Huge blue diamond breaks new auction record with £39.6 million sale The “Oppenheimer Blue” diamond has become the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction, fetching SFr 56.9m (or £39.6m) during a Christie’s sale in Geneva. It is believed to be the largest Vivid Blue diamond to ever go under the hammer, weighing a massive 14.62 carats. The diamond was bought by a mysterious unnamed buyer, who paid [...]
MPs treated to second pay rise in less than a year, bringing starting salary to almost £75,000 Just nine months after awarding themselves a 10 per cent pay rise, MPs have voted to increase their salaries by another 1.3 per cent. The latest raise brings the starting salary for MPs to £74,962, almost three times the average UK wage of £27,600. The 1.3 per cent increase breaks the one per cent cap on public [...]
Don’t read this, Jamie Oliver: Government axes plans for sugar tax and delays obesity strategy February 26, 2016 David Cameron can expect an angry phone call from Jamie Oliver tonight, after it was revealed that the government is unlikely to introduce a tax on sugary drinks. The Department of Health has announced that the tax is unlikely to go ahead as part of the forthcoming childhood obesity strategy, which has just been delayed for a [...]
EU referendum: Want a Brexit? We need to talk about Northern Ireland February 26, 2016 It’s been a week since David Cameron announced the details of the EU referendum, and the battle lines have well and truly been drawn. But perhaps the most surprising member of the pro-Brexit camp is Theresa Villiers. While her personal views on Europe have been well documented, in her role as Northern Ireland Secretary of State [...]
Brexit vote won’t have a material impact on business, said IAG chief executive Willie Walsh February 26, 2016 A Brexit vote would not have a material impact on the airline business, according to Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group (IAG). Last year, Walsh said that he was “pro-Europe”, adding that he believed the UK is better off within the EU from a business point of view. However, speaking this morning on [...]
IAG share price falls despite low fuel costs boosting profits for 2015 February 26, 2016 British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) has unveiled higher than expected profits for the year ending 2015, as a result of cheaper fuel prices and customer demand. The airline conglomerate, which represents British Airways and Iberia, among others, reported an operating profit before exceptional items of €2.34bn (£1.84bn) last year – a year-on-year increase of 125 per cent. [...]
UK consumers ahead of the curve when it comes to payment technology February 11, 2016 British consumers are at the forefront of payment technologies, according to new research. Contactless payments, real-time payments and mobile banking have grown in popularity among UK consumers, while countries such as the USA and Canada continue to lag behind. The report, published by Payments UK, the trade association for the payments industry, found that by [...]
Tayyabs can now be brought right to your door as Take Eat Easy joins London’s restaurant delivery trend after raising £12m in investment February 11, 2016 Belgium’s Take Eat Easy has expanded into London after raising £12m in funding. The Brussels-based start-up offers a high end food delivery service, where users can order directly from popular restaurants which do not normally offer a takeaway service. The food is then delivered straight to their door via courier. Investors include Germany’s Rocket Internet, DN [...]
Gold now best-performing commodity this year as investors seek safe haven in wake of market turmoil February 11, 2016 The price of gold has risen to a 10-month high, while the Japanese yen rose by 0.5 per cent to a 14-month high of Y160.74 per pound sterling as investors react to market turmoil. Meanwhile, demand for 10-year treasury bonds in the US has driven prices down to a one-year low of 1.673 per cent. Gold [...]