Weather could have biggest say in the pivotal third Test July 29, 2009 ENGLAND vs AUSTRALIATODAY 11AM – SKY SPORTS 1 AFTER a thrilling Test in the capital the series is Birmingham-bound, returning to the scene of perhaps the most memorable Ashes encounter of all time. Unfortunately the key protagonists from Edgbaston 2005 – as captured in one of the most iconic sporting images ever – look unlikely [...]
CONDOM MAKER DUREX TO FACE A NASTY ITCH AT ANNUAL MEETING July 22, 2009 PRICKLY business is in the offing at today’s annual meeting for investors in Durex condom maker SSL International, as minor shareholder Tariq Siddiqi prepares to take a stand. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Siddiqi shot to fame back in 2005, when he persuaded David Blunkett to take up the bioscience job that eventually [...]
UNCERTAINTY KEEPS LID ON ASSET PRICES July 22, 2009 GEORGE TCHETVERTAKOVHEAD OF MARKET RESEARCH, ALPARI UK FINANCIAL markets continue to remain in a state of flux as conflicting indicators and persistently unpredictable macro events sway sentiment. The frothy risk-rally in equities, commodities and FX that started in March hit a wall of doubt in mid-May leading to a sense of overextension amongst investors as [...]
FOCUS ON: DARTFORD, KENT July 16, 2009 PRIORY LANE, EYNSFORD, DA4 0AYPrice: £1.35m This pretty four-bedroom home is thought to date from the 17th century and is set in the village of Eynsford, which is about half an hour from London by train. The drawing room is double aspect while the dining room has French doors which look out on to a [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING July 14, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES FIRSTGREATWESTERN BACK ON TRACKA rail franchise that became notorious for large numbers of train cancellations and poor punctuality has shown sufficient improvement to be released from an intensive monitoring regime imposed by the Department for Transport. Lord Adonis, transport secretary, yesterday told the House of Lords that FirstGreatWestern had met the standards required [...]
Drop in house prices easing July 14, 2009 HOUSE prices only fell marginally in May compared to the previous month, taking the annual decline to 12.5 per cent, data from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) showed yesterday. In the three months to May, UK house prices fell by 0.4 per cent compared to a fall of 4.8 per cent in [...]
House prices boosted by fall in stock July 13, 2009 THERE were more definitive signs yesterday that the UK housing market is beginning to recover, according to June data from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The seasonally-adjusted balance of surveyors reporting falling rather than rising prices improved to -18.1 in June from -43.8 in May, the highest reading since September 2007. Housing market [...]
CITY VIEWS: HAS IKEA SAID GOODBYE TO ITS GLORY DAYS? July 7, 2009 ANDREW GARRARD WILLIS“It’s a sign of the times. Perhaps people have forgotten their old ‘Chuck out your chintz’ slogan, or maybe they’re moving on to the pound shop. Ikea is a bit of a first-time buyers’ store and obviously there are less of those around at the moment.” IAIN MUIRHEAD ITECH“It’s not an attractive store [...]
Scrap boosts new car sales July 6, 2009 NEW car sales in June fell at their slowest rate for nearly a year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said yesterday, as it praised the government’s scrappage scheme. The number of new cars sold in the UK last month totalled 176,264 – a 15.7 per cent drop on the June 2008 figure, according [...]
Number of mortgage products at all-time low as lenders withdraw July 6, 2009 THE VOLUME of mortgage products on offer has slumped to the lowest level on record, leaving homeowners with a severe lack of options for taking out loans as the recession continues to curb lending. Price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com said borrowers now have just 2,282 deals from which to choose, while first-time buyers have a range [...]