Vladimir Putin to snub London 2012 Olympics - The Guardian
Vladimir Putin will not be coming to the London Olympics, diplomatic sources have said, in an apparent signal of the Russian president's continuing displeasure and irritation with Britain.
Putin will not attend the London 2012 opening ceremony on 27 July, sources confirmed, despite the fact that Moscow will host the Winter Olympics in 2014 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Instead, the Russian president is likely to dispatch his prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, to London.
The snub follows Putin's controversial decision earlier this month to boycott the G8 summit hosted by the US president, Barack Obama. Putin claimed he was too busy forming his new government to attend, and sent Medvedev instead. He has accused the US of inciting street protests against him and is unhappy with Washington's missile defence plans in Europe.
Putin has a long list of grievances against Britain. As well as the unresolved Alexander Litvinenko affair – a source of smouldering tension – the Kremlin has been infuriated by calls to ban senior Russians accused of human rights abuses.
In March, a group of backbench MPs voted to refuse visas to officials implicated in the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who died in prison in 2009. The Foreign Office has so far ignored the non-binding vote and ruled out a Magnitsky ban.
Putin was inaugurated for a third time as president on 7 May. Soon afterwards, he announced that one of Moscow's top foreign policy priorities was to prevent government and other officials from being placed on visa blacklists abroad. Campaigners say visa bans are one of the few effective measures against bureaucrats who enjoy visiting London and other EU capitals and typically hold bank accounts in the west.
On Wednesday, Denis MacShane, the former Labour Europe minister, said he welcomed Putin's decision to avoid the Games. Earlier this year, the MP said Downing Street should make it clear Putin was not welcome at the Olympics.
The threat of Magnitsky sanctions has received "phenomenal coverage" in the Russian press, he said, probably contributing to the decision to stay away. "I think Putin doesn't want to come to Britain and face difficult questions," he said.
He went on: "This is further evidence of the turning inwards of Putin towards a more nationalistic authoritarianism and a rejection of western values. He doesn't want to come to a democratic country and realise how unpopular he now is, because of his refusal to uphold the rule of law and justice back in Russia."
Putin attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games in August 2008. At the time Putin was prime minister, having installed his protege Medvedev as president. The ceremony was dramatically overshadowed by events in Georgia, which came under Russian air and artillery bombardment after Georgian troops briefly seized back the rebel province of South Ossetia. Putin and Bush were seen having a heated conversation about who was to blame for the unfolding war.
Since David Cameron's coalition government took over in 2010 there has been a modest improvement in bilateral relations, with foreign secretary William Hague – who was in Moscow on Monday – keen to promote bilateral trade. But Putin remains incensed about Britain's refusal to extradite leading Kremlin critics based in London, including the fugitive oligarch Boris Berezovsky and the Chechen separatist leader Akhmed Zakayev.
There are also major differences on international affairs, with the west exasperated by Moscow's stalwart support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and its spoiling role at the UN security council. Russia, for its part, sees US and UK support for Syria's rebels as part of a western-engineered plot to force regime change in Damascus.
Since returning to the Kremlin this month, Putin has kept a surprisingly low profile. There have been none of the stunts or photo opportunities that characterised his election campaign. Kremlin minders are apparently keen to avoid spontaneous – and potentially risky – encounters with ordinary Russians. Street protests in Moscow that began last December continue, with anti-Kremlin activists organising an Occupy-style camp and holding spontaneous mass walks.
Some 120 heads of state have said they will attend the London 2012 opening ceremony. It will be the largest top-level international gathering in diplomatic history, the Foreign Office believes.
The number far exceeds the 87 leaders who travelled to Beijing in 2008. Several controversial leaders on an EU blacklist will also not be coming: they include Assad, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, and Belarus's Alexander Lukashenko.
But other authoritarian rulers not on the list are likely to travel to London. They include Uzbekistan's despotic leader, Islam Karimov, and his counterpart from Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Both visited the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
London Walk for Muscular Dystrophy - Market Wire
LONDON, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 30, 2012) - On Saturday, June 16th London will be moving its muscles to make an impact in the fight against muscular dystrophy. The community will be joining together for the annual London Walk for Muscular Dystrophy to support over 50,000 children, teens and adults who are affected by neuromuscular disorders in Canada.
Leading the London event will be this year's Walk Ambassadors, the Fritz family, who know first hand how important this community event is to families affected by muscular dystrophy. "As a family, we enjoy showing our support for each other and our friends. We enjoy the community involvement, meeting other families who understand our journey, fears and concerns," says Diane Fritz, whose son Bryce was diagnosed with CMT-X at the age of six.
