London mayor praises 'fantastic' Portas scheme - ITV
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "Driving growth and creating jobs through the rejuvenation of London's high streets is at the heart of my mayoralty and the Portas pilot initiative is a fantastic way to help us achieve this.
"Through our regeneration drive we have already started reversing the decay of our high streets that had been allowed set in through long-term underinvestment.
"So I'm looking forward to receiving some innovative ideas which will help lead the way in steering London out of recession and get these vital economic centres booming again."
Down draw with London in Christy Ring semi-final tie - BBC News
Down and London must replay their Christy Ring Cup semi-final tie in the English capital next weekend after the sides drew 1-21 each after extra-time.
Down led 0-12 to 1-8 at half-time, with Tony Dunne scoring the London goal.
Paul Braniff was sent-off five minutes into the second half and London scored seven unanswered points to lead by three. Conor Woods scored a late goal.
London's Colm Quinn was dismissed but Jonathan Maher made it 1-21 to 1-20, only for Michael Turley to equalise.
Braniff scored six points from frees in the first half while London's Martin Finn contributed four frees, before coming off injured.
Dunne replaced Finn and scored his side's goal just before the interval.
London looked to have taken control after the Mournemen were reduced to 14 men but Woods found the net from a free in added time to level the scores at 1-16 apiece.
Quinn was sent-off for a second yellow card offence, also in injury-time.
Turley landed three points in extra-time to nudge Down a point ahead but Maher's point appeared to have sealed victory for the visitors.
Turley knocked over a free from the final play of the match to earn Gerard Monan's side another chance to progress to the final.
Wicklow beat Meath by 3-17 to 2-12 in the day's other semi-final.
Christy Ring Cup semi-finals
Down 1-21 London 1-21
Wicklow 3-17 Meath 2-12
Nicky Rackard Cup semi-finals
Armagh 4-12 Roscommon 1-17
Donegal 0-07 Louth 3-19
Lory Meagher Cup semi-final
Warwickshire 1-16 Tyrone 2-15
Fermanagh 3-16 Leitrim 2-12
Lloyd's of London preparing for euro collapse - Daily Telegraph
A spokesman for Euler Hermes, Bettina Sattler, told Bloomberg: "The outcome of the new elections in June remains highly uncertain. Consequently, the situation is further deteriorating. The risk of Greece exiting the eurozone has been revived.
"In light of the recent developments, Euler Hermes will most probably have to switch to a more prudent approach. [We have] maintained a high level of cover for [our] customers until today. But now we are confronted with a changing situation."
Lloyd's fears are likely to be shared by a number of European businesses, which are watching developments in Greece.
On Saturday, Juergen Fitschen, co-chief executive of Deutsche Bank, described Greece as a "failed state" run by corrupt politicians.
"I'm quite worried about Europe," Mr Ward said in one of the first admissions by a major UK business leader of the scale of the crisis that would be prompted by a eurozone collapse.
"With all the concerns around the eurozone at the moment, we've got to be careful doing business in Europe and there are a lot of question marks over writing business in the future in euros.
"I don't think that if Greece exited the euro it would lead to the collapse of the eurozone, but what we need to do is prepare for that eventuality."
Mr Ward says Lloyd's had been working hard on contingency planning and had the capability to switch settlement of European underwriting from euros to other currencies.
"We've got multi-currency functionality and we would switch to multi-currency settlement if the Greeks abandoned the euro and started using the drachma again," he said.
Lloyd's has de-risked its asset portfolio in recent years, with investments split equally into cash, corporate bonds and government bonds, mostly in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. "We have de-risked the asset portfolio as much as possible," he said.
The contingency planning comes as German politicians piled the pressure on Greece ahead of elections on June 17.
A conservative member of German chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet said today Germany would not "pour money into a bottomless pit".
Hundreds of UK Uncut protesters target Nick Clegg’s London home as they accuse him of being an ‘architect of austerity’ - Daily Mail
By Helen Collis
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Hundreds of anti-cuts protesters held an 'alternative street party' in the road where Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg lives.
Up to 400 people gathered in a south west London street playing music, performing comedy and making speeches, in the event organised by campaign group UK Uncut.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said there were no reported arrests outside the property in Putney, which anti-austerity campaigners targeted because of government cuts.
Demonstrators from UK Uncut said they targeted Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, at his home in Putney, south west London, because he is an 'architect of austerity'
Jean Sandler, 42, a UK Uncut supporter said: 'Nick Clegg is one of the architects of austerity; he's a millionaire and lives in a million pound home.
'The cuts are a political choice of this government and the Cabinet of out-of-touch millionaires, they are not necessary.
'No one voted for Cameron and Clegg's disastrous plan that means that we end up paying for the banks' crisis.
'These cruel cuts are designed to destroy our public services, the NHS, the Welfare state and our future.
