London Barometer November 29, 2012 October proved that the appetite for London properties continue to increase, with 10 per cent more offers received last month than the same time last year and the same increase in buyers year on year. Vendors remain precariously bullish in some cases, citing Christmas, lack of stock, expectations of price rises in London and falls [...]
This adaptation is far from great November 29, 2012 FILM GREAT EXPECTATIONS Cert 12A ** THERE HAVE been fourteen big and small screen adaptations of Great Expectations – only something great or unexpected could justify a fifteenth. Four Weddings and a Funeral director Mike Newell’s version is neither. Despite a few good performances, it is a safe, flat and ultimately pointless adaptation. Great Expectations [...]
Go and see this great British comedy November 29, 2012 FILM SIGHTSEERS Cert 15 **** SITCOM STALWARTS Alice Lowe and Steve Oram star in Sightseers, the new comedy from feted indie director, Ben Wheatley. The pair play fledgling lovebirds Chris and Tina, who desert Tina’s vindictive mother Carol and set out on a road trip across England’s green and pleasant land in their treasured Abbey [...]
The Hunt is an art-house classic; Rise of The Guardians falls flat November 29, 2012 FILM THE HUNT Cert 15 By Charlie Lyne ***** FIFTEEN YEARS since his breakthrough film Festen garnered a host of international awards, The Hunt looks set to re-establish Danish director Thomas Vinterberg as an art house force to be reckoned with. Mads Mikkelson plays Lucas, a nursery school teacher in a small Danish village who [...]
BP banned from work in America November 28, 2012 BP has been temporarily blocked from new government work in the United States for a “lack of business integrity” during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, regulators said yesterday. The surprise ban comes just two weeks after BP admitted to 12 felony charges and paid $4.5bn (£2.8bn) in penalties related to the 2010 disaster, in [...]
Political interference hurts merger market November 28, 2012 THE GREEN shoots of growth in the merger and acquisition markets could be dampened down as the growing trend for active industrial policies making cross-border deals more complex, two top investment banks warned yesterday. The market has been sluggish through the financial crisis, but as firms have adapted to economic conditions they are now looking [...]
Invensys offloads rail unit on Siemens in £1.7bn deal November 28, 2012 ENGINEERING group Invensys yesterday shocked the City by securing a £1.7bn sale for its rail business in a deal with German giant Siemens. Invensys shares soared 27 per cent to reach 280p yesterday, giving the group a valuation of roughly £2.3bn, after the firm sold off its rail arm for just £50m less than yesterday [...]
Britain is becoming an increasingly anti-libertarian society November 28, 2012 WELCOME to Britain, a land where rules, regulation and taxes are one of the few growth industries. In recent days, the government has decided that companies will no longer be allowed to decide freely at which price they can sell alcohol – there will be a minimum price, hurting those who enjoy two-for-one deals. Our [...]
What the other papers say this morning November 28, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Sabic in talks to invest in US shale gas Saudi Basic Industries, the world’s largest petrochemical maker by market capitalisation, is in talks over a possible investment in the US to take advantage of cheap shale gas, said Mohamed al-Mady, its chief executive. Oakland plans Goldman boycott The city of Oakland plans to [...]
Getco and Virtu launch bids for Knight Capital November 28, 2012 RIVALS Getco and Virtu Financial have launched bids for Knight Capital in a battle that would see either a merger or sale for the brokerage. While Getco has proposed a $1.4bn (£874m) merger, Virtu Financial has offered to buy Knight for at least $1.1bn. The main attraction for both trading firms is Knight’s US market-making [...]