Muscular dystrophy refers to a group of progressive muscle disorders that weaken the muscles that control body movement. These disorders can have devastating effects, resulting in the loss of most abilities we take for granted. Over time, many people with neuromuscular disorders are unable to walk, speak or ultimately breathe. For some, the disorder is fatal.
The Walk for Muscular Dystrophy is "an opportunity for the community to come together and support those affected by neuromuscular disorders at the local level." describes Stacey Lintern, Muscular Dystrophy Canada Ontario Executive Director. The Walk is a fun-filled, fully accessible event the entire family can enjoy, regardless of fitness level. The event will include activities for kids, food and refreshments, and a prize raffle.
Proceeds from the event support various programs including funding equipment and support services for individuals and families faced with financial hardships, information and advocacy initiatives that highlight the needs of those living with neuromuscular disorders, and fund research to one day find a cure. All of Muscular Dystrophy Canada's programs are made possible by donations. The organization receives less than one percent in government funding.
Festivities will be taking place on Saturday, June 16th at Gibbons Park in London. Participant registration begins at 10:00am and the walk, wheel and roll begins at 11:00am.
To take part in the London Walk for Muscular Dystrophy or for more information, please visit www.muscle.ca/walk.
Foxtons Sale Fuels Hunt’s Move Into London Luxury Office Suites - Bloomberg
Founder of Real-Estate Broker Foxtons Ltd. Jon Hunt
Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
Founder of real-estate broker Foxtons Ltd. Jon Hunt poses for a photograph at his Dryland Business Associates offices in London.
Founder of real-estate broker Foxtons Ltd. Jon Hunt poses for a photograph at his Dryland Business Associates offices in London. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
Jon Hunt, who made 375 million pounds ($582 million) selling London real-estate broker Foxtons Ltd., is using some of his wealth to create a chain of luxury office- properties across the city.
Hunt, 58, will start marketing the first Dryland Business Members’ Club on west London’s Kensington High Street next month, providing flexible workspace to entrepreneurs who don’t want to commit to an office lease. The club offers clients high- speed Wi-Fi, round-the-clock access and a chauffeured Maserati.
The venture “suits everything that I like,” Hunt said in an interview at the club’s first-floor coffee lounge near an open-plan floor of cubicles that members will lease. “It’s property, the deal, it’s buying it right and extracting value.”
Hunt’s sale of Foxtons to private-equity firm BC Partners Ltd. in May 2007, four months before the U.K. housing market’s peak, cemented his reputation as a deal maker. Since then, he has avoided the limelight, investing “several hundred million pounds” in development sites and residential and commercial properties, mostly in the London region.
He declined to comment on the Sunday Times’ estimate in April that his assets are worth 882 million pounds, ranking him in the top 100 wealthiest U.K. residents.
Dryland seeks to combine prime office and business-lounge facilities with a luxury hotel-style service, he said. The first club has a cafe, library and terrace as well as a conference center and meeting rooms.
Cloud Computing
Flexible-workspace providers are increasingly targeting niche customers as more entrepreneurs use mobile devices and cloud computing to run their businesses. Regus Plc, the world’s largest provider of serviced offices, formed a chain of women- only business clubs in Bristol, Manchester and London called B.Hive with public relations entrepreneur Lynne Franks.
Regus (RGU), based in Luxembourg, has also developed virtual office software and plans to offer its services in transit locations like gas stations and airports. Regus generated 1.16 billion pounds of revenue last year from its centers in 95 countries.
Dryland offers three types of membership. The cheapest monthly rate is 139 pounds for access to the club’s lounges, increasing to 1,299 pounds for private office suites. The fees exclude sales tax and Hunt said his aim is to avoid angering customers with hidden additional charges.
‘Instant Network’
“At first I thought it was a push for me,” said Billie Booth, a freelance personal assistant who rents a cubicle for her work station under the mid-range membership rate of 799 pounds a month before tax. “By working here on a daily basis, I’ve met hundreds of people and have an instant network.”
Hunt set up his first serviced offices at a former bank branch in the Battersea district after the local authority rejected his plan to turn the upper floors into apartments.
“It was a total accident,” he said, when asked how his Dryland venture started.
The club in Kensington will probably reach full membership within two years, lifting the net annual rental income to about 4 million pounds, Hunt said. That’s more than double what the building would generate leased as regular offices, he said.
