ODD JOBS November 10, 2010 GENERAL MANAGER, THE MERCER Before he made the move to Threadneedle Street restaurant The Mercer, Bedford ran restaurants such as Dakota in Notting Hill, The Collection in Chelsea and Mocota in Knightsbridge. Although he enjoys all aspects of managing a restaurant, wine is a special interest that has only intensified during his time in the [...]
House prices drop nationwide September 26, 2010 House prices have fallen across all regions for the first time since April 2009, according to September’s Hometrack survey. The monthly report, published today, reveals average prices dropped by 0.4 per cent to £157,600. London and the South East recorded price drops of 0.4 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively with London’s average price [...]
Eurostat may revise Greece’s 2009 deficit October 5, 2010 EU statistics agency Eurostat may revise upwards Greece’s 2009 budget deficit but this will not significantly impact this year’s fiscal gap, a senior official at Greece’s finance ministry said yesterday. “Even if there is a significant revision for 2009, the impact on the 2010 deficit will be very small,” the official, who did not want [...]
The master of business buyouts December 2, 2010 IT WAS a huge day for Matthew Riley the founder of telecommunications company Daisy yesterday. He announced a £23.5m buyout of his competitor, NEG MBO Two Limited – a big deal particularly considering that just last week Daisy bought out SpiriTel Technologies for £30m. When asked about the deals Riley grins cheekily and says he’s [...]
Investors brace for Irish bank bond swaps November 26, 2010 EXPECTATIONS grew today that bondholders in Irish banks may be offered the chance to swap billions of euros of debt for new bonds, sharing the pain as they realise a loss – but avoiding a potentially worse outcome. Such tenders have been used successfully by Irish and other European banks during the financial crisis. to [...]
BUTTON: DREAM IS STILL ALIVE October 21, 2010 MCLAREN driver Jenson Button insists he can resurrect his stalled bid to defend the world championship ahead of the Korean Grand Prix. Button, 30, is currently fifth in the drivers’ standings, 31 points behind leader Mark Webber, but the Englishman believes a strong finish in this weekend’s race could spark a dramatic climax to the [...]
Greece sets a tough Budget October 4, 2010 GREECE will cut its budget deficit to seven per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and launch a fresh wave of cuts in the public sector it said in its draft budget yesterday. The 2011 budget, aimed at convincing European leaders that it is on track to tackle its deficit crisis, would see the debt [...]
Rail prices to rise by up to 30pc by 2015 October 20, 2010 COMMUTERS will face more misery as the price of rail fares rockets over the coming years. The capped regulated price of train tickets will rise by three per cent over inflation over three years, starting in 2012. The price for those commuting long distances into the capital could rocket, with a season ticket from Brighton [...]
Dow rockets after Fed stimulus boost November 4, 2010 US stocks extended a rally that started in September to close at two-year highs yesterday, a day after the Federal Reserve unveiled a plan to boost the economy. A bullish read on consumers also boosted shares as many retailers posted stronger-than-expected sales for October. The S&P retail index gained 1.7 per cent and apparel maker [...]
Pakistan inflation could rise to 13.5pc, says IMF September 22, 2010 Pakistan’s inflation rate could soon rise as high as 13.5 per cent, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The country’s inflation rose to a four-month high in August as devastating floods forced food prices higher. Core inflation rose to a higher-than expected 12.5 per cent, as the consumer price index increased 2.5 per cent [...]