Countdown to Christmas: From Volkswagen’s emissions scandal and Ed Ball’s surprise defeat at the General Election to the Paris terror attacks, these are the most surprising news stories of 2015 December 20, 2015 Some news you register with perhaps a shrug of the shoulder, while other stories might prompt an arched eyebrow. There are some events, however, that make you sit up and pay attention. This year was not without a few of those key moments – good and bad – that gripped us. Here are the most [...]
Wonder.land at the National Theatre is a visual delight… but where are all the songs? December 18, 2015 National Theatre | ★★★☆☆ Wonder.land takes as its starting point that the world inside our smartphones, with its cat memes and its gaudy virtual worlds, is as mad as a hatter. Mad as the Hatter, in fact. The Alice in this production doesn’t tumble into a literal rabbit-hole: she falls into the world of chatrooms and [...]
The Mog effect? Sainsbury’s share price climbs as grocer outperforms Tesco, Asda and Morrisons as Kantar supermarket figures December 15, 2015 Could it be the Mog effect? Sainsbury's has beaten Tesco, Asda and Morrisons to become the best performing supermarket among the Big Four. In fact, Kantar Worldpanel figures show that Sainsbury's was the only grocer among the top spots to post a growth in sales for the 12 weeks to 6 December, up 1.2 per cent. Tesco and Asda had [...]
Grumpy Cat earned more than top CEOs Jamie Dimon, Sir Martin Sorrell, Marissa Mayer and Carolyn McCall December 11, 2015 The internet’s favourite feline has something to smile about. Grumpy Cat, a YouTube and Reddit star whose name now adorns books, apps, t-shirts and even a type of coffee- the Grumppuccino- has raked in a tidy sum from her sad looking demeanour. While Grumpy Cat, otherwise known as Tardar Sauce, probably enjoys an extra bowl [...]
Christmas adverts 2015: How Germany’s Edeka Heimkommen advert has beaten John Lewis and Sainsbury’s to claim the festive crown (so far) December 8, 2015 Put your telescope away, send your cat to its bed and tear up your lottery ticket – the Christmas ads race has taken yet another unexpected turn with a new frontrunner pulling into pole position. And the intrepid hero at the helm of this two million share behemoth? A kindly old man. No, not that [...]
Pub lunches and buying a pet: The low-cost lifestyle changes you can make to be happy in middle age December 7, 2015 Alright, so the older generation may be the most well-off – but according to new research, splashing the cash won't necessarily make you happy. A study by retirement income specialist Age Partnership has put together the definitive list of lifestyle changes over-55s can make to stay happy as they get older – and it turns [...]
Nigel Lawson: David Cameron “hasn’t got anywhere” with EU negotiations ahead of referendum December 7, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron “so far hasn’t got anywhere at all with his negotiations” on Britain’s membership of the European Union, former Conservative chancellor Lord Nigel Lawson told City A.M. Having last week accepted the position of president of Conservatives for Britain, Lawson added: “If he got those reforms then I would decide we should [...]
Christmas come early? Advertisers spend record amount over festive season December 7, 2015 All those mischievous cats and sad men on the moon have added up to a bumper Christmas, new research has suggested, with advertisers spending a whopping £310m on promos in December. That's a record. The figure is 7.9 per cent of total UK ad spend – up from £287m this time last year. The report also [...]
Want to beat your mid-life crisis? Buy a car or become an alderman. Men over 55 can get a happiness boost from fast cars and joining clubs December 7, 2015 There comes a time in every budding City big-wig's career when he or she gets a taste for fast cars, secret societies and just spending lots of money; the mid-life crisis. Now recent research has found that mid-50s ennui is not only very real and a big problem, but the only cure is giving in [...]
Arsene Wenger feud is all in the past, says Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce December 3, 2015 Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has insisted that his feud with Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger is consigned to history as the pair prepare to reignite their Premier League duel at Emirates Stadium tomorrow. Allardyce and Wenger endured a combustible relationship when the former was manager of Bolton between 1999 and 2007, a team which the Frenchman [...]