Dryland’s next center will be near the Chancery Lane subway station in the Holborn district of central London. The building, close to the city’s main law courts, will have 100,000 square feet of space that will probably be used mostly by lawyers and accountants.
Hunt said he is also looking at opening a site in Shoreditch, near the City of London financial district, which has become a hub for media and technology start-ups.
Classic Cars
Hunt, who has a classic-car collection, has invested mostly in real estate, he said. He owns rental properties and bought plots of land in a bet the sites will appreciate when planning approval or consent for a change of use is obtained. His separate Bacchus venture works with local partners to buy low- quality properties and upgrade them.
Hunt owns Heveningham Hall, an estate in eastern England, and a house on London’s Kensington Palace Gardens, the city’s most expensive street.
Not all his ventures have been a success. An attempt to sell homes in the U.S. at discounted 3 percent commissions ended with Foxtons Inc. closing its operations after the housing market slumped. He shut down the New Jersey-based business in August 2008.
Hunt predicts the U.K. housing market will struggle until 2014 because the scarcity of mortgage finance will keep first- time-buyers on the sidelines.
“The market is unhealthy unless first-time-buyers are back in the market,” he said. “We have two years more of downward- moving finance before we hit the floor. Lending is going to get tougher and tougher.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Simon Packard in London at packard@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Blackman at ablackman@bloomberg.net.
Food and drinks at the 2012 London Olympics won't be cheap - Examiner
If the price of airfare, hotel and tickets doesn't break your budget for the 2012 London Olympics, the cost of food and drink just might push you over the edge.
The average cost for a family of four to eat at an Olympic venue will be $61. The price of a bottle of water is reasonable at $2.50, but a hot dog will set you back $9.00. A meal of fish and chips and a Coke will run $16. A chicken burrito will sell for $10.
And if you planned on packing your own food, you’re out of luck. According to the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), “picnics are not allowed inside London 2012 venues," but they will let you through with small amounts of food to “snack on."
Bringing your own drinks is also out of the question. LOCOG states that only empty clear plastic water bottles will be allowed, although free drinking water from fountains will be available for refills.
LOCOG will feed more than 15,000 athletes across the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, with a total of 1.2 million meals set to be served including 1,300 different types of dishes.
“We want everyone who attends the Games this summer to have a fantastic experience and central to this is the food and drink that’s available,” said LOCOG Chief Executive, Paul Deighton. "We believe that our prices are more than comparable to those found at other major sporting events which because of their temporary nature are often more expensive than the high street.”
The London Olympics will offer the largest peace-time catering operation in the world, serving over 14 million meals across 40 locations. More than 800 concession stands featuring more than 150 different types of dishes will provide a mixture of British food and multicultural dishes including curries, seafood, noodles and salads.
And if you just can't get enough McDonald's, there will be four to choose from including one inside the Athlete's Village and two inside the Olympic Park.
Products from Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Cadbury, Nature Valley and Heineken will be the only commercially branded items at the London Olympics.
Jaguar purrs into top spot as its customers are rated most satisfied with their cars - Daily Mail
By Ray Massey
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Jaguar has leapt for the first time to the top of a major customer satisfaction league table.
Britain’s big cat roared ahead of Japan’s luxury car-maker Lexus - which has held the top spot for eleven years - with experts citing it as proof that UK cars were now matching the best in the world on quality, style and desirability.
But Vauxhall - this month celebrating the survival and expansion of its Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire - scored badly with its ageing Vectra model finishing last in the individual car section.
British manufacturer Jaguar has topped the customer satisfaction table for the first time
Jaguar beat long-time winners Lexus into second place, followed by Volkswagen-owned Skoda, Japan’s Honda and Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW in the survey by What Car? magazine and customer satisfaction experts JD Power.
It crowns a remarkable week of good news for the UK manufacturer as booming Jaguar Land Rover this week announced record profits of 1.5billion at a time of unprecedented expansion and investment. Prime Minister David Cameron and senior cabinet ministers use the Jaguar XJ as their official cars.
What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said: ‘This is a great accolade for everyone at Jaguar. This study shows that customers are really satisfied with their Jaguars, a hugely important feat for any car maker.’
Jaguar customers praised the ‘top-notch workmanship’ and their dealerships for their clean and comfortable waiting areas, helpful staff, but criticised the significant rise in labour rates for servicing and repairs.
What Car? said: ‘Jaguar’s hard work in knocking Lexus off the top spot is even more impressive considering one of Jaguar’s featured cars, the X-Type, isn’t even made any more.'
But with a new F-Type roadster sport car and an XF Sportbrake estate in the pipeline it said ‘the future for Jaguar looks bright.’
