Standard Life Investments has branded HSBC

The bank suffered a rebellion by 22.6% of investors over its pay policy yesterday, an embarrassment for a company whose chairman Stephen Green was an early, vocal advocate of salary reform in financial services.

HSBC said yesterday that many shareholders chose to abstain as they waited for non-executive director John Thornton, who is to become chairman of its remuneration committee, to lead a review of its pay practices this summer.

Guy Jubb, head of corporate governance at Standard Life Investments (SLI) told HSBC’s annual meeting in London it would oppose HSBC’s pay report for the third year running.

He said: “Despite our clear communication of our concerns, the bank has not been a listening one.”

Jubb alluded to a reported attempt by the bank to increase chief executive Michael Geoghegan’s £1.1 million basic salary by a third, which foundered after investor opposition. Geoghegan gave his £4m bonus for 2009 to charity.

He said emerging markets are increasingly driving economic growth and globalisation is “here to stay”. “Our policy makers must remain pragmatic and we must avoid protectionism,” he said. Green said HSBC would engage with a Government commission set up to look at breaking up banks into their retail and investment banking arms.

Green, whose company contains both type of business, said: “We will be making a strong case that HSBC’s business model not only works in a sustainable way but also plays a vital role in helping businesses realise their full potential.” He reiterated his call for policymakers to be given tools so they can “dilute or takeaway the dog bowl” if credit flows head too much into one area. Green said HSBC, which is quoted on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges, would pursue a Shanghai listing when the authorities are ready.

Briton spends an average of 14 hours and 39 minutes sitting down every day

Once home they will sit down again to use a laptop or home computer for another two hours and 25 minutes.

The statistics also showed the average person exercises just twice a week for 25 minutes a time, way below the Government guideline of 30 minutes every day.

Commenting on the findings, Zoe Hellman, Company Dietician for Weight Watchers UK Ltd, which conducted the poll of 3,000 people in conjunction with the launch of its get active campaign, said: "In a recession we have to work harder and for longer hours to make ends meet.

"So we therefore have less time and money to spend on exercise - but to spend over half our day sitting down is a health bomb waiting to happen.

"Incredibly, the average person only does 50 minutes of exercise each week - that's just a quarter of what is recommended for a healthy lifestyle.

"We know that it can seem difficult to find the time to exercise, but there are ways to introduce it into even the busiest lifestyles.

"Walking up the stairs instead of taking the lift, parking further from the shops, walking for 30 minutes at lunchtime instead of sitting at the desk are all free and easy ways of keeping fit."

The research also shows the average Brit spends an hour and 41 minutes driving car each day and another 52 minutes on public transport.

Meal times mean people sit down for a further 33 minutes, while 54 minutes are dedicated to playing computer games.

Finally, before settling down to sleep at night, most people spend an hour and 10 minutes reading books or mags.

More than half of people admitted while they should exercise more, it is difficult to find the time.

And 52 per cent of people admitted on most days the only exercise they get is the short stroll between their house and car and back.

Four in ten people claim their long working hours are to blame for their lack of exercise, while the same percentage also say they don't have the energy to squeeze anything else into the day.

A third of lazy people simply can't be bothered to exercise more, while a quarter blame the quantity of housework they have to get through.

A fifth of parents say the children take up too much of their time, and over half of us are simply too exhausted by the end of the day to do any exercise.

Finally, whilst 12 per cent reckon they are happy the way they are, more than one in ten of us say the last thing we want to do is to exercise after a long commute.

Zoe Hellman added: "Half an hour's exercise each evening would actually help workers to wind down and de-stress, and could even induce a good night's sleep afterwards.

"Mostly, this lack of exercise and movement is down to habit. People become so used to relaxing in front of the TV at the end of a busy day they choose that over a short jog or gym session.

"But exercise also has an important role in helping people to lose weight and for keeping your weight in check, in addition to the long term health benefits of being active."

The poll also shows 37 per cent of people reckon they would exercise more if they worked shorter hours, and one in 10 would make more of an effort if they lived closer to the gym.

Astonishingly, 20 per cent of those polled say they aren't fit enough to exercise - and 17 per cent feel too fat.

When people do summon up enough energy to do a bit of moderate exercise, the top three choices are walking (43 per cent), jogging (20 per cent) and going to the gym (16 per cent).

Swimming and cycling are also favoured activities for one in five Brits.

