US GDP expanded faster than initially believed due to smaller decline in inventories November 24, 2015 The US economy grew at faster rate than expected in the three months to September, according to new official figures published today. The US commerce department said the economy grew at an annualised rate – the rate the economy would grow if the pace were maintained for a year – of 2.1 per cent rather [...]
Business committee chair Iain Wright MP accuses Uber of being a “seedy backstreet minicab firm” November 24, 2015 An influential MP has accused Uber of being a "seedy backstreet minicab firm". Iain Wright, a Labour MP who chairs the business, innovation and skills committee, made the comments during an evidence session at the House of Commons this morning. Wright took issue with a previous Uber promotion in France offering passengers the chance to book a minicab with a "hot [...]
Autumn Statement 2015: Where will chancellor George Osborne make budget cuts and find savings in his Comprehensive Spending Review? November 24, 2015 A combination of manifesto commitments, pressure from backbenchers and budget decisions have left George Osborne in a peculiar and difficult situation: he is going to have to find the vast majority of his savings from a very small number of places. Ring-fencing has been widespread: the Institute of Economic Affairs estimates that more than 70 per cent of government [...]
Government bonds, the Swiss franc, the Japanese yen: Safe havens gain after Turkey downs Russia jet November 24, 2015 Investors piled into low-risk assets such as government debt and traditionally safe haven currencies following the downing of a Russian military aircraft by Turkish warplanes earlier today. It's still unclear exactly how significant the incident could be, although Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned it as a "stab in the back", claiming it showed Turkey's support for terrorists. Turkey, a Nato member, claims [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK: Tips for how to get the best deals, avoid the queues and stay calm in stores and online for blissful bargain hunting November 24, 2015 We’re only a few days away from Black Friday, now synonymous with frenzied shoppers battling to secure the pick of the sale crop. Determined shoppers will again pound the pavements to secure their pre-Christmas bargains. For those considering taking up the challenge, we’ve gone through our consumer data based on 3,000 shoppers last year – [...]
International Space Station flyover: How to trick your kids into thinking they’ve seen Santa tonight November 24, 2015 The International Space Station (ISS) has been in orbit for 16 years, but it seems this is the year parents have realised they can use it to play a devious trick on their kids: duping them into thinking it's Santa's sleigh. Yep – with excellent timing, the ISS will appear several times over the UK [...]
Pound sterling edges down as Bank of England governor Mark Carney errs on the side of caution November 24, 2015 The pound edged down against the euro today after Bank of England governor Mark Carney failed to give any indication that interest rates might climb faster than markets expect. "The question in my mind is when is the appropriate time for interest rates to increase, and that is strongly consistent with the strength of the domestic [...]
All Bar One and Harvester owner Mitchells & Butlers reinstates dividends despite “modest sales” November 24, 2015 FTSE 250-listed pub group Mitchells & Butlers is resuming dividend payments after a seven year break. The figures Revenue at the group, which owns All Bar One, Browns and Harvester brands, was up 6.6 per cent in the full year ending 26 September, to £2.1bn, and pre-tax profits were just up on last year's £123m, at £126m. However, like-for-likes softened over the [...]
Alton Towers finds “human error” caused Smiler crash after Merlin Entertainments’ investigation November 24, 2015 Alton Towers owner Merlin Entertainment has found "human error" was to blame for a horrific crash on its Smiler rollercoaster over the summer, which left 16 people injured and two women with life-changing injuries. "The investigation concluded that the incident was the result of human error culminating in the manual override of the ride safety control system without [...]
Rockhopper merges with Falkland Oil and Gas in a £57m deal to better face “challenging” oil and gas market November 24, 2015 Rockhopper, the AIM listed oil and gas exploration company operating in the Falkland Islands, is to merge with Falklands Oil and Gas in a £57m deal. Shareholders in exploration outfit Falklands Oil and Gas, will receive 0.2993 Rockhopper shares for each of theirs, valuing Falklands Oil and Gas stock at 10.70p a share, an 11 per cent premium to its [...]