Helen Fowler
BHP turns hostile with £25bn Potash bid
Helen Fowler
Aug 18th 2010
Filed under: Company
BHP Billiton has launched what could be this year's largest takeover, with its hostile bid for PotashCorp. But BHP has incurred the wrath of the Potash board. Without its support, what are the Anglo-Australian miner's chances of success?
How benefit reform will cost us billions
Helen Fowler
Aug 17th 2010
Filed under: Economy, Job Focus, News , Taxes, Public Services, Election 2010
Getting people off benefits and back to work will cost the rest of us. Not just the odd million here and there. Enough to fund a small war.The Treasury is so annoyed at the cost involved it has issued an ultimatum to Iain Duncan Smith (right), saying he must recoup the money, according to the Financial Times. A case of red boxes at dawn?
Rise in cost of living busts limit
Helen Fowler
Aug 17th 2010
Filed under: Economy, News , Energy, Retail, Leisure & hospitality
Life in Britain got more expensive last month. More expensive than it should have done. Growth in the cost of living broke official limits again, as we forked out more for the essentials of ordinary living. Overleaf we tell you which items rose the most. And why.
School leavers struggle for work
Helen Fowler
Aug 16th 2010
Filed under: Debt, Economy, Job Focus, News , Taxes, Public Services
Youth unemployment is running at its highest levels since the early 1990s. Over the past three years unemployment among the UK's 18-24 year olds has climbed by five percentage points to 17.5%. Amid a shortage of work, growing numbers of school leavers are applying directly to companies for jobs. Fears of student debt, lack of places and talk of graduate taxes are deterring them from university.
Fat lady powers clothing market growth
Helen Fowler
Aug 13th 2010
Filed under: News , Retail, Leisure & hospitality
It's not only our waistlines that are getting bigger. The UK market for plus-size clothing is expanding along with our widening girths. Outsized clothing is doing well from our rising obesity. In the last five years the clothing market for women sized 18 or above has grown by almost half as much again to reach £3.8bn, according to Mintel.
Fewer UK firms go bankrupt
Helen Fowler
Aug 13th 2010
Filed under: Debt, Economy, Personal Finance, Financial Crisis, Loans
Fewer British firms are going out of business, appearing to confirm that recovery is underway. The number of companies going bust has fallen by nearly a fifth from last year, according to official government data. Numbers of individuals going bust are also falling. From April to June, people seeking bankruptcy dropped by a fifth, shrinking to just over 13,000.
Glorious 12th leaves farmers skint
Helen Fowler
Aug 12th 2010
Filed under: Job Focus, News , Leisure & hospitality, Sport
Today is the 'Glorious Twelfth' - beginning of the grouse season. Landowners spend more than £76m managing the UK's grouse moors, according to the Moorland Association. But farmers make little money from the shooting parties that descend on the hills. Despite charging more than £20,000 for eight or nine 'guns' to shoot young birds, many struggle to break even on the season.
Diamonds: not a model's best friend?
Helen Fowler
Aug 10th 2010
Supermodel Naomi Campbell might not have been too impressed by her so-called 'blood' diamonds from Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia. But diamonds are becoming the budding dictator's investment of choice when it comes to financing rape, mutilation and genocide. Just don't expect your jeweller to mention that when you go shopping for an engagement ring.
Pick of the early market news
Helen Fowler
Aug 10th 2010
Filed under: Company, Markets, News , Energy, Leisure & hospitality
The boards of International Power and GDF-Suez have agreed to merge, creating one of the world's biggest independent power generators with estimated sales of £11.2bn. Talks between the companies fell apart this year as sparks flew over whether France's GDF-Suez would be willing to pay a cash sweetener to shareholders in International Power. Today the firms pulled the switch on their deal.
Pick of the early market news
Helen Fowler
Aug 9th 2010
Filed under: Company, News , Energy, Media, Leisure & hospitality
BP has so far spent more than $6bn responding to the Gulf of Mexico spill, the firm revealed. Oil has at last stopped flowing into the sea, more than three months after it started, thanks to the efforts of over 30,000 people.Pouring cement into the well has succeeded in capping the spill, the firm said. It expects the relief well it is drilling to be operational by next weekend.
