Tag Archives: EU

What To Bet On In 2013

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FANCY A FLUTTER IN 2013? LOOK NO FURTHER  

 

Now that we know the world did not end and we are post the potential apocalypse, the prospect of a new year brings a satisfying dollop of uncertainty and mystery surrounding life’s important matters. Who will judge next year’s X-Factor? Will there even be an X-Factor next year? What colour hat will the queen wear at Ascot? What colour hair will the new royal be blessed with?

 

While 2013 is somewhat lacking in the trouser department compared to the major sporting, political and cultural events we’ve been spoilt with recently, there’s still plenty of going-on’s to get your knickers in a twist.

 

Whether you fancy a flutter, or just have lots of space to fill in between Christmas and New Year,  Paddy Power has given Frost a guide to nearly everything and anything that may or may not happen in 2013.

 

 

ROYAL BABY

Forget 2012 and the Olympics, Ryder Cup and Jubilee, 2013 is all about Kate, Wills and the little‘en. If you can think of it, we’ll take bets on it.  Victoria is the current joint 5/1 favourite name having started life at a lofty 20/1. George leads the way for boys ahead of 50/1 Paddy.

 

Royal Baby Name5/1 Elizabeth

5/1 Victoria

8/1 George

9/1 Diana

 

 10/1 Mary

16/1 David

50/1 Paddy

500/1 Britney

 

 Hair colour 13/8 Brown

2/1 Blond

2/1 Black

6/1 Ginger

 

 Multiple birth 6/1 Twins

50/1 Triplets

1000/1 Quads or more

 

 

 

OSCARS

The Oscars race is well and truly on. For about five minutes it looked like ‘Argo’ had Best Picture all sewn up, cruising to the finish on strong reviews and decent box office. However, with a lap still to go, Affleck’s thriller looks to have peaked too soon and run out of puff with ‘Les Misérables’, ‘Lincoln’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ now looking unbeatable for Best Motion Picture. Meanwhile staying on planet movie, Paddy Power has tipped the Hobbit to be the highest grossing movie of 2013.

 

Best Picture 5/4 Lincoln

2/1 Les Miserables

3/1 Zero Dark Thirty

9/2 Argo

14/1 Silver Linings Playbook

 

 Best Actress4/9 Jennifer Lawrence

9/4 Jessica Chastain

12/1 Emmanuelle Riva

20/1 Helen Mirren

40/1 Judi Dench

 Best Actor 2/7 Daniel Day Lewis

6/1 Denzel Washington

7/1 Hugh Jackman

40/1 Anthony Hopkins

100/1 Daniel Craig

 Best Director13/10 Steven Spielberg

15/8 Argo

5/2 Kathryn Bigelow

8/1 Tom Hooper

33/1 Peter Jackson

 Top grossing Movie of 20132/5       The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

9/4       Man Of Steel

12/1      Iron Man 3

16/1      Jack The Giant Slayer

20/1      The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

 

SOLAR FLARE

Maybe the Mayans were onto something after all. Forget a plague of cancers, super volcanoes or dark comets laying waste to everything on earth, 2013 could be the year in which we’re paralysed by a catastrophic solar flare causing blackouts and global chaos. The once-in-a-century disaster could see power grids crash, communication systems collapse, planes grounded, food supplies hit and the internet shut down.

 

1/25 UK national grid to blackout for a day or more

5/6 UK citizens to see a bright red haze

5/1 cost of solar flare damage to exceed $1 trillion

16/1 that we will see the biggest solar flare / geomagnetic storm on record

33/1 World debt to be wiped out

 

 

UK POLITICS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

Cameron’s coalition looks to be weakening by the day. With a general election to start thinking about and the Lib Dems languishing behind UKIP in the polls, Paddy Power’s 4/1 for the coalition to split in 2013 could prove a juicy punt.  Meanwhile money continues to trickle in on whether 2013 will be the year for Julian Assange to have a change of scenery, 11/8 says he’ll still be holed up at the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2014 and it’s 100/1 for him to escape via jetpack.

