Delta airlines suspends its service to Moscow as dollar strengthens April 15, 2015 Is US airline Delta's Moscow route the first major casualty of the strong dollar? The airline said today that it will suspend its flights to the Russian capital from December, as the rouble's volatility and the falling price of oil pushes down demand. Moscow isn't the only one losing out: it will also cut its [...]
General Election 2015: Liberal Democrat manifesto – here’s everything you need to know April 15, 2015 The waiting is over: today Nick Clegg set out the Liberal Democrat manifesto, leading with five "top priorities" which focus on increasing prosperity, balancing the budget, protecting the environment, improving education and "fair taxes". So not unlike his rivals, then… The manifesto hinted at a party which knows it could easily end up with a [...]
This video posted by Elon Musk shows SpaceX’s Falcon rocket booster very nearly landing on a tiny platform in the middle of the ocean April 15, 2015 Disappointment all round at SpaceX HQ yesterday, when a rocket booster launched by the company didn't quite touch down properly on a pad – dubbed "Just Read the Instructions" thanks to the mantra printed on it – floating 50 miles out to sea. The rocket booster, which had just come from launching an International Space [...]
How to be a billionaire: Business lessons from Hargreaves Lansdown founder Peter Hargreaves April 15, 2015 Yesterday, Hargreaves Lansdown’s Peter Hargreaves announced plans to step down from the board after 34 years steering the company he co-founded. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Hargreaves is worth £2.4bn. How did a plain-speaking accountant become the UK's 39th-richest person? Here are six of Hargreaves' rules for life. 1. Billionaires don't borrow [...]
Nokia confirms €15.6bn Alcatel takeover April 15, 2015 Nokia has confirmed plans to buy French telecoms giant Alcatel-Lucent for €15.6bn (£11.3bn). The Finnish company said it had offered 0.55 new shares in Nokia worth €4.27 each per Alcatel share, representing a 28 per cent premium over Alcatel's average share price over the last three months. The two sides said combining their businesses will [...]
One of the UK’s largest property companies really hates Conservative right-to-buy proposals April 14, 2015 On the whole, those at the top end of the property sector are a pretty conservative bunch – particularly when it comes to politics. After all, alienating those in control of your destiny is a fool's errand when you deal in something as politically sensitive as homes. So eyebrows in the property sector were raised [...]
Pound falls as UK inflation stays flat at zero in March April 14, 2015 The pound weakened 0.5 per cent against the dollar to $1.4614 after figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed consumer price inflation stayed flat at zero per cent in March. Although it means the UK has missed slipping into deflation for now, a sustained period of stagnant growth is nevertheless a concern. [...]
National Housing Federation chief: “Extending right-to-buy is the daftest idea I’ve heard” April 14, 2015 Will the Tories' flagship manifesto policy encounter more of a backlash than they had expected? The housing sector is less than supportive, if a blog by National Housing Federation chief David Orr is anything to go by, in which he calls rumours the Conservatives will attempt to extend right-to-buy "a genuinely stupid idea". The blog, [...]
Centrica names new British Gas chief executive April 14, 2015 Centrica has named the new chief executive of its British Gas arm: former Aviva boss Mark Hodges will take over at the beginning of June. At a time when energy companies – particularly former state-owned ones – are at the centre of a political football game, few in the industry will envy Hodges' new role. [...]
General Election 2015: This one chart shows how you should vote based on your investments April 13, 2015 This might be one of the most nail-biting elections in living memory, but that makes things even more difficult for undecided voters. Now the nice people at Investec have made it easier, with a chart showing exactly how you should vote, depending on which sector you invest in. The research shows that while banks, utilities [...]
