Piaget Altiplano turns 60, and it’s still the choice of today’s jetset sophisticate February 6, 2017 Last week the great and the good of the luxury world descended upon Geneva Airport’s Palexpo convention centre for the “Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie” – which basically translates as “glamorous showcase of mindbogglingly complicated timepieces”. So glamorous, in fact, that even the iron-clad bleakness of Palexpo was not enough to dissuade a healthy [...]
Almost half of UK professionals wish they had a workplace spouse, as they can be a great source for mentorship and advice February 10, 2016 Valentine's Day is now a mere four days away and love is in the air – and, apparently, the office, but not in the way you might be thinking. A survey released today by jobs website CV-Library has discovered that almost half (47 per cent) of UK professionals either have or wish they had a workplace spouse, a [...]
Reported fraud in the UK more than doubled from £720m to £1.5bn last year, with financial services and London particularly badly hit February 15, 2016 The value of fraud in the UK more than doubled in 2015, although the total number of incidences fell, a report out today has discovered. The study by professional services firm BDO revealed that the value of reported fraud last year was £1.5bn, up 110 per cent from £720m the year before and the highest it has [...]
Stamp duty land tax changes, which were announced in last November’s Autumn Statement, will amount to a stealth Cupid tax, warn tax experts February 7, 2016 Valentine's Day is on the horizon but recent tax regime changes mean that it might not feel like love is in the air for those couples planning on purchasing property after 31 March. The Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) has warned that couples could unwittingly find themselves subject to government's new three per cent surplus charge on stamp [...]
Tesco is winning at Valentine’s Day. Here’s why February 11, 2015 Valentine's Day is just around the corner and what says love more than multinational retailers pushing their pink heart-shaped products you neither want nor need? Absolutely nothing. That's why between now and Saturday we will all be bombarded with adverts for all the chocolates you can eat (before the cocoa runs out) recipes for two, [...]
Oscar Pistorius found guilty of Reeva Steenkamp’s murder as manslaughter conviction overturned December 3, 2015 Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of murder after his previous conviction of manslaughter was overturned. The Paralympian "ought to have been convicted, not of culpable homicide, but of murder", judge Leach said this morning. The original ruling was "confusing and flawed", he said. Pistorius killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013, after shooting [...]
To fuel the pensions revolution, we need to put passion into pensions – and that means opening them up to social investing February 9, 2016 The humble nudge has worked. With around six million people now automatically enrolled into their first pension, we have reason to be hopeful that the UK is now saving for its future. However, it’s much too early to declare mission accomplished. We’re still waiting for the large number of smaller companies to enrol their employees into schemes, and they [...]
Interiors: David Bowie’s art collection is due to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s next month October 28, 2016 In two weeks’ time a vintage 1966 record player is coming to auction at Sotheby’s, a radio-phonograph by Achille and Pier Giacomo Catiglioni. At face value, it's worth an unassuming £800-£1,200; however, it will no doubt fetch much much more as it belonged to the late great David Bowie. The excitement around the sale of [...]
Black Friday UK 2015: Bargain bonanza signals a never-ending sales season with Cyber Monday, Panic Saturday and Manic Monday to name a few November 26, 2015 Sales periods have sprung up around the world that give shoppers the bargains they crave while allowing sellers to offload old stock or generate footfall. But retailers face a period of discounting that could undermine the advantages they used to bring. In America, it is Black Friday, while in Europe January sales have kept cash tills [...]
Oscar Pistorius again escapes with lesser punishment for murder – but South African prosecutors may appeal July 6, 2016 South African prosecutors are considering whether to appeal after disgraced athlete Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to just six years for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Double amputee runner Pistorius avoided the usual minimum punishment of 15 years in jail because judge Thokozile Masipa ruled that a long custodial term would “not serve justice”. She rejected [...]