 

UK Politics – 201310/3 Any of the main three leaders to leave their post

4/1 Coalition to break up

4/1 General Election to be held

8/1 UK Referendum on EU Membership

 Negative growth in Q1 or Q22/7 Yes

9/4 No

 

 EU – 20139/4 Any country to leave the Euro

9/4 Any country to leave the EU

16/1 Euro to cease to be a currency

 Julian Assange – Method to leave Embassy11/8 UK police car

4/1 helicopter

6/1 Diplomatic bag

25/1 Hot air balloon

 

US POLITICS

US politics poses two big questions for 2013. Will the economy suffer negative growth? Help yourself to odds of 2/1 for yes and a safer 1/3 for no. And will Wintour descend upon the UK in 2013? She is just edging behind favourite Matthew Barzun in the betting for the next US Ambassador to the UK.

 

Fiscal CliffWill there be a quarter of negative growth in 2013?

2/1       Yes

1/3       No

 

 Next US Ambassador to UK10/11    Matthew Barzun

3/2       Anna Wintour

6/1       Marc Lasry

 

 2014 Mid Term Elections: Control of House of Representatives

2/5       Republican

7/4       Democrat

 

  Control of Senate

5/6       Republican

5/6       Democrat

 

 

COMMODITIES

Given world events in 2012 – continued tensions across the Middle East, financial crisis in the Eurozone and economic stagnation in the West – you can bet your bottom dollar the price of gold will continue to rise as investors seek a safe haven for their hard earned cash. How high is anyone’s guess. Paddy Power is offering 5/6 the price of gold will exceed $1750 by the end of 2013. Meanwhile we’re offering 9/2 for the price of gold to hit the magic mark of $2000 any time throughout the year.

 

Price of gold at year end 5/6 Under $1750

5/6 Over $1750

 Golden Year 9/2 Price of gold to hit $2000 any time in 2013 Price of oil at year end 4/5 Under $105

10/11 $105 or over (Brent Crude)

 

 

HATCHES, MATCHES & DISPATCHES

Whilst England fight the Aussies to retain the Ashes urn next summer, another national treasure may be lost to the convicts as Liz Hurley and Shane Warne head up the betting for our ‘First to get married’ market at evens.

 

First to get married1/1       Liz Hurley & Shane Warne

7/4       Kate Winslet & Ned Rocknroll

6/1       Eva Mendes & Ryan Gosling

8/1       Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson

10/1      Nicole Scherzinger & Lewis Hamilton

40/1      Taylor Swift & Harry Styles

 

 First to announce they are having a baby11/10    Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall

7/1       Kate Moss & Jamie Hince

7/1       Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel

9/1       Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

10/1      Frank Lampard & Christine Bleakley

10/1      Holly Willoughby & Dan Baldwin

 

 First to split3/1       Kim Kardashian & Kanye West

4/1       Jennifer Aniston & Justin Theroux

5/1       Liz Hurley & Shane Warne

6/1       Kate Winslet & Ned Rocknroll

6/1       Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson

10/1      Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel

 

UK WEATHER

The UK is renowned for its unpredictable weather, and 2013 is set to be no different. Strangely, next summer is as likely to be the wettest on record as it is the driest, with both available to back at 6/1. Those dreaming of soaking up the rays on their local beach rather than the water on their kitchen floor can take 8/1 that next summer will be the hottest on record.

 

8/1       Hottest on record in UK

6/1       Driest on record in UK

6/1       Wettest on record in UK

9/1       Coldest on record in UK

 

FHM SEXIEST WOMAN

Having inexplicably voted for Tulisa Contostavlos in 2012, the FHM readers are once again being entrusted to choose the magazine’s Sexist Woman for 2013. Mila Kunis is the strong favourite at 5/2 whilst you can get 16/1 that Helen Flanagan’s ball-chewing jungle experience earns her the crown.

 

5/2       Mila Kunis

8/1       Kate Upton

8/1       Jennifer Lawrence

14/1      Nicole Scherzinger

 

 

ON THE BOX

In the fickle world of TV, Simon Cowell may bring himself back into the UK X Factor fold in 2013. The race to be the next host of Strictly Come Dancing appears to be a two-way battle between Anton Du Beke at 13/8 and Vernon Kay at 15/8.

