Doveish Mario Draghi sends Euro tumbling to lowest level since 2010, as dollar rises January 2, 2015 The dollar index rose 0.6 per cent to 90.84 this morning, its highest level since 2006. The index, which measures how the dollar is performing against its trading partners, was nudged up as comments from European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi pushed the euro to a four-year low. Draghi hinted this morning [...]
George Osborne takes a swipe at Vince Cable on Twitter January 2, 2015 As we approach the general election expect the rift between the Conservatives and their Lib Dem coalition partners to widen ever further as they prepare to tear each other to shreds over the coming months. Rarely a week goes by without a Lib Dem MP or minister warning the nation of the dire prospect of [...]
Tesla founder Elon Musk divorces his British wife – for the second time January 2, 2015 It can't be easy living with a multi-billionaire with so many ideas that he has to offer some of them to other people because he doesn't have time to take advantage of them all. But you'd have thought that's a lesson Tesla founder Elon Musk's soon-to-be ex-wife, British actress Talulah Riley, might have learned the [...]
Thomas Piketty rejects France’s Legion of Honour award January 1, 2015 France's rock star economist Thomas Piketty has turned down France's highest state honour because, in his view, it is not the role of the government to dispense these kinds of awards. The economist made waves in 2014 and topped the Amazon bestseller list with his book Capital in the 21st Century, which postulated that inequality [...]
New year’s resolutions to make you think more like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg December 31, 2014 As if running a $221bn (£142bn) company isn't enough, Mark Zuckerberg is known for his commitment to keeping new year's resolutions. Every year, the Facebook founder sets himself a new challenge – a process which, he told an audience last week, forces him to "do other things outside of [work]". But Zuckerberg doesn't just go for [...]
ECB official Peter Praet hints at quantitative easing amid falling oil prices December 31, 2014 The European Central Bank's (ECB) chief economist has hinted quantitative easing could be on the way, as plunging oil prices threaten to derail price expectations in the embattled eurozone. Peter Praet told German Newspaper Boersen-Zeitung the glut in global oil supply meant inflation rates were likely to remain negative throughout "a substantial part of 2015", something [...]
Stuart Hosie say SNP and Labour alliance would be a positive step if it stops David Cameron coming into power again December 29, 2014 The Scottish National Party (SNP) has argued that it would not find it difficult to maintain a UK government without the presence of the Conservative Party – England’s largest political party. In doing so, it has dismissed claims that the party would encounter difficulties if such a situation arose in the future. The comments follow [...]
Forex price fixers may face jail under George Osborne’s new plans December 22, 2014 Chancellor George Osborne yesterday confirmed the government would make price-fixing in foreign exchange markets a criminal offence in 2015. It is part of a larger plan that extends the rules put in place to regulate Libor – a rate at which banks lend to each other – to several other financial market benchmarks. [...]
UK immigration: Theresa May plans to kick out foreign graduates December 22, 2014 New foreign graduates could be booted out of the UK after they finish university, if new measures proposed by the Home Office are passed. Theresa May, the home secretary, said that she would like zero net student migration if the Conservatives remain in power after the 2015 general election. The move may be seen by [...]
Theresa May slammed over anti-migration plot to kick foreign graduates out of UK December 22, 2014 Business groups and politicians expressed dismay yesterday at plans by home secretary Theresa May to force foreign students to leave the UK before re-applying for work visas. May wants the Conservatives to include the measure in their party manifesto ahead of the general election next year. Current coalition partners the Liberal Democrats sought to [...]