Ukip’s Roger Bird suspended following sexual harassment allegations by candidate Natasha Bolter December 9, 2014 A high-profile Ukip candidate has quit the party after saying she was sexually harassed by its general secretary, according to reports. Natasha Bolter, a key speaker at the party's annual conference, is said to have pulled out of hustings for the winnable seat in South Basildon, Essex. She told The Times she had been sexually harassed by Ukip's [...]
Wetherspoon ends drinks deal with Heineken after supply row December 9, 2014 Wetherspoon is waving bye-bye to Heineken and will pull the brewer's products from all of its 926 pubs, following a fall-out over pricing in Ireland. Wetherspoon said on Tuesday that the Dutch brewer had refused to supply Heineken lager and Murphy's stout to its new pub in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. The group also said that Heineken had [...]
OECD: Income inequality can curb economic growth December 9, 2014 Income inequality threatens the economic growth of most developed economies, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in a report released today. The report, produced by the Paris-based economic think tank, said the gap between lower middle class and poor households compared to the rest of society is reducing educational opportunities and social [...]
Asos UK sales soar 24 per cent after biggest ever trading week over cyber weekend December 9, 2014 Online retailer Asos said UK sales rocketed after customers rushed to cash in on "cyber weekend" deals, but gains were offset by disappointing international sales. The results Total retail sales increased by 8 per cent to £246m in the three months to November 30. However, this has slowed from the previous quarter, where they grew [...]
Mark & Spencer suffers Christmas delivery delays to online shopping orders after Black Friday bonanza December 9, 2014 Mark & Spencer's online customers are set to be disappointed this Christmas shopping season, as they face longer waiting times for online deliveries. Standard deliveries will now take up to two weeks, according to the retailer's website, as opposed to the normal five-day waiting period. The delay follows shopping bonanza Black Friday, on 28 November, [...]
Explosions, chemical warfare and spying: After a Heathrow plane’s near miss, here are six terrifying ways drones could be used against us December 8, 2014 After a mystery drone nearly collided with an aeroplane as it came in to land at Heathrow in July, there have been further warnings surrounding the threats posed by unmanned air vehicles (UAV). The UK Airprox Board (UKAB), which oversees air passenger safety, is working on a report confirming the Airbus A320 pilot saw the drone [...]
Court rules bus firms not required to put wheelchair users above parents with buggies December 8, 2014 Bus companies are not legally obliged to force parents with buggies to make room for wheelchair users, the court of appeal ruled today. In September, Leeds county court said transport operator First Bus' policy of "requesting but not requiring" non-disabled travellers to make room for wheelchair users breached the Equality Act 2010. It followed an [...]
David Cameron announces creation of London’s first digital skills hub in 2015 December 8, 2014 David Cameron has announced the creation of the UK's first digital skills hub, as part of a government drive to boost the take-up of maths, science and technology subjects. The National College for Digital Skills, opening in London next year, will equip students with the technological skills needed to "compete in the global economy". It aims [...]
Major investor backs Qatar’s bid for Canary Wharf owner Songbird Estates December 8, 2014 The Qatari sovereign wealth fund and its partner Brookfield's joint £2.6bn bid for Canary Wharf owner Songbird Estates has been provisionally accepted by Madison International Realty. Madison International Realty owns about 2.5 per cent of the company's stock and around 12 per cent of the free-floating shares. This, in addition to an earlier acceptance by [...]
ICAP merges its currency and bond trading platforms December 4, 2014 ICAP, the world's largest interdealer broker, has said it will combine its currency trading platform EBS and its bond trading platform BrokerTec. The group has been hit by lower market volatility levels and increased regulation since the 2008 financial crisis, scuppering the flow of business from its banking clients in recent times. It now wants to [...]
