FTSE boosted by big oil and miners – London Report December 23, 2015 THE FTSE 100 index maintained gains yesterday to close up after the price of oil rose and a dead cat bounce from miners. The UK’s top blue-chip index shut 0.8 per cent higher at 6,083 points, led higher by a number of mining and oil companies. Anglo American closed 5.7 per cent up, while Antofagasta [...]
Oldroyd in Islington review: the ultimate local restaurant December 22, 2015 344 Upper Street, N1, www.oldroydlondon.com FOOD ★★★★☆ | VALUE ★★★★★ | ATMOSPHERE ★★★★☆ Cost for two with booze: £85 Oldroyd may have been open a little while now, but what nicer way to end a nice year filled with nice meals than a trip to one of London’s very nicest restaurants. Not best, necessarily, but [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 index closes up as oil companies and miners make gains December 22, 2015 The FTSE 100 index maintained gains today to close up after the price of oil rose and a dead cat bounce from miners. The UK's top blue-chip index shut 0.8 per cent higher at 6,083 points, led higher by a number of mining and oil companies. Anglo American closed 5.7 per cent up at 296.5p per share, while [...]
Saudi Arabia is acting like a drunken gambler in its oil war December 21, 2015 An absolutely elemental maxim of how you can go wrong in political risk analysis revolves around what is called “The Drunken Gambler in Vegas Syndrome”. Every casino owner alive has made millions off the fallacy, just as a great number of foreign policy disasters have been forged because of it. Simply put, it lays out [...]
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 [...]