Sleeping your way to the top: Here’s what the sleeping habits of highly successful people look like February 18, 2015 Margaret Thatcher swore by getting four hours of sleep a night. The writer Honore de Balzac famously did his best work from 1am until 3pm – just when Pablo Picasso was getting started. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours of sleep for adults. But what do the sleeping habits of successful [...]
Counterfeit Glen’s Vodka being sold in London, Midlands and Scotland: Here are two ways to spot the fakes February 18, 2015 The Food Standards Agency is warning about counterfeit Glen's Vodka on sale “in several locations around the UK” – but it has highlighted a few tell-tale mistakes that should alert customers. The fake drink is being sold in “a number of small independent retailers, corner shops and petrol stations” in London, the Midlands and North [...]
House of Fraser boss John King departs as department store reveals swathe of changes to top team following Chinese buyout February 18, 2015 House of Fraser chief executive John King is stepping down after eight years at the helm of the department store chain. King's departure comes just months after the business was bought out by Chinese consortium Nanjing Xinjiekou, and follows the retirement of former chairman Don McCarthy. King will be replaced by HoF's current [...]
Transport for London launches “etiquette poetry” competition to get commuters behaving better on the Tube February 17, 2015 The pen is mightier than the sword. That proverb was apparently created by a man who avoided execution by persuading his jailer to kill another prisoner, so he probably knew a thing or two about the strength of the written word. And it's that power that Transport for London is hoping to harness for good [...]
Russian warship Yaroslav Mudryy tracked by Royal Navy’s HMS Argyll entering English Channel February 17, 2015 A Russian warship has been tracked by the Royal Navy entering the English Channel for the second time in three months. The Russian warship – called Yaroslav Mudryy or Yaroslav the Wise – is a Neustrashimy class frigate and was sailing with an accompanying tanker, the Kola. HMS Argyll, a Type 23 frigate complete [...]
Sports Direct shares drop as M&A boss departs February 17, 2015 Sports Direct's share price was down more than four per cent this morning after it emerged that its mergers and acquisitions boss Jeff Blue is leaving the company. Blue, a former Merril Lynch banker, was hired two years ago to spearhead takeover deals for Mike Ashley's high street behemoth. He was also standing in [...]
Crucial Rangers meeting set for next month after new venue found February 17, 2015 Rangers has found a new venue willing to host its crucial extraordinary general meeting, which is expected to result in sparks – and very possibly fur – flying. The meeting is now being scheduled for 12pm on March 4 at The Grange Tower Bridge Hotel in London. It had to be rescheduled after the previous [...]
Canadian firm Fairfax to buy insurer Brit for £1.22bn February 17, 2015 Shares in insurer Brit soared more than 10 per cent this morning, after Canadian financial services firm Fairfax revealed plans to buy the insurer for £1.22bn less than a year after it went public. Last night it emerged private equity owners CVC and Apollo were looking to offload the business, which specialises in underwriting [...]
JKX seeking $180m compensation from Ukraine over treaty violations February 16, 2015 Exploration firm JKX Oil & Gas is seeking $180m (£116m) in compensation from Ukraine, claiming the country has violated international treaties. The business, which is in talks over a possible buyout, said this morning that it had started arbitration proceedings against Ukraine under the Energy Charter Treaty between the UK and Ukraine and a [...]
From HSBC and Greece to Opec and the Bank of England: What got us talking this week February 13, 2015 There was really only one story this week. HSBC was at the centre of a scandal that only progressed along with the week. By Friday it was facing a grilling from one select committee and an investigation by another, while the possibility of police involvement was also hanging in the air. There was even [...]