Luxury car brand Lexus, which has long topped the satisfaction tables, has been pipped into second place this year
Jaguar sold 13,787 of its XJ, limousines, XF saloons, and XK sports cars in the UK last year but builds around 50,000 - the majority of which are exported.
Jaguar’s global brand director Adrian Hallmark praised the efforts of the 2,000-strong British workforce at the firm’s Castle Bromwich factory in Birmingham adding: ‘This award has huge significance beyond the UK. Jaguar has created cars that are world class in their quality, design and engineering - it’s a huge accomplishment and a tremendous honour to achieve the Number One spot.’
Kia’s stylish Sportage 4X4 topped the league table for the most satisfying car to own - just pipping Jaguar’s XF saloon which took second place ahead of the Toyota Prius, Skoda Superb and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
KIA's Sportage 4x4 was voted the most satisfying vehicle to own
Owners praised the Sportage’s good looks, value for money, seven year warranty and many extras as standard. What Car? noted: 'The Sportage was the only car in the survey to score five stars across all categories, from mechanical reliability to ownership costs and the dealer experience.’
Worst performing car for satisfaction is the now discontinued Vauxhall Vectra - once famously lambasted by BBC Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson - which ceased production four years ago to be replaced by the Insignia.
What Car? noted: ‘As a manufacturer, Vauxhall climbed off the bottom of the pile this year, but the company won’t be celebrating anytime soon because its Vectra took the wooden spoon in the individual category.
‘The car suffered problems in almost every area. Owners complained about its looks, driving dynamics, and air-conditioning (the biggest single cause of complaints). Vauxhall customer service didn’t sweeten the pill either; many owners were disgruntled about the costs to run and fix the Vectra.’
It noted:’In Vauxhall’s defence, the Vectra is no longer on sale.’ However it added: ‘Its Insignia replacement didn’t cover itself in glory, scoring well below average. In 95th place, but at least it ranked 23 places higher than the Vectra.’
The now-discontinued Vauxhall Vectra, lambasted by Jeremy Clarkson, was also panned by the survey
Worst performing manufacturer with a ‘shocking’ result is budget brand Chevrolet, Vauxhall’s sibling in the giant General Motors’ stable. Vauxhall is languishing close behind in second from bottom place -just ahead of Italy’s Fiat, Japan’s Suzuki and France’s Renault.
What Car? said this was down to the poor performance of the ageing Matiz and that more recently launched models such as the Spark and Cruze were too new to be included.
The satisfaction survey results are based on Based on 18,000 online interviews of owners covering an evaluation of 66 car ownership attributes grouped into four main sections: vehicle appeal including performance, design, comfort, features (37 per cent of the marks); quality and reliability (24 per cent); ownership costs including fuel consumption, insurance and cost of service and repair (22 per cent); and dealer service (17 per cent).
Among the different categories of vehicle, Toyota’s iQ is the best city car, Honda Jazz is best supermini, Skoda Octavia is best small family car, Toyota Prius the best family car, Lexus IS is best compact executive, Jaguar XF is the best executive car, Volkswagen Scirocco is the best sports and cabrio car, Mercedes B-Class is the best multi-purpose vehicle, Kia Sportage is the best compact sports-utility vehicle (SUV), and the Lexus RX is the best large SUV.
London 2012: 'Boris Bike' staff to ballot for strike - BBC News
Staff at the bicycle hire scheme in London are to be balloted for a strike over pay and working conditions.
The RMT union said its members were concerned about changes to shift patterns and a lack of financial reward for the increased Olympics workload.
General secretary Bob Crow said staff were facing a "bullying management" who were imposing "outrageous changes" to service conditions with no extra pay.
Serco, who operate the scheme, said it had consulted staff on the changes.
It comes as London Underground staff struck a deal over Olympics pay.
Mr Crow said: "The London Cycle Hire Scheme is much more than a vanity project and a publicity stunt for the London Mayor. It is now a valuable part of our transport system and the staff should be valued as such."
'Not recognised'Serco, who operate the scheme - often nicknamed "Boris Bikes" - said it had sought to maintain a "productive and mutually respectful relationship" with staff.
In a statement the company said: "We have an existing voluntary recognition agreement with the Community Trade Union and we are holding a meeting on 12 June to discuss working arrangements for the Olympics.
"Serco has been in consultation with our staff with regard to changes to working conditions and workload and shift patterns have been changed as a result."