And when it comes to keeping fit - men are more likely to exercise to get fit and maintain good health, whereas women are most concerned about losing weight

Derry's Richmond Shopping Centre has been sold for up to £24m

The Richmond Centre was initially put on the market at £26m and this is the first sale of a major shopping centre in Northern Ireland for several years.
Based in the centre of the city, the Richmond Centre was bought by the property asset division of the Royal Bank of Scotland, West Register.
It was formerly part of WG Mitchell property empire owned by Derry brothers Patrick and Hugh Hegarty that went into administration last April.
After RBS called in loans in 2009, 28 of the 75 subsidiaries of WG Mitchell collapsed and went into administration. The Hegartys’ business empire, which started in the 1960s, ran into trouble after they began investing in the hotel market in Scotland and England in the 1990s and were caught out by the banking crash.
The Shipquay Street multi-level complex was built in the 1980s and has nearly 40 units let to a mix of national and local retailers.
As a result more than £85m of hotels were put up for sale by the administrator Ernst and Young, among them the Park Inn, London, and the Park Inn at St Helens. A further eight hotels worth £40m including the Park Inn in Glasgow and the Park Inn in Sheffield have also been put on the market.

Retail sales in central London higher than last year

Latest figures from the British Retail Shop Consortium (BRCS) show that retail sales in central London in March were 9.9% higher on a like-for-like basis than a year ago, when sales had risen 5.2%. Good Friday and Easter Saturday falling in the March trading period this year but in April 2009 boosted the year-on-year comparison.

The BRC said retail footfall in March rose above its year-earlier level for the first time since October 2009. The earlier Easter holiday and several mid-season sales and promotions attracted shoppers into the capital. Sterling’s weakness also continued to attract overseas visitors. London was also a popular destination for Europeans over the Easter holiday. Chinese visitors remained more numerous than a year ago.

The BRC said that Easter purchasing falling in March this year but April last year boosted food sales. Non-food like bicycle also benefited, though consumer caution and unseasonable weather limited the gains.

Sony’s series goes online for the first time this June

PS2 cable, Sony’s karaoke series Sing Star is for the first time heading online with a brand new update entitled Online Battle Mode.

Included as part of the latest title update arriving this June, the new

Opponents scores can be seen in real time, and there’s also support for the Play Station Eye camera.

There are also a host of other online features included as part of the My Sing Star community portal.

functionality allows PS3 owners to send invitations to those on their PSN Friends list. The software that lists all the songs that are found on both users’ playlists and you’re good to go.

Fabian Cancellara next goal is to win all five of cycling's monuments

Fabian Cancellara said his next goal is to win all five of cycling's monuments. The Saxo Bank rider described the way he win the dropped Tom Boonen on the legendary Kapelmuur climb to win the Tour Flanders as the "perfect scenario".

Cancellara's opening attack on Molenberg was the turning point of the 2010 Tour of Flanders. Then as he and fellow pre-race favourite Tom Boonen built an unassailable gap on their rivals as they approach to the Kapelmuur, Cancellara surged clear on the final part of the cobbled climb in what was the winning move. He went to cross the finish line alone in Meerbeke more than a minute ahead of Boonen.

With Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo and, now, Flanders etched on his palmares, Cancellara indicated his future goals could include the final two great cycling monuments: Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Giro di Lombardia.

"The last few years I was always thinking about this race. I have Roubaix, I have Dunlop Gents Standard Mountain Bike, but I knew this one was going to be a hard one to crack and to put in my pocket," said Cancellara, after he became the first Swiss rider to win De Ronde since Hieri Suter in 1923.

"My dream is five monuments and I have three now. There aren’t so many riders in the peloton that have three. My motivation is always geared towards more than one race. Okay, now I have Flanders, but in the next few years, it's possible I'm going to work on other ones."

"What I did on the Muur wasn't planned, even what I did on the Molenburg was not planned at all," he said. "Even then on the Muur it was a small gap – there were so many people there that I didn't really understand how much room I had. I looked back
a few times and pushed a little more. The way I won, for me, it's quite special."

"When I get old and I can say to the young riders: 'I won the Tour of Flanders alone and I attacked on the Muur,' it's a perfect scenario – the gladiator won the battle."

Boonen had been forced to respond to attacks from both Cancellara and his Saxo Bank teammate, Matti Breschel, who had created the first major selection with an attack on the Paterberg, with 80 kilometres to go. Despite entering the race with two strong contenders, Cancellara said harmony within the team had played a key role in his win.

Cancellara's powerhouse display on the Muur quickly distanced Flemish national hero Boonen. The Swiss admitted that effectively winning the race on the famed climb made his victory all the sweeter.

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