Vodka with a twist of family history March 12, 2012 ZOROKOVICH 1917 vodka looks very cool with its retro Soviet-meets-pop-art label. And let me tell you, this £30-per-bottle spirit also slides down rather well, a fact on which Selfridges, Skylon, Jerry’s in Soho and China Tang at the Dorchester – stockists of Zorokovich 1917 – agree. But what is unique about Zorokovich is its history, [...]
Ever-increasing regulation is boosting compliance careers February 8, 2012 ADL PARTNERS FIVE years ago I was working on a compliance mandate for an investment bank. As well as compliance professionals, the client was open to seeing individuals from other professions, in this case legal. Yet to retain the interest of lawyers and stop them from terminating the conversation it was imperative not to mention [...]
Cebu & Boracay paradise with flair March 25, 2012 HAVING recently visited nearby Malaysia, I thought I had a fair idea of what to expect from the Philippines. A bustling Asian melting pot where a hotchpotch of cultures, religions and cuisines collide in the middle of the Indian ocean, right? But stepping off the plane at our first stop – Mactan Island in Cebu [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 12, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES SFO TARGETS CRIMINAL COMPANY DIVIDENDS The UK’s fraud investigator intends to confiscate shareholder dividends paid by companies convicted of criminal offences, after it won approval for a landmark court action. The Serious Fraud Office won a civil recovery order yesterday against the principal shareholder of a company that had admitted corruption. GROUPAMA TO [...]
Tesco set to unveil bleak Christmas January 8, 2012 TESCO is set to deliver its worst Christmas trading performance for decades this week after the supermarket’s £500m price cutting campaign failed to gather pace in the fierce battle for supermarket sales. Deutsche Bank, a house broker to Tesco, is forecasting a two per cent decline in like-for-like sales from UK stores in the six [...]
Chinese dragons fly into the UK’s mobile warzone January 8, 2012 ASK someone to name the first smartphone that comes into their head and most people will say “iPhone”. Some might name a Samsung or even an HTC. Not many will mention Huawei or ZTE. But 2012 could be the year of the dragon, with the Chinese giants preparing to blitz the UK with a massive [...]
Chinese dragons fly into the UK’s mobile warzone January 8, 2012 ASK someone to name the first smartphone that comes into their head and most people will say “iPhone”. Some might name a Samsung or even an HTC. Not many will mention Huawei or ZTE. But 2012 could be the year of the dragon, with the Chinese giants preparing to blitz the UK with a massive [...]
PROPERTY NEWS December 15, 2011 DEMAND FOR PROPERTIES DURING OLYMPICS UPS THE RENTAL BAR Harrods Estates is marketing a number of luxury properties around the Olympic stadium for £40,000 to £80,000 a week – an increase of 220 per cent on their normal rental value. The dearth of properties in close proximity to the Olympic stadium has driven short-term rental [...]
German data and Spain auction lift FTSE December 20, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index hit a one-week closing high yesterday, after a drop in Spain’s borrowing costs and encouraging data from Germany overshadowed fears over Europe’s debt crisis. Short-term financing costs for Spain more than halved as banks lapped up debt at an auction, with much of the purchasing power said to have come from [...]
Ireland is plagued with debt it cannot repay and remains exposed to euro contagion February 16, 2012 FOR many, Ireland is the poster boy for how to deal with a banking crisis. I disagree. Lauded by European governments for its quick decisive actions, Ireland effectively contributed to bailing out the entire European banking system and, in doing so, has left a legacy of bankruptcy that puts huge financial pressure on its citizens [...]