England must go for jugular. This isn’t over… yet December 14, 2010 I CAN’T think of a better Christmas present to everyone involved in English cricket than securing the Ashes; it would be absolutely fantastic. Victory in the third Test, which starts in the small hours of tonight, would guarantee we bring the urn back to these shores, and you can be sure that’s exactly what all [...]
FIRST GIG IN 600 YEARS TO COME TO GUILDHALL December 14, 2010 GUILDHALL has seen its fair share of important cultural events over the years:?the trials of Lady Jane Grey, Thomas Cranmer and those involved in the gunpowder plot. But only now is this hallowed hall to host the first ever rock concert in its 600 year history, in the miserable month of February next year, when [...]
Snow disturbs sales jump at Travis Perkins December 14, 2010 BUILDERS merchant Travis Perkins said yesterday that turnover for the year had risen 6.5 per cent, though the wintry weather has hit recent sales, as it completed its £558m takeover of BSS Group. The firm saw a jump in sales in the last two months to 30 November, although it said the snow and freezing [...]
Carpetright in profit blow as sales tumble December 14, 2010 CARPETRIGHT, the country’s biggest floor coverings retailer, said the outlook for 2011 looked poor as sluggish mortgage approvals meant housing market activity was unlikely to pick up quickly. British mortgage approvals, which are a key lead indicator for Carpetright, fell to 30,766 in October, their lowest monthly level in more than one and a half [...]
Odds for a White Xmas slashed December 14, 2010 Bookmakers have shortened the odds on a white Christmas, as weather forecasters warn of an icy blast on its way later this week. With less than a fortnight to go until Christmas, temperatures are set to drop as winds from the north bring a band of rain and high winds tomorrow. The Met Office expects [...]
Dow surges to close at a two-year high December 14, 2010 US stocks cut gains to end mostly flat after a late-day sell-off yesterday as yet another cautious statement from the Federal Reserve on the economy offset strong retail sales data for November. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 47.98 points, or 0.42 per cent, at 11,476.62 – its highest close since 8 September 2008. [...]
Flurry of M&A provides Xmas cheer for traders December 13, 2010 BRITISH companies led a whirlwind of buyout deals yesterday, in a sign of emerging confidence in the M&A market ahead of the Christmas break. London-listed household goods group Reckitt Benckiser bagged privately-held personal care company Paras Pharmaceuticals for around $726m (£460m) yesterday, while oil services firm Wellstream finally agreed to be taken over by General [...]
HEDGIES FORK OUT FOR CHARITY AS LORD ARCHER HOSTS THE AUCTION December 13, 2010 HEDGE fund philanthropists had one of their biggest galas of the year this past weekend, thanks to a fundraiser by Hedge Fund Care, a fund chaired by Robert Mirsky that makes grants to charities fighting child abuse and neglect. 400 or so of the industry’s finest donned their finest blacktie and arrived for a three-course [...]
Mass strikes cause chaos across Greece December 13, 2010 GREEK public transport and media workers launched a week of anti-austerity strikes yesterday expected to ground flights, disrupt services and pile rubbish on the streets in the run-up to Christmas holidays. Parliament began discussing a bill to cap wages at state-run firms and introduce company-level wage bargaining in the private sector, both key elements in [...]
Supermarket chains halt Xmas orders in Scotland after weather takes its toll December 13, 2010 SUPERMARKETS and online shops – including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda – have halted orders or suspended deliveries, after last week’s heavy snow weather brought the transport network to a standstill. Many are struggling to cope with a backlog of deliveries after strong downfalls. Couriers including Parcel Force and Home Delivery Network have also been affected, as [...]