The campaign group are targeting high-profile individuals they blame for the coalition's spending cuts, as well as high street stores owned by Sir Philip Green, including Top Shop and Dorothy Perkins
Party vibe: Those joining the demonstrations include public sector workers, musicians and comedians
'Architect of austerity': UK Uncut are targeting high-profile individuals, including Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, pictured, they blame for the coalition's spending cuts
'The cuts are getting personal and so are our protests.'
The protest in London was part of a nationwide day of action, seeing anti-cuts street parties and road blocks take place in several UK cities.
Those joining the demonstrations include public sector workers, musicians and comedians.
They are targeting high-profile individuals they blame for the coalition's spending cuts, as well as high street stores owned by Sir Philip Green, including Top Shop and Dorothy Perkins.
Protesters have gathered at four meeting points in London, including one close to Parliament, and are holding a march through the centre of the city.
In Sheffield, about 40 activists also targeted Mr Clegg's local constituency office.
The campaigners criticise the Government's handling of the NHS and welfare system as well as the effect of its policies on women.
UK Uncut supporter Hannah Waters, in London, said: 'David Cameron has called on the country to celebrate the Jubilee with the 'mother of all our parties', while at the same time his government is cutting our welfare, our NHS, our rights, dismantling our future.
'Our street parties will bring the message home that these cuts are a political choice, a choice that is theirs, not ours, and we reject it.'
One protestor said the 'cruel cuts' were designed to 'destroy our public services, the NHS, the Welfare state and our future'
UK Uncut protestors are angry with the government for calling for the 'mother of all parties' for the Jubilee at the same time as cutting back on the NHS and welfare
In Sheffield, about 40 UK Uncut supporters gathered outside Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's constituency office.
There was a party atmosphere as the group put up tables and laid out cakes in the style of a 1940s street party outside the small office in the Fulwood area of the city.
One police officer and two police community support officers looked on as some demonstrators, including a man on stilts, danced while others enjoyed the cakes.
The protest in London was part of a nationwide day of action, seeing anti-cuts street parties and road blocks take place in several UK cities.
There was no sign of Mr Clegg or any Lib Dem workers.
The office is the party's HQ in the Deputy Prime Minister's Sheffield Hallam constituency.
One of the street party organisers, David Kirkham, said: 'We know that street parties are going to be quite the thing this summer, for one reason or another.
'We're here celebrating and partying for some great British institutions, namely, the welfare state, our NHS and the public sector life blood - things that were achieved by our ancestors in the post-war period.'
Mr Kirkham said the street party was evoking the 'spirit of 1948' when, he said, the great institutions of modern society were being built.
'Those things which were the greatest contribution to the UK, to civilised society are now being dismantled by politicians like Nick Clegg,' he said.
A spokesman for the deputy prime minister said: 'People have a right to peaceful protest.'
London Gets Gold for ID Fraud - Yahoo Finance
NOTTINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire -05/23/12)- London could be set for a rise in identity fraud this summer as new figures from Experian CreditExpert reveal that 7.7 million Britons from outside the capital are set to descend on some of the UK's worst areas for ID theft - while 1.9 million Londoners plan to escape.(1)
London, the boroughs around many of the Games venues in particular, is already home to the UK's worst ID fraud hotspots, with rates of attempted fraud up to 11 times higher than the national average. These include East Ham (11 times higher), Woolwich (6.5 times higher) and Stratford itself (six times higher).(2)
There will be a mass influx of people into these areas, carrying personal information in the forms of UK bank account details, and credit card details. This leaves individuals at a high risk of Identity Fraud with individuals, in unfamiliar surroundings, exercising less caution than they would normally adhere to in their normal surroundings. This presents a massive opportunity to fraudsters, with visitors likely to have passports and other pieces of personal identification about their person, be freely using smart phones and unsecured WiFi hotspots, and also potentially sharing hostels or rented accommodation with strangers all of which increase the risk of identity theft.
Visitors are therefore advised to keep a close eye on their personal information, and on their credit report following their visit for any signs of unusual activity. CreditExpert also provides alerts if your personal details appear anywhere unexpectedly online so it is easy to protect yourself pro-actively.
TOP FIVE RISKS TOP FIVE TIPS TO STAY SAFE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Passports Think about how much sensitive information you really need to have about your person - if your hotel booking has your card number and address, do you need to carry it around with you, for instance? Likewise, don't take your passport out with you unless you absolutely have to. If you are staying in a hotel for the Games, ask for sensitive documents to be securely stored in the hotel safe when you are not using them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PIN codes Make sure that no-one else can see you enter your PIN code at ATMs and chip and pin machines, particularly in large crowds. Do not write down or carry your PIN code with you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Smartphones If you have a smartphone, you'll certainly want to photograph and tweet your time at the Olympics, but be particularly careful what you share when connected to an unsecured wireless network. Also ensure you switch off Bluetooth and roaming settings when not required and ensure you use a password. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post If you're going to be one of the lucky ones visiting London for a few weeks to enjoy the Games, think about what you'll do with your post. Intercepted post is one of the key ways in which fraudsters can take people's detail, so it could be worth setting up a redirect for the duration of the Games. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Face-to-face Check the credentials of anyone asking for your personal information, whether by phone, face-to-face or over the internet. If in doubt, don't do it!
