The FTSE 100 closed at a record high topping 7,600 December 21, 2017 There was plenty of Christmas cheer in the City today as Britain’s blue-chip index rose to an all-time high. The FTSE 100 rose above 7,600 points for the first time, closing up 1.1 per cent at 7,603.98. “The FTSE 100 has rallied strongly today moving above its previous record peak set back in June to [...]
Ignore the forecasts. No-one really knows what 2018 holds for markets December 21, 2017 | City Talk How will markets and the global economy perform in 2018? If you’ve not yet been confronted with a barrage of forecasts or predictions, then you’re likely to be in the coming days. Trying to predict what will happen next year has become as much a part of the Christmas tradition as turkey, presents and overindulgence. [...]
High Court grants $2.5bn freezing order against Ukraine oligarchs Igor Kolomoisky and Gennady Bogolyubov December 21, 2017 A High Court judge has granted an order to freeze $2.5bn (£1.9bn) of worldwide assets of the former owners of Ukrainian state-owned lender PrivatBank. PrivatBank, which was previously owned by oligarchs Igor Kolomoisky and Gennady Bogolyubov, has claimed the two took almost $2bn from the bank through a series of “dishonest transactions”. The freezing order [...]
UK government public sector net borrowing falls to lowest November total in a decade, says the Office for National Statistics December 21, 2017 While consumers may be racking up the debt as Christmas creeps closer, chancellor Philip Hammond has managed to keep a lid on the UK’s public sector borrowing. Statistics released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed public sector net borrowing fell by £200m to £8.7bn in November 2017 – the lowest November total [...]
Revealed: Behind the scenes of Carillion’s annus horribilis December 21, 2017 Troubled construction giant Carillion hit the headlines again yesterday after it announced its interim chief executive Keith Cochrane will be replaced almost three months earlier than planned. When Andrew Davies, who was set to take over on 2 April 2018, starts on 22 January, he will become the company’s third chief executive in six months. [...]
Facebook is ditching “disputed” fake news flags. Here’s why December 21, 2017 Facebook has decided to ditch one of its most public efforts to tackle the issue of fake news just a year after it first launched. The tech company admitted that a feature that flags that the veracity of an article is disputed by a group of fact checkers “buried critical information” and “could sometimes backfire” [...]
As 2017 ends, what is the state of the British Labour Party? December 21, 2017 I’ve spoken in the past about my longtime membership of the Labour Party and my admiration for Tony Blair’s government. And just as often I have expressed disappointment with Labour’s current direction and with its current leadership, who have tried to force an unworkable brand of politics onto the party. Why am I still [...]
iPhone slow? Apple’s doing it on purpose to older devices, tech company admits December 21, 2017 Feel like once there’s a shiny new Apple iPhone out, yours starts working less well? You’re not alone, and though it has often been debunked that there is any change to the battery life when a newer model hits the market, Apple does actively influence the performance of your old phone in another way, it [...]
Jumanji review: Not quite a rumble in the jungle, but a good stir nonetheless December 21, 2017 Jumanji, an entertaining enough 1995 film about rampaging jungle animals that definitely exists on a VHS cassette in your attic somewhere, embedded itself into the pop culture fabric thanks to its now-terrible, but then-mind blowing CGI effects. Effervescent clown-person Robin Williams helped too, as did the kitschy cryptic allure of the central board game’s [...]
The Greatest Showman review: A musical airbrushing of the sordid history of the freak show December 21, 2017 Like a circus-themed, two-hour long Adele video with original-Jumanji-era CGI elephants and lions, The Greatest Showman is a whitewashing movie-musical about the life and trials of PT Barnum, originator of the big top and freak show, and infamous exploiter of hirsute women. Hugh Jackman stars, and does a decent and sincere enough job belting [...]