The Bottle Opener: Champagne’s leading man December 12, 2013 The last eponymous head of a champagne house talks about his passion for fizz Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, the last eponymous head of a great champagne house, personifies the wine he has spent his life making and selling; full of elegance, charm and effervescence. “I am a singular man. I am an iconoclast. My favourite food is [...]
JP Morgan’s legal troubles leave employee pay lagging industry November 21, 2013 JP MORGAN Chase plans to keep overall compensation per employee roughly flat this year from last year, lagging gains at rivals, as the bank’s massive legal settlements weigh on its results, two sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Bonuses were largely set early this week, though payouts could change in unusual situations or if [...]
Sir Christopher Wren’s historic mansion home goes on sale November 7, 2013 Freehold of house in grounds of Hampton Court Palace offered up for first time in over 300 years SITTING in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, nestled among the greenery of suburban Richmond, lies a mansion that was once home to Britain’s greatest architect. For the first time in over 300 years, Sir Christopher Wren’s [...]
Housing supply fears as growth hits record low November 7, 2013 OFFICIAL figures yesterday showed that the net supply of housing in England this year rose by the lowest number since records began over a decade ago. Net additions rose by just 124,270 in 2012-2013, a fall of eight per cent since 2011-12 and 44 per cent below the 2007-08 peak, according to the figures from [...]
Sony hits sales record for new games console November 17, 2013 SONY racked up more than 1m PlayStation 4 (PS4) sales in just 24 hours following its US and Canadian launch on Friday. The fast-selling console puts Sony on track to hit its target of 3m sales by the end of the financial year, and 5m PlayStation 4’s sold by March. “Sales remain very strong in [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 12 December 2013 December 11, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Nigeria’s missing $50bn oil cash A letter from the Central Bank of Nigeria suggests that the state oil company has failed to account for nearly $50bn in crude oil sold between January 2012 and July 2013 that should by law have been remitted to government coffers. The alleged shortfall amounts to 76 per [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 25 October 2013 October 24, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Bitcoin backed by top hedgie boss Financial advisers who gathered in New York to hear leaders of the asset management industry impart their best investment ideas for the year ahead were given a surprising tip by one prominent hedge fund manager: Bitcoin. Fortress Investment Group’s Michael Novogratz said it could be used as [...]
Small property leads growth in house prices October 28, 2013 HOUSE prices jumped again in September, Land Registry figures showed yesterday, with London leading the way. And by category of property, flats were far and away the biggest riser in the month. The UK as a whole saw prices rise 1.5 per cent in the month and 3.4 per cent on the year to an [...]
$13bn fine for JP Morgan over mortgage sales November 19, 2013 JP MORGAN last night confirmed it would pay the biggest ever fine levied on a firm, as part of a $13bn (£8bn) settlement with the Department of Justice (DoJ). The giant bank is paying up after admitting selling toxic mortgage-backed securities in the boom years, and is accepting responsibility for the actions of Washington Mutual [...]
Arts and lifestyle highlights for the next twelve months January 5, 2014 From Glastonbury to Shakespeare to Matisse, you won’t be short of things to do in 2014 MUSICArcade Fire confirmed as headliners for Glastonbury 2014The Glastonbury 2014 lineup is being kept under-wraps until summer, but that hasn’t stopped rumours surfacing thanks to loose-tongued artists and hints dropped by organiser Emily Eavis. Arcade Fire instigated a flurry [...]