Intesa Sanpaolo reveals it is examining Generali takeover January 24, 2017 Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo has revealed it is considering a takeover bid for the country's largest insurance firm, Generali. Shares in Generali had previously jumped over eight per cent today after it was reported Intesa was preparing an offer for the €24bn (£21m) market cap firm in a deal that would be one of the sector’s largest takeovers. Intesa Sanpaolo [...]
Luxembourg doesn’t want to steal London’s finance crown January 24, 2017 If a week is a long time in politics, then seven months is practically a lifetime. That is how much time has elapsed, of course, since Britain voted to leave the European Union, and we are now finally learning what Theresa May and her government want from the complex negotiations that are set to follow the [...]
Team GB sprinters require medical attention following motorcycle crash in Tenerife January 18, 2017 British sprinters James Ellington and Nigel Levine required urgent medical treatment following a motorcycle accident in Spain on Tuesday night. The Team GB representatives at the Rio Olympics reportedly crashed into a car driving on the wrong side of the road in Tenerife where they were warm-weather training. Both athletes were said to be "conscious and [...]
The best new hotel suites in Europe, from the reopened Ritz, Paris, to the spectacular Westin in Hamburg January 18, 2017 There are certain things one can expect from hotels at the top end of the market: flawless, personalised service; rooms with minibars, rainshowers and designer bath products; a supremely comfortable bed; free wifi and fine-dining. Most of us will have a favourite hotel in the cities we frequent – perhaps it’s The Connaught in London, [...]
Deutsche Bank chief blames regulation for lack of banking innovation January 17, 2017 Regulatory pressures are to blame for a lack of innovation among traditional financial institutions, according to the top boss of Deutsche Bank. Speaking at Davos on the subject of the future of finance, chief executive John Cryan said: "As regulation becomes more granular, traditional institutions tend to become less innovative and we're looking elsewhere for disrupters. "Everything [...]
Football clubs represent high integrity risk to banks, says Dutch regulator January 13, 2017 Financial institutions need to up their game to combat football corruption, an investigation by the Dutch central bank has concluded. Reporting today, the regulator said banks were exposed to greater "integrity risks" when taking on football clients. And the central bank said this meant financial institutions should "apply a higher risk classification" when dealing with football [...]
London City Airport announces record 4.5m passengers for 2016 January 9, 2017 London City Airport is flying after a record 2016. The Royal Docks-based airport announced five per cent year-on-year growth, recording 4,526,059 passengers for the year. That's the most in its 30-year history, and it said this was driven by expanding routes and investment in facilities. Read more: Delays and cancellations at London City Airport this [...]
Europe’s big guns fire back at Gianni Infantino’s World Cup expansion plans December 15, 2016 Fifa's plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams have been met with fierce opposition from Europe's biggest clubs who say their stars are already playing too many games. Proposals to expand the World Cup in 2026 from 32 to 48 teams are being backed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who favours a format that would [...]
The world’s longest rail tunnel will officially open to the public on Sunday December 8, 2016 It's been a long time in the making, but the world's longest and deepest train tunnel will finally open to the public, after getting the go-ahead on commercial use, with full services running from Sunday. The Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland is a 57km line under the Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe and as [...]
Donald Trump’s unhappy fate is to oversee a financial crisis far worse than the last December 2, 2016 An earthquake doesn’t care if you’re progressive or populist. It destroys your house all the same. Likewise a financial crisis is indifferent to a politician’s policy mix. Systemic crises proceed according to their own dynamic based on the array of agents in a system, and systemic scale. The tempo of recent crises in 1994, 1998, and [...]