A man on a mission to the Moonpig.com June 5, 2011 MOONPIG was a nickname I had at school,” says Nick Jenkins. “I needed a two syllable domain name, something comic and unique on Google.” It took him four days of checking potential names on Network Solutions to stumble upon Moonpig. Now a household name, it is also one of the UK’s fastest growing and most [...]
Vincent Tchenguiz interview: the Mayfair tycoon fighting to clear his name June 3, 2011 An afternoon with Vincent Tchenguiz, the property tycoon fighting to clear his name of fraud allegations linked to the collapse of Icelandic bank Kaupthing, makes you realise why cases like this take a team of accountants years to unravel. For nearly 90 minutes, I’m bombarded with figures and facts, allegations and claims. At one point [...]
Schiavone reaches Paris final again June 2, 2011 DEFENDING champion Francesca Schiavone defeated home favourite Marion Bartoli to reach the French Open final, where she will play Li Na after she overcame Maria Sharapova. Schiavone, 30, a surprise winner when she clinched her first grand slam title in Paris last year, gets the chance to retain her crown after a convincing 6-3, 6-3 [...]
Seven in UK hit by E.coli June 2, 2011 FOUR more Brits have been infected with a new and deadly form of E.coli, which has killed 18 people across Europe and made thousands more ill. The new infections, which were confirmed by the Health Protection Agency yesterday, bring the total number of British cases to seven. Of those, three have been contaminated with the [...]
Schneider to spend €1.4bn on Telvent June 1, 2011 FRENCH power network equipment specialist Schneider Electric is to buy energy software provider Telvent for €1.36bn (£1.2bn) as part of its push into energy efficient grids and emerging markets. The takeover bid is backed by US-listed Telvent’s main shareholder and would give Schneider Electric a stronger presence in software to complement its equipment sales. Telvent’s [...]
Russian tax freeze set to hit Gazprom June 1, 2011 RUSSIA will not increase its mineral extraction tax for independent gas producers, finance minister Alexei Kudrin said yesterday, leaving state export monopoly Gazprom to bear the brunt of tax increases. Gazprom deputy chief executive Alexander Ananenkov warned that if the ministry carries through with proposed output levies, production would decline. “More gas will end up [...]
Demographic trends set to lead to boom in healthcare June 1, 2011 INVESTORS have been profiting from a healthcare revolution sweeping the globe, which still has a long way to run. Stephen Barber of Selftrade notes two global demographic changes set to increase demand for healthcare: “The ageing population and the growth of the middle classes in the emerging world, led by China and India.” Across the [...]
Chelsea favourite Hiddink wants return to club game May 31, 2011 FORMER Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has dropped the strongest hint yet that he wants to return to Stamford Bridge – whether he stays on as Turkey coach or not. The Dutchman, whose current role may depend on the outcome of Friday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Belgium, declared he would relish a return to the day-to-day [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 31, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES UK CONSUMER RECOVERY SET TO BE SLOWEST IN 180 YEARS The UK economy is set to experience the slowest pick-up in consumer spending of any post-recession period since 1830, according to a Financial Times analysis of official forecasts. Families are expected to spend just slightly more by 2015 than they were before the [...]
Belarus devalues its way to hyperinflation May 31, 2011 LAST week, Belarus demonstrated very clearly what happens to a country when it does not address its deficit, does not rein in spending and tries to mask its problems with state intervention. Overnight, the National Bank of Belarus devalued the Belarusian rouble by 56 per cent. The devaluation resulted in an immediate 24 per cent [...]