From Ukip and bird flu to RBS and Lidl: 10 things we learned this week November 21, 2014 1. Ukip got its second member of parliament. Mark Reckless retook the seat he'd held as a Conservative. But that was really the side show to accusations of snobbish tweets and comments around immigration that were so inflamatory Ukip distanced itself from them. 2. Bird flu returned to the UK. It's unlikely to pose [...]
Are bankers dishonest? New study claims it’s culture, not personality November 21, 2014 The financial industry encourages dishonest behaviour – but the individuals are not themselves inclined to lie – according to a new study of investment managers and traders. The experiment, tantalisingly conducted at an unnamed “major international bank”, has found that bankers are more likely to lie when they think about their jobs than otherwise. [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland overstated its ability to withstand another financial crisis: Share price drops after it is forced to lower stress test ratio November 21, 2014 Royal Bank of Scotland's share price dropped sharply this aftenoon after it was forced to admit it is less able to withstand financial stress than originally stated, revising its figure down to just above the lowest cut off point. The common equity tier one ratio is seen as a key marker of its resilience [...]
Christmas just got tougher for Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrisons: Lidl adds “discount” oysters to its deluxe range November 21, 2014 In a year dominated by the rise of the discount grocer, it's perhaps no surprise that Lidl and Aldi will be pulling out all the stops to bring consumers a bit of low-cost luxury. Lidl, which launched a £5 lobster in 2009, has a track record of doing exactly that but this year it's pulling [...]
Matthew Barnes takes the Aldi reins solo as Roman Heini returns to Germany November 21, 2014 Aldi is restructuring its top team in the UK and Ireland, with Matthew Barnes taking over as chief executive from April next year. Barnes has been joint group managing director for Aldi UK and Ireland, alongside Roman Heini, since 2010. Heini is stepping down from his, instead taking on the position of chairman [...]
Knightsbridge balcony collapse: Two men die in London’s exclusive Cadogan Square November 21, 2014 Two men have died after a balcony collapsed on one of London's most expensive – and exclusive – streets. The incident took place at Cadogan Square in Knightsbridge this morning. One man died at the scene, while a second, who was rushed to St Mary’s Hospital as a priority, died shortly afterwards. Six [...]
Public sector borrowing improves in October – but not enough to get financial year back on track November 21, 2014 Public sector net borrowing, excluding banks, has fallen by £200m year-on-year to £7.7bn in October – but it looks to be a case of too little too late when it comes to chancellor George Osborne's targets for the financial year. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics this morning showed that year-on-year borrowing [...]
Beaver Close, Bonar Road and Spankers Hill Wood: Do you live in one of London’s rudest places? November 20, 2014 Britain is a funny old country, with lots of places whose names sound distinctly rude. If you're the sort of person who giggles at Cockfosters on the Tube map, then you will love this new contender for top Christmas novelty gift. After “many months and several thousand miles of field research”, lifestyle brand Strumpshaw, [...]
Julian Assange loses appeal against Swedish arrest warrant November 20, 2014 Julian Assange has lost his appeal against an arrest warrant in Sweden, where he faces rape charges, with the Court of Appeal saying there is “a great risk he will evade legal proceedings or punishment”. The order for his arrest was issued for the Wikileaks founder in 2010, and is wanted for questioning over [...]
Watch: Eagle flies around London, taking in St Paul’s Cathedral, City Hall, Tower Bridge and the ArcelorMittal Orbit in the Olympic Park with a camera strapped to his back November 20, 2014 Stop whatever you're doing and watch this. An animal charity has attached a camera to a white tailed eagle and the bird – whose name is Darchan – has flown around some of the best parts of the capital. The eagle explored London and flew from iconic landmarks, including St Paul's Cathedral, City [...]