It’s official, the happiness gene exists: Forget your job and relationships, your genetic makeup is what determines your mood January 15, 2016 We all know some people are just cheerier souls than others. BUt now researchers have found out why: your happiness is determined by your genes, it turns out. Researchers from Varna University of Management in Bulgaria and Hong Kong Polytechnic University found the presence of a certain variant of on gene – known as FAAH – tends to determine how [...]
The count is in: These are the retail winners and losers for Christmas 2015 (according to Hargreaves Lansdown) January 15, 2016 After a busy few days chock-full of Christmas retail results, we're finally beginning to get a sense of who the winners and losers of 2015's festive period might be. Yesterday, Tesco surprised investors with better-than-expected results, rounding off a solid performance among the UK's traditional supermarket sector – although Asda is still yet to report. Marks & [...]
Bitcoin guru Mike Hearn declares bitcoin a failure January 15, 2016 One of bitcoin’s most long-standing supporters has lost faith. Mike Hearn, who’s spent five years as a bitcoin developer and enthusiast, has had a very public break up with the digital currency, writing a long blog post on Medium about why it’s now a “failed experiment”. Writing that bitcoin’s failure is a “now inescapable conclusion”, [...]
Brent crude and WTI: Oil prices dip back below $30 January 15, 2016 Brent crude oil dipped back below the $30 per barrel mark today, as the prospect of more Iranian oil looms over an already oversupplied market. Brent crude, the global benchmark, shed 3.5 per cent to $29.89 per barrel this morning. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, the US benchmark, shed 5.05 per cent to $29.62. "It was [...]
Legal & General sells Sipp provider Suffolk Life to Curtis Banks for £45m, creating second-largest provider in Britain January 15, 2016 Legal & General has agreed to sell its Sipp provider Suffolk Life to Aim-listed pensions group Curtis Banks Group for £45m, which will create the second-largest Sipp-provider in the country. Curtis Banks is planning to raise the cash for the deal through placing nearly 8.5m shares, at 320p each, which will raise £27m, and a new debt and [...]
BT’s share price climbs as it names the date for EE deal completion after CMA gives £12.5bn deal green light January 15, 2016 BT has named the date for the completion of its £12.5bn takeover of mobile phone firm EE after being given the green light by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) this morning. The CMA said although the deal would create the largest telecoms business in the country, it was not expected to result in "substantial [...]
Chinese economy: Chinese markets including Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Composite fall on oil price volatility with knock-on effect for Nikkei, Hang Seng, ASX January 15, 2016 Here we go again. After some sense volatility had subsided (even a little) in Chinese markets in morning trading, the Shanghai Composite tumbled in the afternoon, leading Asian markets into the red. Volatility in oil prices contributed to a late spell of sell-offs in China, leading the Shanghai Composite to finish 3.55 per cent lower at 2,900 points in [...]
BHP Billiton share price falls as firm writes down $4.9bn amid fears it could dent company dividend January 15, 2016 BHP Billiton has warned that it expects to take the hit on a $4.9bn post-tax (or $7.2bn pre-tax) impairment charge for the last financial period, as a direct impact of the falling price of oil and gas. The write-down will be registered as an exceptional item in the financial results for the half year ended 31 December [...]
Tickets to the Queen’s 90th birthday street party in The Mall will cost £150 for the 1,000 winners of a ballot for the chance to attend the event January 15, 2016 Bad news for royalists: if you want to celebrate the Queen's birthday with her in what will be one of the biggest street parties the country has ever seen, you'll need to fork out £150. The Queen's 90th birthday party in The Mall, Westminster, is to be held on 12 June, her grandson announced. Read more: [...]
Losing your star performer at work? Here are four ways you can deal with it January 15, 2016 The rainmaker is clutching a brown envelope and asks for five minutes of your time. Thoughts start racing. Surely it’s not possible? Resigning? No. Maybe? But why would they? This employee gets a great salary, they were promoted last year and you’ve treated them so well. Could they have been dissatisfied with their bonus? Could they [...]