Powder rules on the mountains of Japan February 26, 2012 SKIING in Japan has been on the radar of dedicated powder seekers for a number of years. The snow that falls upon Japan’s resorts has to be some of the best in the world; it is light, dry and very often chest deep. Now that word has leaked out about Japan’s fantastic skiing opportunities – [...]
Panamera GTS and BMW’s new-gen 3-series both score February 21, 2012 Porsche’s new Panamera shows that two more seats can still be sporty PORSCHE’s four-seat Panamera has sold surprisingly well. Though it’s pretty agile for such a large, heavy motor it’s never felt as sporty as it could have with a character that’s more luxury limousine than dynamic sportscar, even in its range-topping Turbo iteration. It’s [...]
Sports Direct plans dividend February 15, 2012 BRITAIN’S biggest sporting goods retailer Sports Direct International said it would consider paying a dividend at the end of its fiscal year, following strong third-quarter results. Shares of the company, controlled by Newcastle United soccer club owner Mike Ashley, rose as much as 6.2 per cent to 279.2p yesterday — their highest level in nearly [...]
THE TIPSTER ROCKY ROAD PAVED WITH CHOCOLATE HEAVEN February 13, 2012 CHOCOLATIER Thorntons will be hoping it can keep investors sweet, when it releases its latest update this week. Its Christmas update provided little cheer, and it is somewhat hard to believe that the market for slightly upmarket chocolates has improved in any way during the post-Christmas season – even if some Britons might have turned [...]
Hedge fund stars toast top January February 6, 2012 STAR traders Crispin Odey and Pierre Lagrange led a recovery for the beleaguered hedge fund industry in January as European bank stocks soared 10 per cent. The Odey European fund, which fell 20 per cent in 2011, is up 14 per cent so far this year after taking a bullish stance on banks and the [...]
Ski like an amateur, race like a professional February 5, 2012 THREE, two, one, the race countdown began, as my heart knocked treble-time. With my ski racing bib on, adrenalin pumping, I was staring down a steep, crisply-groomed slope, preparing to race it in my first ever downhill speed run. Then the horn sounded and I was off. I skated a few steps to pick up [...]
Meet the enchanting new Peugeot January 31, 2012 Hybrid cars have been on sale in Europe for a while now. Toyota, Honda, VW and even Porsche all sell hybrid versions of their cars that improve on fuel economy by supplementing their petrol engines with electric motors. Until now, such cars have made the most sense for North America or other regions that don’t [...]
HERE’S ONE THEY DIDN’T PREPARE EARLIER: GAMES SHOW STALLS January 30, 2012 BE PREPARED – such an important quality. Especially when you are planning a large-scale sporting event that will bring widespread chaos – sorry, a million extra economy-boosting visitors – to the capital. But panic not, because the organisers of the London Olympics have got it all under control with an £8.8m strategy to help the [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 26, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES OUTSOURCER SERCO TO CUT 500 JOBS Serco, the FTSE 100 outsourcer, is to overhaul its management structure, axeing at least 500 jobs, as it adapts to tougher market conditions in the UK, according to people close to the company. The group, which runs services including London’s bicycle hire scheme and four prisons, is [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 22, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES EU PLANS RAISE HOME FORECLOSURE RISK UK homeowners could face higher mortgage costs and find themselves at greater risk of foreclosure as early as next year because of an obscure clause in the bank capital directive being worked on by the European parliament. US FUNDS RETURN TO EUROPEAN BANK PAPER US money market [...]