Sky splashes out with a deal for Disney movies and new channel February 21, 2013 BSKYB has inked a deal with Disney that will see the Hollywood giant’s films shown on a new channel as well as open up its catalogue of historic films to on-demand viewing. The deal will tighten Sky’s grip on exclusive film rights by giving it first access to new titles such as Iron Man 3 [...]
Ministers pour cold water on RBS share giveaway proposals February 17, 2013 CONSERVATIVE ministers yesterday dismissed claims that they are ready to privatise RBS by handing shares to the public before 2015, despite Lib Dem backing for the plan. Reports over the weekend suggested the coalition was willing to sell off the bank’s shares to the public at a discount or even give them away ahead of [...]
Lib Dems may vote with Labour on mansion tax February 17, 2013 VINCE Cable yesterday suggested the Lib Dems could join Labour and vote in favour of a so-called mansion tax on £2m homes, saying it was an “an idea whose time has come”. However the business secretary was forced to talk down internal party suggestions for a wealth tax on personal items such as jewellery, saying [...]
Retail gloom as UK stays at home February 17, 2013 SHOPPERS have been deserting the UK’s struggling retailers since the start of the year, adding to gloom in the sec- tor as sales fall for the first time in years and well-established firms col- lapse into administration. Total UK retail footfall sunk 4.6 per cent over the year to January, data from the British Retail [...]
Froome grabs red jersey in Oman February 14, 2013 CYCLING: Britain’s Chris Froome leads the Tour of Oman, after finishing second in the fourth stage of the race yesterday. The Team Sky rider holds a 24-second lead with two stages to go.
Reflections on Tulchan’s demise at Marks & Spencer February 14, 2013 FOUR weeks ago I asked Andrew Grant of Tulchan a simple question. Had his firm been fired from the retailer Marks & Spencer as its external financial public relations adviser, following the leaking of its annual results which forced their rushed and premature publication? Grant, rightly known for being courteous, well-informed and straightforward, responded that [...]
Rolls-Royce to appoint former McKinsey boss as new chairman February 13, 2013 ROLLS-ROYCE will today unveil ex-McKinsey boss Ian Davis as its new chairman, replacing Sir Simon Robertson who will leave the business after eight years. The announcement will be made alongside today’s year-end results which are expected to show the engineering giant made bumper profits in 2012, according to Sky News. Davis spent 31 years with [...]
Charming Carney wins hearts February 7, 2013 GOLDMAN Sachs bankers don’t often get a warm welcome from Labour MPs. Nor do public sector staff earning the best part of £1m. Lauded as the greatest central banker of his generation – and, as it happens, the best looking – Mark Carney was surely in for a hard bump back to earth. “Quarter of [...]
Barclays’ investment bankers wait to hear their fate February 7, 2013 When Barclays chief executive Antony Jenkins speaks about shredding Bob Diamond’s legacy, as he did the other day, many of his group’s rivals are hoping he is talking about doing away with an actual part of the bank, rather than a cultural construct. For the growth of Barclays’ investment bank has been one of the [...]
Scrap January window, says Hammers captain February 7, 2013 WEST HAM captain Kevin Nolan has called for the January transfer window to be scrapped, insisting no one in football is in favour of it any more. His comments come after Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp complained of “gang warfare” among agents trying to muscle in on each other’s transactions as last week’s deadline [...]