The statement added all proposed future changes would be subject to consultation and the RMT was not a recognised union at the hire scheme as they withdrew their application to be recognised on this contract on 24 May.
A spokesman for Transport for London said as the service was contracted it out, it could not comment.
London 2012 Olympics: small bottle of beer at Games will cost £4.20 as organisers reveal food and drink prices - Daily Telegraph
"We have gone to great lengths to find top quality, tasty food that celebrates the best of Britain. We believe that our prices are more than comparable to those found at other major sporting events which because of their temporary nature are often more expensive than the high street.
"We are proud that the catering and industry has been quick to adopt the standards of our Food Vision, leaving a stronger and sustainable industry as a legacy of the Games."
- Fancy a drink? Maybe not at these prices...
Bottled water – £1.60
Fairtrade Tea from £2.00
Fairtrade Coffee from £2.60
500ml bottle of Coca Cola – £2.30
330ml bottle of Heineken – £4.20
London 2012 red wine 18.7cl – £4.80
There will be over 800 spectator concessions, featuring more than 150 different dishes that aim to "showcase the diversity and quality of British food".
Visitors to the Olympic Park will be able to purchase a wide range of foods but the only branded products are Olympic sponsors: the worlds largest McDonald's restaurant, Coca Cola, Cadbury, Nature Valley and Heineken.
Organisers says over 14 million meals will be served during the Games, across 40 locations. They claim this is the largest peace time catering operation in the world.
Well over a million meals will be served to athletes, with 1,300 different types of dishes on the menu. Organisers believe that on the busiest day of the Games over 65,000 meals will be served to athletes.
- What's on the menu?
- Porridge and maple syrup, made with UK oats and milk – £2.20
Toasted tea cakes, with Yorkshire butter – £2.10
Carrot and cucumber sticks with red pesto hummus – £2.50
6 Jerk Red Tractor assured chicken wings – £3.50
Red Leicester British cheese with British apple chutney and Farm assured lettuce on Oxfordshire bread – £3.80
Jacket potato with Dingley Dell bacon and Freedom Foods chicken in a herb mayonnaise, served with roquete and watercress salad – £5.80
Pole and line caught tuna and sweet potato British salad – £5.90
Freshly carved Dingley Dell hog roasted Red Tractor pork, served in Oxfordshire cross hatched bread roll with mixed leaf salad and assorted accompaniments – £6.50
Grilled Red Tractor chicken burrito – £6.50
Penne pasta Red Tractor chicken and mushroom white sauce – £6.50
Thin crust stone baked 10” pizza with spicy pepperoni, spicy beef, basil and oregano – £7.50
Farm assured Scotch Beef with Long Clawson Stilton Pie, Irish mashed potato with Red Tractor Cream and British butter and onion gravy – £8.00
Cod and chips – from £8
Singapore noodle, stir fried egg noodle, chicken, prawns, char sui Pork, chilli and shredded peppers in a hoi sin dressing – £8.50
Lamb Rogan Josh served with Pilaf or Saffron rice – £8.50
GM's Vauxhall announces new Astra at UK plant - Yahoo Finance
LONDON (AP) -- General Motors' Vauxhall plant in northern England will build the company's top-selling Astra vehicles, the automaker said Thursday — a relief for U.K. politicians who had lobbied its American owner to keep the plant open.
The announcement comes after workers at the Ellesmere Port plant, near Liverpool, overwhelmingly backed a job deal which turned the factory into a 24-hour-a-day operation, a key cost-cutting measure pursued by parent company GM Europe.
GM Europe lost $700 million in 2011 and has been struggling to turn around its Opel and Vauxhall brands. It had been feared the company would close the Ellesmere Port facility in favor of consolidating production elsewhere — such as its headquarters in Ruesselsheim in Germany or Gliwice in Poland.
In a separate announcement, Opel said that the Ruesselsheim plant would switch to producing other models.
GM's announcement — which comes with a 125 million pound (nearly $200 million) investment and 700 extra jobs — is a break for leaders such as British Business Secretary Vince Cable, who fought to keep the British plant open.
Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking from the northern city of Manchester, called the decision "a fantastic vote of confidence."
"The U.K. government gave this its full backing. The unions supported the necessary changes. The workforce has responded magnificently. It is a British success story," he said.
Cable, who at one point traveled to the U.S. to plead the plant's case, told BBC television that no financial inducements were offered to General Motors Corp. to keep the U.K. facility open, saying the move underlined that Britain is "a good business environment for the motor industry."
Production of the new car is due to begin in 2015, with at least 160,000 vehicles scheduled to be produced every year.
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