Ice cream, cider and barbecue sales: These charts show the UK is finally learning to let its hair down in summer July 20, 2015 It's not often the words "Office for National Statistics" (ONS) and "ice cream" are used in the same sentence, but today the ONS quietly published incontrovertible proof that the UK has learned to loosen its stiff upper lip when the weather warms up – and it's partly to do with sales of lollies. Yep – [...]
Disruption is the main concern that keeps chief executives awake at night – although global confidence is returning July 20, 2015 What with Uber, Airbnb and their ilk wreaking havoc in their respective industries, you can't help but sympathise: a new study has shown the main worry keeping chief executives awake at night is the prospect of disruption in their industry. According to the Global CEO Outlook Study, by accounting giant KPMG, 74 per cent of chief [...]
Standard Chartered share price rises as Bill Winters confirms management shakeup July 20, 2015 New chief executive Bill Winters has barely been at the helm of Standard Chartered a month, but he's already made his presence felt after the bank confirmed a shakeup of its management team this morning. Read more: Challenge set for Winters on day one at StanChart Shares in the bank rose one per cent to 1,027.3p [...]
Tullow Oil share price falls as technical difficulties suspend Ghana field exports July 20, 2015 Share in UK-listed oil producer Tullow Oil fell 1.5 per cent to 277p in morning trading, after it admitted technical difficulties at one of its key fields have meant exports have been suspended and production capped since the beginning of this month. The company said exports from its Jubilee Field to the state-run Ghana Gas [...]
Diesel prices to fall below petrol for the first time in 14 years as Morrisons cuts 2p off a litre July 20, 2015 The battle has just heated up on the front line of the supermarkets' price war, after Morrisons announced plans to cut 2p a litre off the price of diesel, meaning the cost of diesel will fall below petrol for the first time in 14 years. Read more: Has Morrisons put its darkest days behind it? Morrisons' [...]
Tower Bridge reopened by police after “suspicious package” was found July 17, 2015 Tower Bridge has been reopened by police after a suspicious package was found earlier this afternoon. The Metropolitan Police said cordons would be taken down "shortly". Earlier, a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police had confirmed officers were dealing with a suspect package on the bridge, while the City Police tweeted: We are currently dealing with [...]
Bungles and blunders: From the life insurance scandal to confusion over HSBC, here are Financial Conduct Authority boss Martin Wheatley’s worst moments July 17, 2015 As Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) chief executive Martin Wheatley takes his final bow, many in the City will be celebrating – after all, this is the man who famously promised to “shoot first and ask questions later” when it came to regulating the finance sector. Read more: George Osborne ousts Wheatley from the FCA [...]
Good news for landlords: Rents are rising faster than house prices July 17, 2015 All right, so landlords might have been hit by the Chancellor's new rules on mortgage tax relief – but rents might just help to make up for that, after they rocketed 5.6 per cent in the year to June – the fastest rise since 2009. Read more: Landlord it by Summer Budget proposals? Here's what [...]
What’s in the Cheesegrater? From Aon to Amlin, here’s a storey-by-storey breakdown of every business in the Leadenhall Building July 17, 2015 It may not be London's biggest building – but the Leadenhall Building, aka the Cheesegrater, still remains one of the tallest skyscrapers in the Square Mile, towering over its neighbours the Gherkin and the Walkie Talkie. The 225 metre building's characteristic tapered design was created to preserve views of St Paul's Cathedral. Ever [...]
North Koreans are about to go to the polls in local elections – but they can only vote “Yes” July 17, 2015 It's not necessarily the kind of thing you'd expect from the country run by a man prone to shooting those who fall asleep when he's in the same room – but this weekend the residents of North Korea will go to the polls to elect their local people's assemblies. Of course, as The Economist reported [...]
