Banking giant HSBC announced on Monday a 15.5-percent rise in annual net profit to US$16.2 billion (11.8 billion euros).

The company's performance in 2013 compared with profit after tax of $14.03 billion in 2012.

That was when HSBC had been hit by high fines and other one-off provisions, the British bank said in an earnings statement.

Published: 24 February 2014

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Three former employees of banking giant Barclays have been charged in connection with the Libor interest rate-rigging scandal, Britain's Serious Fraud Office said in a statement on Monday.

Published: 17 February 2014

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16% admit their cars are insured in a parent's name and 3.5% are driving without arranging any cover at all

Nearly 20% of the UK's 17 to 19 year old drivers are flouting the law by committing insurance fraud or driving without an insurance policy.

New research commissioned by comparison website Gocompare.com has revealed that 16% of 17 to 19 year old drivers have their cars insured in a parent's name because they could not afford to insure the car themselves. The practice, known in the industry as ‘fronting', is fraudulent, invalidates a policy and could land in court those who knowingly try to fool insurers into charging lower premiums.

A further 3.5% of the UK's youngest drivers admit to driving without any insurance at all. Driving a car on a road or in a public place without at least third party insurance is illegal. The consequences of driving without insurance include a fixed penalty of £300, six penalty points and the risk of having the car seized and destroyed. If the case goes to court the driver could receive a fine of up to £5,000 and be disqualified from driving.

• 24% of 17 to 19 year old drivers struggle to afford to run their car

• 30% get financial help from parents

• Average annual running costs are estimated to be £1,753.34, or 22% of income

• 16% estimate they pay over £3,000 a year keeping their car on the road

• 16% are ‘fronting' their car insurance

• 3.5% are driving uninsured

• 20% were sure they'd be covered for driving someone else's car by the vehicle owner's policy

Nearly a quarter (24%) of 17 to 19 year olds said that they often struggle to afford to keep their cars on the road with 30% saying their parents help out with the costs. They estimate that it costs them an average of £1,753.34 a year in running costs which constitutes approximately 22% of their income. And 16% of 17 to 19 year olds estimated that it cost them over £3,000 per year, or more than £250 per month, to run their cars.

In the survey, 33% of 17 to 19 year old drivers said that they do not own their own car but instead use their friends', parents', or other relatives' cars when necessary. However, just 20% of drivers in the same age group were sure they would be covered in the event of having an accident whilst driving someone else's car.

Published: 03 February 2014

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City of London, Hillingdon, London Bridge & Westminster have been selected from more than 1,000 entrants from across the UK to take part in the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Britain in Bloom UK Finals 2014, as the campaign celebrates its 50^th anniversary.

The finalists from London were nominated following the regional stage of judging in 2013.  The shortlisted groups were chosen for their efforts to engage all members of the community, for demonstrating an exceptional commitment to helping the environment and for horticultural achievement.

In July / August, the finalists will be visited by two RHS judges who will meet community representatives and go on a tour of local projects. As well as the usual bedding displays, judges will inspect everything from local recycling initiatives to areas of natural habitat and conservation. They will also be looking at the management of street furniture and public parks, and will be assessing how well the group is responding to climate change and local challenges.  Special awards will be presented to finalists demonstrating excellence in specific areas such as planting for pollinators and community involvement.

Each group is going for Gold in the hope of being crowned winner of their individual categories.   Three out of the four nominated regions, Hillingdon, London Bridge and the City of London will be looking to build on their achievements from last year’s national finals.    Results will be announced at an awards ceremony in Bristol this October and will be attended by representatives of all 72 finalists.

Published: 30 January 2014

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Andrews Estate Agents is delighted to confirm the appointment of Jeff Bathija as Area Manager for London.

The appointment highlights the company’s continued commitment to growing its presence in London, where it already has six branches in Kingsbury, Battersea, Southfields, Putney, Balham and Streatham.

Jeff who lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb has been working for Andrews as Branch Manager in the Kingsbury branch for the past four years and in his new role he will be managing the company’s London branch managers from the Battersea office.

On his appointment, Jeff says: “I am, of course, delighted to be appointed to the role of Area Manager for London and I am keen to see our presence in London continue to grow.  In particular, I have been tasked with the responsibility of growing the Andrews network in the London area, which is a very exciting prospect.

Published: 13 January 2014

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Engine maker Rolls-Royce said on Monday that Britain's Serious Fraud Office had launched a formal investigation into alleged bribery linked to the group's overseas operations.

It comes one year after the British company warned that it might be prosecuted over alleged "malpractice" in Indonesia and China after passing on information related to bribery concerns to the office.

Published: 23 December 2013

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A British Airways airplane carrying 202 people struck an office building at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport with its wing while taxiing for take-off Sunday, injuring four, aviation authorities said.

The Boeing 747-400 en route for London Heathrow Airport took a taxiway that was too narrow for it, said South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokeswoman Phindiwe Gwebu on Monday.

"This resulted in the aircraft's right-hand wing impacting the office building," she told AFP.

The control tower "told them to take one taxiway and they took another one. They took a wrong one," said Gwebu.

Four people inside the building were injured, but the 185 passengers and 17 crew on board were unharmed during the late-night accident, according to the CAA.

No further information on the injured was immediately available.

An airport spokeswoman confirmed the incident.

Published: 23 December 2013

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The leader of Germany's Jewish community on Thursday slammed a decision by authorities to return hundreds of paintings to a recluse accused of hoarding priceless artworks believed stolen by the Nazis.

The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Dieter Graumann, said the aim by prosecutors to give back some 300 works as early as next week was an irresponsible choice.

"After the whole thing was handled over 18 months nearly conspiratorially, the hasty reaction for a general return is certainly also the wrong one," he told the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, stressing that the case had a "moral and historical dimension".

The chief prosecutor in the southern city of Augsburg, who is investigating 80-year-old Cornelius Gurlitt on charges including tax evasion, acknowledged Tuesday that many of the hundreds of works confiscated from his home in February 2012 clearly belonged to him outright.

Published: 21 November 2013

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International Food Photography Day is to take place on Thursday 14 November 2013 - a day to celebrate food photography in all its tasty and delicious glory.

This is a day to embrace and champion an art form that has become such a big part of our lives. Everyone is encouraged to have lunch with a friend, colleague or family member and take a photo.

All images posted on Twitter with the hashtag #FoodPhoto13 on 14 November will be automatically entered into a draw to win exciting photography-related prizes, including Photo Plus X5 software from Serif to edit, enhance and organise images, as well as a website hosting package from Zenfolio.

Anyone who registers for Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2014 on 14 November is in with a chance to win dinner for two at an exclusive London restaurant.

Published: 03 October 2013

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Growth in the Group of 20 emerging and advanced economies accelerated in the second quarter of this year to 0.9 percent from 0.6 percent in the previous three month period, the OECD said Thursday.

Most G20 members saw growth pick up momentum in April through May, with Turkey posting the highest quarter-on-quarter expansion of 2.1 percent, said the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

China followed with a marginal increase to 1.7 percent growth, followed by fellow emerging market nation Brazil at 1.5 percent.

Published: 12 September 2013

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