UK mobile network operators EE and O2 are suffering technical difficulties January 11, 2016 Phone network giants EE and O2 are suffering technical issues, with customers across the UK unable to make calls. EE, the largest mobile network operator in the UK, is dealing with a barrage of complaints on twitter. "We’re aware customers from EE and other networks are having issues calling landlines. We’re looking into why and we’ll keep you [...]
Twitter share price drops to all-time low January 11, 2016 Twitter's share price has fallen to a new all-time low today. The stock is currently worth $19.47, down 2.55 per cent on Friday's closing price. It has lost 14 per cent of its value since the start of the year and is down nearly 50 per cent over the past 12 months. Shares in the social media [...]
Francois Hollande’s economic adviser Laurence Boon joins Axa January 11, 2016 One of French President Francois Hollande's economic advisers has been snapped up by French insurance giant Axa. Laurence Boone, who was critical of Hollande's socialist government before being appointed, controversially joined Hollande's team of advisers in June 2014. She left a post at Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research to do so. “I am absolutely delighted that Laurence [...]
Catalan independence unlikely despite separatist victory, say economists January 11, 2016 The election of a new leader in the Spanish region of Catalonia over the weekend is unlikely to result in independence for the region, analysts believe. The developments are also likely to spur on activity at the national level, with parties against Catalan independence under more pressure to reach a deal on a functioning state. [...]
Smaller businesses are less optimistic on growth January 11, 2016 Confidence among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has dropped, according to new survey figures published this morning. Of over 1000 SMEs surveyed by Bibby Financial Services (BFS), 36 per cent said they expected to grow in the first three months of 2016. It compares with 46.4 per cent who expected growth in the last release [...]
London house prices: First-time buyers pay £91,000 deposit as fewer get on the property ladder in 2015, according to Halifax January 11, 2016 First-time home buyers needed an average deposit of £91,409 to buy a house in the capital last year, according to figures from a major British lender. The figures, published this morning by Halifax, showed London deposits were nearly three times the national average at £32,927. The deposits paid by first-time buyers nationally rose 13 per [...]
London leads the UK’s economic expansion January 11, 2016 London's economic growth is outpacing the rest of the UK, according to new survey figures published this morning. Lloyds Bank’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – compiled from a survey of businesses – scored 56.9 for the capital. Scores above 50 signal growth. The second and third fastest growing regions were the East and South East while the [...]
Star Wars: The Force Awakens becomes third biggest film ever after $53m opening weekend in China January 10, 2016 Star Wars: The Force Awakens made $53m (£37m) in ticket sales on its first weekend in China, making it the third highest-grossing film globally in history, according to Walt Disney Studio estimates. The film was also the highest-grossing ever to hit Chinese screens. Globally, it has raked in $1.73bn, overtaking Jurassic World's $1.67bn haul. It [...]
Kyriakos Mitsotakis clinches victory in Greek opposition leadership election January 10, 2016 The Greek opposition party New Democracy tonight elected underdog Kyriakos Mitsotakis as its leader. With 75 per cent of the vote counted, Mitsotakis, son of former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, had secured 51.6 per cent of the vote. His opponent, Evangelos Meimarakis, has called him to congratulate him. Mitsotakis had lost the first round of voting in December, when [...]
Bank of England’s monetary policy committee to keep interest rates at record lows this week January 10, 2016 The Bank of England’s committee of rate-setters will be keeping interest rates at record lows this week. A renewed drop in oil prices and slower pay growth are set to weigh on the Bank’s inflation outlook. Last month it voted to keep rates at 0.5 per cent – it aims to bring inflation to two per [...]