Spotify buys Soundtrap, a Stockholm-based music startup November 17, 2017 Spotify has bought Stockholm-based music startup Soundtrap, it said today. The music streaming giant’s new acquisition allows users to create music online using a web-based production studio similar to Apple’s Garageband software. Today Spotify said Soundtrap was “highly aligned with Spotify’s vision of democratizing the music ecosystem”. Read more: Finally getting back together: Taylor Swift [...]
New Breitling Superocean Héritage II: classic diver’s watch developed with Tudor November 17, 2017 | City Talk A classic diver’s watch the Breitling Superocean Héritage II celebrates its 60th anniversary with a design refresh and a brand-new movement developed with Tudor. The new Breitling calibre takes inspiration from the Tudor Caliber MT5612 used in the popular Black Bay watches. The Breitling Superocean Héritage II comes in a few different models at 42mm [...]
Opinion: Should Philip Hammond scrap stamp duty or reform it? Either way, these first time buyers think something has to be done November 17, 2017 Scrap stamp duty – revenue should not come at the expense of working people by Jack Brentnall Benjamin Franklin famously said that our only certainties in life are death and taxes. Thankfully, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) does not have to be such a certainty. Considering the context of the current housing crisis, it is [...]
“The picture is not as bleak as many think”: UBS delivers chunky UK GDP growth upgrade November 17, 2017 The UK economy today received a big vote of confidence from Swiss banking giant UBS, which upgraded next year’s GDP growth forecasts by over a half. Britain is projected to grow by 1.1 per cent in 2018, UBS said, up from a previous forecast of 0.7 per cent. And following a slightly stronger-than-expected performance this [...]
Carillion meltdown: From horror show to too big to fail – Here’s how City analysts reacted November 17, 2017 Carillion this morning proved its shares have yet to bottom out, with the firm’s stock plummeting almost 60 per cent in morning trades. Shares have since recovered somewhat, and are currently around a third lower than yesterday’s closing price. Profits will be lower and Carillion is struggling to sell businesses earmarked for sale. This means [...]
Meet Tesla’s new Roadster: The fastest production car ever made unveiled alongside its new Semi truck November 17, 2017 Among all the excitement about Tesla’s – admittedly pretty snazzy – new electric truck, Elon Musk also managed to surprise with another announcement. That’s right: Tesla has unveiled a new version of its original sports car, the Roadster. Musk said it’s the fastest production car ever made, with the ability to do 0 to 100 [...]
The avocado toast generation needs houses, not lectures on frugality November 17, 2017 The avocado toast generation just can’t catch a break. On Tuesday, a contrarian estate agent published a report guaranteed to antagonise everyone under 40, claiming that a millennial couple could easily save up the £90,000 average deposit for a first home in London, if only they spent less on silly things like sandwiches and lottery [...]
Venezuela can’t restructure its way out of this socialist nightmare November 17, 2017 Venezuela, once the most prosperous country in South America, can no longer pay its debts. After missing $200m of interest payments on two government bonds, the administration of President Nicolas Maduro was this week declared “in default” by ratings agency S&P. Though bondholders are yet to follow suit, this could happen at any moment, potentially [...]
Holiday Homes: Here’s how you can own a second home in the countryside without wreaking havoc on rural areas November 16, 2017 A place in the country may be the dream for urbanites who slog, nose-to-armpit, through the London commute every day. But the reality is, the trend for city types buying up country properties is wreaking havoc on rural life. Some towns, such as St Ives in Cornwall, have voted to ban second homes altogether. So, [...]
Property of the week: These twin houses in Richmond are where Virginia and Leonard Woolf founded their famous publishing house November 16, 2017 These twin Georgian townhouses, sitting side by side in Richmond, would turn heads even if they weren’t the birthplace of a world-famous publishing house. But as it happens, they were home to seminal author Virginia Woolf and her husband political theorist Leonard at the time they founded the Hogarth Press. Virginia and Leonard, Richmond, £3.75m [...]