Markets in turmoil May 25, 2010 SHARES worldwide plunged yesterday as fears that Europe’s sovereign debt crisis would lead to a fresh collapse in the banking sector, and rising tensions between North and South Korea took their toll on jittery investors. The FTSE 100 index plummeted, ending the day 2.5 per cent lower at 4,940.68, below the psychologically important 5,000 level [...]
BP starts new clean up as chair hits out May 25, 2010 BP is preparing to blast the well leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico with thousands of barrels of mud as it launches the “top kill” phase of its clean up efforts later today. Meanwhile, the oil giant’s chairman has hit back at critics of the company’s response to the disaster, reminding them BP is [...]
CITY VIEWS: DOES THE OIL SPILL JEOPARDISE BP’S LONG-TERM FUTURE? May 24, 2010 MATT JOHNSON | UNITED INSURANCE BROKERS “It’s such a big task to sort. They are not doing enough to stop it, since the well is still leaking weeks on. In the trade press, it’s such a big story and it’s surprising the national press aren’t covering it more. I think Obama has done the right [...]
Efficient tale of swords and magic May 20, 2010 Film PRINCE OF PERSIA: SANDS OF TIME Cert: 12A *** BASED on a computer game, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time sees doe-eyed actor Jake Gyllenhaal switch to swashbuckling action star, not entirely successfully. He’s got the beefy physique, and thanks to CGI there’s no end to the acrobatic leaps and somersaults he can perform [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS May 17, 2010 Quayle Munro The boutique merchant banking group has appointed Andrew Adams, pictured, and Robert Cormie as executive directors. Adams has been a managing director at the firm since 2008, having spent ten years at The Van Tulleken Company prior to its acquisition by Quayle Munro. Cormie also became a managing director in 2008. Prior to [...]
FTSE ends day flat on debt jitters as Vodafone rises and travel groups fall May 17, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares ended flat yesterday as jitters over Europe’s debt eroded early gains, with miners weak on demand concerns and travel firms hit by the Icelandic ash cloud. The FTSE 100 closed down 0.3 points at 5,262.54 after it fell 3.1 per cent on Friday, punished by anxiety over the euro zone debt crisis. [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 12, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES INDIAN TELECOMS GROUPS HIT OUT AT CHARGES Telecoms companies in India have raised alarm over a threat of retrospective charges for users of mobile spectrum that analysts warn could cost them hundreds of millions of dollars. The move by the Indian telecoms regulator has provoked interest from Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar. MICROSOFT [...]
Disaster prone first quarter pushes premiums up 19pc for insurer Beazley May 12, 2010 LLOYDS of London insurer Beazley said premiums rose 19 per cent in an action-packed first quarter. Premiums hit $438.2m (£295.5m) in the three months to March. The firm was hit by a series of disasters. It said it will pay out between $55m and $75m for losses incurred in the Chilean earthquake, with market costs [...]
City keen to recruit from Ireland May 11, 2010 City banks are now turning to Ireland in a bid to fill vacant roles, according to recruiter Hays. The group said London’s banks have started to recruit Irish accountants because of skills shortages in the sector. Top City accountants are exacerbating the shortage due to their reluctance to move roles, according to Hays. “This isn’t [...]
London & Stamford snaps up property from Lloyds May 10, 2010 LONDON & Stamford Properties has bought 16 distribution properties from a Warner Estate and Lloyds Banking Group joint venture for £208.5m. The Aim-listed property investor, formed in late 2007 to exploit steep discounts carved out during Britain’s recent property slump, bought the portfolio using a combination of existing cash resources and debt provided by the [...]