 

Next Host Of Strictly Come Dancing13/8      Anton Du Beke

15/8      Vernon Kay

9/2       John Barrowman

7/1       Graham Norton

16/1      Ben Shepherd

 

 Who will be on the 2013 X-Factor judges’ panel?1/3       Louis Walsh

2/5       Tulisa Contostavlos

2/5       Nicole Scherzinger

2/3       Gary Barlow

8/11     Simon Cowell

8/1       Cheryl Cole

 

New app shows women how to man up in time for EU gender directive

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On 21st December the EU gender directive comes into force which means car insurance companies will no longer be able to differentiate between men and women. So does this mean the European Union now believes women are no different to men?

Now women can see for themselves what it would be like to live life as a man with the Manify Me smart phone app. Women’s car insurance specialist, Diamond has worked with Rantmedia to develop the app which takes a headshot of a woman and ‘manifies’ her into a man. So Katy Perry could become Keith, Cheryl Cole could become Charles and Holly Willoughby could become Harry.

Dave Halliday, Diamond managing director, said, “Despite evidence to the contrary, the EU insists that men and women are the same, so we thought we’d take the idea one step further and allow women to see what they would look like if they were a man.

“Unfortunately for young women, the EU’s change to the law is likely to mean higher insurance premiums because from a risk point of view, women will have to be treated the same as men, and young men in particular have the worst driving record and are the highest risk.”

Diamond’s own statistics clearly show that young women have a safer driving record than young men. Men under 21 are four times more likely to have a dangerous driving conviction than women under 21. While on average accidents involving men under 21 cost 48% more than those involving women of the same age.

Despite the EU’s assertion that men and women are the same, most women clearly don’t feel the same. Diamond surveyed 1,000 women aged under 30 on the issue, 72% said they believe men and women drive differently, while a massive 83% believe men and women think differently.

The Manify Me app is available for Android phones and can be downloaded from Google Play.

 

350,000 Signatures Collected To Support Animals.

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‘White Rabbits’ Deliver Petition To European Commissioner John Dalli Urging EU-Wide Sales Ban on Animal-Tested Cosmetics

Humane Society International and LUSH Cosmetics Collect 350,000 Signatures In Support Of a Cruelty-Free Europe by 2013

Twenty-seven ‘white rabbits’ descended on Brussels to deliver a 350,000-signature petition to John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, to help end the suffering of animals used to test cosmetics sold in the European Union. Dressed in white-rabbit costumes, the petitioners, each representing one of the 27 EU Member States, are part of Humane Society International’s campaign to ban the sale of animal-tested cosmetics by 2013.

HSI teamed up with global cosmetics retailer LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics to collect the signatures from consumers eager to see an end to cosmetics cruelty. Celebrities such as Leona Lewis, Ricky Gervais, Ke$ha, Melanie C, Mary McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, Sir Roger Moore, Virginia McKenna and Brigitte Bardot are amongst the petition signatories.

The EU banned animal testing for cosmetics in 2009, but ingredients can still be tested on animals in other countries such as Brazil, China and the United States and then be added to cosmetic products sold in EU shops. A ban on selling these animal-tested cosmetics is due to come into force in March 2013. As the EU is the world’s largest market for cosmetics sales, the ban would create a major financial incentive for cosmetic companies to stop animal testing. However, Commissioner Dalli is considering a proposal that would undermine the ban by giving cosmetics companies a loophole to continue profiting from animal suffering.

“Our rabbits are bringing a heartfelt message to Commissioner Dalli about animal-tested cosmetics sold in Europe: Animals are dying because Europe is buying. We and hundreds of thousands of consumers are calling on EU policy makers to keep their promise to stop the suffering by banning the sale of animal-tested cosmetics in 2013,” said Emily McIvor, EU senior policy adviser for HSI/Europe. “Let’s close Europe’s doors to cosmetics suffering and ensure that the EU goes cruelty-free.”

Humane Society International’s bid to ban animal-tested cosmetics in Europe is part of its global Be Cruelty-Free campaign which aims to end cosmetics animal testing worldwide. LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics supports the campaign and helped to collect petition signatures throughout its EU stores. Representatives of LUSH have written to Commissioner Dalli refuting the case made by some cosmetics companies that the ban would harm commercial interests.

“LUSH is a highly successful global cosmetics retailer making tens of thousands of innovative beauty products each year, sold in 48 countries through our 700 stores, and we have never needed or wanted to test on animals because thousands of ingredients that are already known to be safe are available,” said Hilary Jones, ethics director at LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. “I cannot imagine why any company anywhere would want to cause animal suffering when making quality, safe, cruelty-free products is so easy. Our customers want to buy cruelty-free cosmetics, and we are delighted to respond to that clear customer demand.”

