stepping down within two months of each other, the luxury brand revealed this morning. Di Marco will leave the company on January 1, while Giannini departs at the end of February, after showing her autumn 2015 collection. Di Marco has been [...]
In pictures: What the weather bomb has been doing in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Blackpool and Cumbria December 11, 2014 If you haven't heard, you might want to wrap up warm tomorrow. Having made a whistlestop tour of the UK the weather bomb is expected to batter London from midnight tonight and it could disrupt your commute in. The storm is probably not going to be as bad in the capital as it has [...]
Train companies warn over weather bomb delays as storm forecast to batter London from midnight tonight December 11, 2014 The weather bomb is coming to London and train companies are already warning that it could affect your commute in tomorrow morning. The Met Office has updated its yellow warning of high winds that are expected to reach the capital between midnight tonight and 9am tomorrow. It says we should expect severe gales – [...]
Brummie, Scouse, Glaswegian or Cockney? Your accent could be holding you back December 11, 2014 Do you ever feel that people are wincing the minute you open your mouth – and that it might not be what you're saying, but how you're saying it? According to a new poll by YouGov, it could well be your accent that they are reacting to. Brummie accents have come out worst with [...]
FCA tells annuity providers to “play their part” in helping consumers find the right retirement product December 11, 2014 The Financial Conduct Authority has told annuity providers to buck their ideas up after its review of the market found that competition was “not working as well as it could for consumers”. People are likely to miss out on better levels of income because they do not shop around enough, the report said, with [...]
