Britain’s universities need real reform October 30, 2011 IF Britain were a rational country, we would be spending far more time and energy seeking to improve the quality of our higher education to ensure that it can compete globally – and better to help young people prepare themselves for their lives and careers at a time when cognitive ability, creativity and knowledge are [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING October 25, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES SHAREHOLDERS IN EVOLUTION BACK BID BY INVESTEC Investec’s £202m takeover of Evolution Group will go ahead despite last-minute resistance from Evolution’s biggest shareholder after the broker’s other big investor backed the bid. Aberforth Partners, which owns 10.8 per cent of Evolution, said last week it had withdrawn its support for the all-share offer [...]
ARM results buck gloomy sector trend October 25, 2011 THE firm behind more than 95 per cent of smartphone chips yesterday reported a surge in profits, bucking the industry trend. ARM Holdings saw its third quarter sales rise 20 per cent to £120.2m, with profits jumping 44 per cent to £55.8m. It sold a greater than expected 28 licenses in the quarter, with new [...]
ARM boss Warren East plans to take over the world – one chip at a time October 25, 2011 Afew years ago a friend of mine tipped a little-known chip designer called ARM Holdings. He said it was going to be the next big thing. A year later, after its shares had shot up, he cursed his luck for not taking his own advice. But he prudently decided not to invest while it was [...]
Inflation-linked taxes worry retailers October 23, 2011 INFLATION-linked hikes in business rates will offset any gains from government plans to encourage local businesses, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said today. Business rates are set to increase by a “colossal” 5.6 per cent in April, the BRC has warned, as it is tied to September’s level of the retail price index (RPI). [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS October 19, 2011 WPP UBS rates the advertising giant as “neutral” with a target price of 620p, after this week’s digital investor day gave a positive outlook on the company’s longer-term strategy. The broker says the revenue opportunities for providing a wider variety of higher value services are very clear, but could come at a cost through staff [...]
Fastest price rises since CPI began in 1996 October 18, 2011 CONSUMER prices increased at a record rate in the year to September, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said yesterday. The consumer price index (CPI) rose to 5.2 per cent – the highest since it was introduced in 1996, and equal to the peak in September 2008. The figure was 4.5 per cent in the [...]
British Gas chief warns hike in energy prices will continue October 17, 2011 HOUSEHOLD energy bills will continue to rise despite government measures, industry bosses warned yesterday as government ministers met the “Big Six” energy companies for talks. Phil Bentley, the managing director of British Gas said that prices in the longer term would keep increasing because of the rising cost of gas on the international market and [...]
A few cold facts in the debate on high energy bills October 17, 2011 AT YESTERDAY’S energy price summit, David Cameron pledged that he would do whatever he could to bring down the spiralling cost of energy bills. There is only one problem: the coalition’s own costly green energy policies, which threaten to raise energy prices even further in coming years. David Cameron’s energy advisers recently warned him of [...]
Make the most of half term and indulge your childish side as well October 17, 2011 THINGS TO DO LION KING 3D IMAX Everyone loves a bit of Lion King, and when it not only promises to be in 3D but also extra big on the IMAX screen, this offering is impossible to resist. 2-27 October, child ticket: £11, adult ticket: £16. LONDON ZOO Always a great place to take the [...]