In cosmetics testing, animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and hamsters are force-fed cosmetic products and ingredients, or have them dripped into their eyes or on to their skin. In some cases, animals are chemically overdosed to the point of death or chemicals are fed to pregnant mothers to see the effect on their unborn babies.

Check out hsi.org/becrueltyfree for campaign news and cruelty-free consumer advice.

David Cameron Sacks Green Envoy Zac Goldsmith in 'Petty and Vindictive' Move.

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It is rare to meet a politician with integrity, who keeps their word, and it seems Zac Goldsmith has paid the price for keeping to his.

Prime Minister David Cameron has been accused of being ‘petty and vindictive’ after the Tory MP for Richmond Park had a key Government job taken away from him after he defied him over the EU.

Goldsmith had previously been appointed by the Prime Minister as his personal Downing Street envoy in a bid to fight global warming. The offer was withdrawn a mere two days before Goldsmith’s first assignment, and a matter of hours after he voted in favour of a referendum on the EU.

Goldsmith was due to start work as the Prime Ministers ‘climate change and forest envoy’ last month. His first task was to meet with President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, where forests are at risk. The meeting that was to be held in London last month was publicly announced. Goldsmith was then barred from attending and the job offer was revoked.

The Richmond Park MP said last night: ‘I was always going to vote for the referendum motion, not least because I promised my constituents I would.

‘But the Government was very unwise to impose a three-line whip on Conservative MPs. It created  all sorts of problems for itself that could have been avoided.’

Goldsmith refused to comment on the job offer being revoked, but said: ‘Reversing the decline of forestry worldwide is one of the most important battles faced by our species.
‘I don’t need a formal government role to pursue that work.’

Two days earlier, he was among 81 Tory MPs who voted in favour of a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU and ignored Mr Cameron’s order to toe the line.

A Government source had this to say: ‘You cannot have someone rebelling against the Government one day and walking into a government job the next. Not when two ministerial aides resigned over the EU vote. But Zac is a great guy  and we hope we can revive this job offer in time.’

A fellow MP disagreed and told the Daily Mail: ‘It was petty and vindictive to cancel this post. Zac had every right to vote in favour of a referendum on Europe.

‘The Government constantly says it is giving top priority to efforts  to curb climate change and yet it is prepared to risk that to punish an MP for sticking to his principles on the EU. It is the kind of thing that brings politics into disrepute.’

Well-placed government sources said Goldsmith had spent months in talks with Government officials about the climate change and forest envoy role.

International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne and Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman had all given the go-ahead for his appointment

Read Frost’s interview with Zac Goldsmith

The Tory MPs Who Defied David Cameron.

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A number of Tory MPs defied David Cameron’s three-line-whip and voted for a referendum on
Britain’s membership of the EU. Here they are:

Steven Baker (Wycombe)
John Baron (Basildon and Billericay)
Andrew Bingham (High Peak)
Brian Binley (Northampton South)
Bob Blackman (Harrow East)
Peter Bone (Wellingborough)
Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West)
Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire)
Steve Brine (Winchester)
Fiona Bruce (Congleton)
Dan Byles (North Warwickshire)
Douglas Carswell (Clacton)
Bill Cash (Stone)
Christopher Chope (Christchurch)
James Clappison (Hertsmere)
Tracey Crouch (Chatham and Aylesford)
David TC Davies (Monmouth)
Philip Davies (Shipley)
David Davis (Haltemprice and Howden)
Nick de Bois (Enfield North)
Caroline Dinenage (Gosport)
Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire)
Richard Drax (South Dorset)
Mark Field (Cities of London and Westminster)
Lorraine Fullbrook (South Ribble)
Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park)
James Gray (North Wiltshire)
Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry)
Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
George Hollingberry (Meon Valley)
Philip Hollobone (Kettering)
Adam Holloway (Gravesham)
Stewart Jackson (Peterborough)
Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex)
Marcus Jones (Nuneaton)
Chris Kelly (Dudley South)
Andrea Leadsom (South Northamptonshire)
Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford)
Edward Leigh (Gainsborough)
Julian Lewis (New Forest East)
Dr Sarah Wollaston (Totnes)
Jason McCartney (Colne Valley)
Karl McCartney (Lincoln)
Stephen McPartland (Stevenage)
Anne Main (St Albans)
Patrick Mercer (Newark)
Nigel Mills (Amber Valley)
Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot)
James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis)
Stephen Mosley (City of Chester)
Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall)
David Nuttall (Bury North)
Matthew Offord (Hendon)
Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton)
Priti Patel (Witham)
Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole)
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin)
Mark Reckless (Rochester and Strood)
John Redwood (Wokingham)
Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset)
Simon Reevell (Dewsbury)
Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury)
Andrew Rossindell (Romford)
Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills)
Henry Smith (Crawley)
John Stevenson (Carlisle)
Bob Stewart (Beckenham)
Gary Streeter (South West Devon)
Julian Sturdy (York Outer)
Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth and Horncastle)
Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon)
Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight)
Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes)
Charles Walker (Broxbourne)
Robin Walker (Worcester)
Heather Wheeler (South Derbyshire)
Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley)
John Whittingdale (Maldon)
Karen Lumley (Redditch)
Caroline Nokes (Romsey and Southampton North)

