EU gives France two-year grace to cut its deficit February 25, 2015 The European Commission yesterday gave France until 2017 to get its budget deficit below an EU-imposed limit, sparing Paris a fine and giving it a new two-year grace period after it missed a second deadline to puts its finances in order. France has repeatedly failed to meet pledges to cut its deficit. It has argued [...]
Who’S that girl (falling over at the Brits)? February 25, 2015 Madonna took a tumble last night at the Brit awards after a wardrobe malfunction caused the diva to be pulled down by her cape. Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran won best British album with X, best British breakthrough went to Sam Smith, while Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk took best British single.
North Sea tax break for oil firms expected in next Budget February 25, 2015 The Chancellor is likely to announce new tax breaks for North Sea oil firms in his upcoming Budget. George Osborne met industry body Oil & Gas UK yesterday to discuss the future of the offshore oil and gas sector. The group’s chief executive Malcolm Webb said he came away from the meeting feeling “encouraged”. [...]
Worldview demands inspection after Petroceltic boss Brian O’Cathain wins vote February 25, 2015 Activist investor Worldview is demanding an inspection of the proxies and poll votes cast in yesterday’s Petroceltic executive election, citing the “narrow margin of several resolutions”. The Swiss investment firm’s attempt to oust Petroceltic’s chief executive Brian O’Cathain was defeated at yesterday’s meeting, with 61 per cent of the votes cast against the resolution to [...]
TSB boss Paul Pester: We are the UK’s only real challenger bank February 25, 2015 Only TSB “has the teeth” to take on the big banks, the lender’s chief executive claimed yesterday, arguing that it alone has the size and scope to make a difference in the market. Dozens of new banks have received licences or are going through the application process, but TSB’s Paul Pester said they will take more [...]
Younger workers are biggest group on zero-hours contracts February 25, 2015 Zero-hours contracts are far more common among younger workers and students, official figures show. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) yesterday show that 34 per cent of the total number of people on zero-hours contracts are aged between 16 and 24. People in full-time education make up 17 per cent of [...]
AO World profit warning sends shares crashing February 25, 2015 AO WORLD shares crashed 32 per cent yesterday after the online electricals giant warned its final quarter had been tougher than expected, blaming the extra publicity it received around its float in the same period last year. Founded in 2000 by former kitchen salesman John Roberts, AO World has become one the most successful players [...]
HP share price tumbles as earnings fall far short of analysts’ forecast February 25, 2015 Shares in Hewlett Packard (HP) tanked yesterday, wiping out gains from a multi-billion dollar deal with Deutsche Bank as full-year results showed earnings far below analysts’ expectations. Shares fell more than 10 per cent despite the deal, announced on Tuesday, under which Deutsche Bank would outsource parts of its US banking IT structure to the computer [...]
The Lego Movie’s blockbuster gift lifts toy maker February 25, 2015 LEGO is aiming to build upon the success of the summer hit The Lego Movie and close the gap between it and the world’s number one toy maker Mattel. Lego’s bid for a larger chunk of the market was helped by it outperforming rivals last year and a stronger sales of toys aimed at girls, [...]
Central banks could create cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin February 25, 2015 Cryptocurrency Bitcoin could revolutionise the way Britons pay for goods and services, in much the same way as the internet shook up access to information, the Bank of England has said. Bitcoin “potentially combined with mobile technology, may reshape the mechanisms for making secure payments”, the Bank said. The Bank could itself create digital currencies, [...]