The Experian CreditExpert research reveals that no fewer than one in six Britons (16 per cent) is planning on visiting London during the Olympics, half as tourists and half to attend the Games themselves. Seventeen per cent of people coming to the capital have not been for more than a decade, with a further three per cent making their first ever trip to the city.
Nearly six out of 10 (59 per cent) will be staying for several days. Although one in four (25 per cent) will be staying in hotels and one in five (21 per cent) with friends, a significant minority (four per cent) will risk staying in a hostel and two per cent will be renting a property or someone's spare room - some 154,000 people.(3)
And although they are concerned about large crowds (23 per cent) and the expense of London (20 per cent), just three per cent are worried about identity fraud.
The risk of ID fraud among visitors is arguably heightened by the decision of many Londoners to quit the capital during the course of the Games. One in 14 (seven per cent) are looking to leave London for the duration of the Olympics, with a further one in six (17 per cent per cent) planning to get out of the city for at least some of the period.
But it's not just newcomers who need to be careful. The one in 20 Londoners taking on a lodger or renting out a room or their whole property need to be aware they are putting themselves at risk of ID fraud by inviting a stranger into their home and are advised to ensure personal details are locked away and post collected promptly.
Peter Turner, Managing Director at Experian Interactive, commented: "This is set to be a once in a lifetime summer. But that doesn't mean people should let their guard down - just because you are holidaying in the UK, you should still take the same precautions you would if you were on a city break to Europe.
"Identity fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes of the 21st century, and anyone could be at risk from fraudsters getting hold of their personal information, particularly if they are in an unfamiliar area, renting a flat short-term or a room in a B&B. Likewise if you are a homeowner letting a spare room just for the Olympics, do ensure all your personal details are kept safe from visitors."
"This is why it is so important to have proper safeguards in place to protect your identity. With Experian CreditExpert if the worst should happen you will be alerted to any significant changes to your credit report so that you can react quickly and keep the risks to a minimum."
Identity fraud hotspots
Top 10 10k households Top 10 in 10k households nationwide Cases London Cases ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slough 25 East Ham 78 London (all) 22 Woolwich 46 Gravesend 20 Stratford 43 Birmingham 17 Ilford 33 Luton 16 Walthamstow 27 Manchester 15 Harrow 27 Leicester 14 Cheapside 26 High Wycombe 13 Lewisham 26 Peterborough 13 Hatfield 26 Windsor 12 Enfield 26
To avoid becoming a victim of identity fraud this summer, Experian CreditExpert suggests some further tips:
1. Keep an eye on your credit report It's a history of all your credit accounts and will highlight any irregularities such as suspect applications for credit and rises in card balances. You can view your credit report free with a 30 day trial with Experian CreditExpert.(ii)((i)New customers only. Monthly fee after trial ends) 2. If in doubt, don't click If an email purporting to be from a hotel or linked to the Games seems suspicious, contact the relevant organisation and don't give out personal details. Your bank, credit card provider and any reputable business will never ask for confirmation of details by email. 3. If you do become a victim of fraud Don't forget you can sign up to Experian's CreditExpert whose dedicated victims of fraud team will work on your behalf to resolve the issue.
Notes to editors:
1. The UK adult population is 48,091,600 (ONS). Sixteen per cent of adults are set to come to London during the Olympics. Therefore: 0.16 x 48,091,600 = 7,694,656 or 7.7 million.
The population of Greater London is 7,753,000 (ONS) 24 per cent of Londoners are looking to leave the capital during some or all of the Games. Therefore: 0.24 x 7,753,000 = 1,860,720 or 1.9 million
2. Based on analysis of information from the National Hunter anti-fraud data sharing system and the Insurance Hunter database.
3. 0.02 x 7694656 = 153,893 or 154,000
Key benefits of Experian CreditExpert membership:
- Experian is the UK's most trusted credit reference agency
- Experian is the credit expert with more than 30 years of experience
- Free 30-day trial of CreditExpert(i)((i)New customers only. Monthly fee after trial ends)
- Unlimited access to your Experian Credit Score
- Weekly alerts of changes to your credit report
- Access to an award-winning, UK-based customer services team
- Identity Protection Insurance of up to GBP 75,000(ii) ((ii)terms and conditions apply)
- Expert advice and tools to help improve your credit rating
- Intelligent price matching to credit products suited to your credit history
- Consumers can apply directly from the website: www.creditexpert.co.uk
About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2012 was US$4.5 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 44 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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