MPs who voted for a referendum
Nineteen Labour MPs defied the party leadership to support the motion:
Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley)
Rosie Cooper (Lancashire West)
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North)
Jon Cruddas (Dagenham & Rainham)
John Cryer (Leyton & Wanstead)
Ian Davidson (Glasgow South West)
Natascha Engel (Derbyshire North East)
Frank Field (Birkenhead)
Roger Godsiff (Birmingham Hall Green)
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall)
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North)
Steve McCabe (Birmingham Selly Oak)
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington)
Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby)
Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)
Andrew Smith (Oxford East)
Graham Stringer (Blackley & Broughton)
Gisela Stuart (Birmingham Edgbaston)
Mike Wood (Batley & Spen).

One Lib Dem, Adrian Sanders (Torbay) voted for the motion.

Green leader Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) voted for the motion.
Eight Democratic Unionist Party MPs voted for the motion:
Gregory Campbell (Londonderry East)
Nigel Dodds (Belfast North)
Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley)
Rev William McCrea (Antrim South)
Ian Paisley Junior (Antrim North)
Jim Shannon (Strangford)
David Simpson (Upper Bann)
Sammy Wilson (Antrim East)
Independent MP Lady Sylvia Hermon (Down North) voted for the motion.

Sienna Miller supports BUAV campaign to end cruel cosmetics tests on animals

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Stage and screen star Sienna Miller is supporting the BUAV No Cruel Cosmetics campaign to end animal testing for toiletries and cosmetics sold in the EU. Sienna joins a number of high profile celebrities supporting the BUAV campaign, including Sir Paul McCartney, Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and British Actress Jenny Seagrove.

Despite a UK and EU ban on the use of animals to test cosmetics and toiletries, companies are still allowed to sell products in the EU that have been tested on animals in other parts of the world. A ban on the import and sale of new animal tested cosmetic products in the EU is due to come into effect in 2013. However, concerns have arisen that this animal testing ban may be delayed. In response, the BUAV launched the European-wide No Cruel Cosmetics campaign calling for the ban to come into effect as planned in 2013.

If the ban is delayed, animals will continue to suffer and die needlessly in cruel tests for new beauty products sold in the EU. That means that hundreds of thousands more rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and rats could be injected, gassed or force-fed cosmetics worldwide for new beauty products sold in the EU, including right here in the UK.

Over one hundred thousand people across the UK and EU, including Sienna, have already signed the No Cruel Cosmetics petition which is being sent to the European Parliament. The BUAV petition can be signed at www.NoCruelCosmetics.org.

Michelle Thew, Chief Executive of the BUAV, said: “We are delighted to have the support of Sienna Miller. It is totally unacceptable for animals to continue to suffer and die in the name of beauty. Please join Sienna and support our No Cruel Cosmetics campaign to end cosmetics testing on animals. Sign our petition to the European Parliament at www.NoCruelCosmetics.org.”

Celebrities, politicians, cosmetic companies and European citizens are being urged to sign the Euro-wide petition calling for the animal testing ban to go ahead in 2013.