Property meltdown July 9, 2008 A property meltdown loomed yesterday as new figures showed mortgage completions at near record lows and commercial property values falling across the country. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said loans for house purchases rose by 4 per cent in May to 52,700, up from 51,000 in April, but were 44 per cent down on [...]
Bollywood Godfather takes on Hollywood July 8, 2008 Anusha Bradley talks to the boss of Eros, the media mogul bent on profiting from the silver screen It goes without saying: Kishore Lulla loves movies. “Indian or Hollywood, I love watching them all. Whether it’s Spiderman, Harry Potter, Shawshank Redemption, or The Godfather – I love the Godfather – they give me a lot [...]
Financial jobs boom to fade July 8, 2008 City recruiter Michael Page saw its first-half global profits rise 31 per cent but warned the slowdown in UK recruitment looks set to continue. The global firm posted group half year profits of £135.5m, up from £90.4m last year. Its UK division, which contributes a third of the group’s gross profits, delivered a 3.9 per [...]
Brown: stop wasting food July 8, 2008 Britons can help bring food prices down by cutting the amount they waste every year, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said yesterday. Brown was speaking as he was travelling to the G8 summit in Japan where the rich nations’ club is meeting to discuss rising fuel and food prices as well as global warming. A government [...]
Satellite firm gets bid from hedge fund July 8, 2008 Shares in satellite communications company Inmarsat rose as much as 13 per cent after confirming it had received an approach from its largest shareholder, US hedge fund Harbinger Capital Partners. However, it’s unlikely to be a quick sale. Regulatory approval would most likely be needed from both European and American authorities before a firm offer [...]
Fears mount for Bradford & Bingley as shares flop July 8, 2008 Bradford & Bingley’s stock plunged to an all-time low of 42p yesterday – well below its rights issue price of 55p – as concerns over the troubled lender’s future intensified. Fears also increased that the lender would issue another profit warning, due to the deepening crisis in the housing market, when it releases the prospectus [...]
SFO appeals Saudi case July 8, 2008 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) yesterday told the House of Lords it did not act unlawfully when it ended its investigation into a £43bn Saudi arms deal. The case against the SFO is being brought by the pressure groups the Campaign Against Arms Trade and the Corner House who say the case should be reopened. [...]
King of the swingers July 7, 2008 A visit to a nature reserve that rescues orangutans feels like a privilege, writes David Jesudason Borneo is a country of immense beauty, where there are rainforests, mountain ranges and also massive biodiversity: more than 360 new species of animals were discovered in the last decade. Sadly, though, this incredible habitat is under threat, with [...]
Wade: We need to protect Robson July 7, 2008 British tennis legend Virginia Wade is calling for new sensation Laura Robson to be protected from the glare of the media spotlight following her Wimbledon success. Robson, 14, captured the hearts of the nation when winning the girls’ title on Saturday – the first home singles victory at Wimbledon since Annabel Croft 24 years ago. [...]
Knife murder parents plead with killers July 7, 2008 The parents of one of the two French students murdered in London a week ago in a frenzied knife attack appealed yesterday for the killer to come forward and said they would not rest until the guilty party was found. Bio-engineering students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, both 23, were bound, gagged and repeatedly stabbed [...]
