European markets dip as quantitative easing begins March 9, 2015 European markets fell in early trading as the European Central Bank finally launched its €60bn-a-month (£43bn) quantitative easing programme. The FTSE 100 fell 0.59 per cent, while Germany's Dax dropped 0.39 per cent and France's Cac fell 0.61 per cent, as investors showed their caution over the programme, which is designed to lift Europe out [...]
Lord Adair Turner joins board of challenger bank OakNorth March 9, 2015 It seems that everywhere you look these days, another challenger bank is opening its doors. And it seems OakNorth will be the latest to jump on the bandwagon, after it gained approval from the Financial Conduct and Prudential Regulation Authorities, and appointed three City grandees to its board. OakNorth announced plans last month to launch an [...]
Lloyds share price falls as government sells off one per cent stake March 9, 2015 Shares in Lloyds Banking Group opened at 80.9p this morning, 0.6 per cent lower, after the government announced it had sold off another one per cent stake in the bank, worth £500m. The sale means the stake owned by UK Financial Investments, the government body formed to manage part-nationalised banks, is now a relatively modest [...]
British Airways flight BA49 from London Heathrow to Seattle lands safely after it declares mid-air emergency March 6, 2015 A British Airways flight from London to Seattle was forced to turn around after it declared a mid-air emergency. The flight was just under two hours into an eight-hour flight to the city, in the North West of the US. UPDATE EMERGENCY #BA49 Boeing 777 is continuing to London LHR. Live: http://t.co/mzKkQjjfiX pic.twitter.com/PVZ5nFG6RU — AIRLIVE [...]
Debating debates and Mobile World Congress: Here’s what got us talking this week March 6, 2015 It was a landmark week for inter-species relations as a weasel, a woodpecker and a photographer joined forces to prove once and for all that yes, Animals of Farthing Wood could happen. Outside the animal kingdom, election campaigns gathered pace, with the debate over debates continuing to rage, while polls concluded, at various points, [...]
Russian president Vladimir Putin just took a 10 per cent pay cut March 6, 2015 What better sign that a leader understands the struggles of his people than by taking a big pay cut? Vladimir Putin has announced he will take a 10 per cent pay cut between the beginning of this month and the end of December. The Russian President said the pay cut will apply to other senior [...]
Deutsche Bank left with seven per cent stake in Merlin Entertainments March 6, 2015 Deutsche Bank has been left with a seven per cent stake in London Eye and Madame Tussauds owner Merlin Entertainments, after it offloaded a chunk of the company's stock earlier this week. Shares in Merlin plummeted fro 425p to 419p after the bank issued a statement saying its holding had crossed a seven per cent [...]
Quids in: Inside Poundland founder Steve Smith’s £5.7m mansion March 6, 2015 The house comes complete with water feature, although there's no word on whether the Roller is included in the price… (Source: Estates Direct) They say a pound doesn't stretch as far as it once did, but that doesn't seem to be the case for Poundland founder Steve Smith, who has put his Shropshire mansion up [...]
So meta: Amazon just opened an online store on Alibaba March 6, 2015 Amazon and Alibaba may be a hair away to declaring themselves official arch-nemeses, but that hasn't prevented the US online retail giant from making the most of the opportunities presented by its rival. Amazon has opened a shop on Alibaba's Tmall, the Chinese tech giant's equivalent of, er, Amazon. What does it all mean? Amazon's [...]
London is the world’s millionaire playground – but New York is about to knock it off the top spot March 6, 2015 London's about to be usurped by New York as a millionaire's playground, according to a new report by Knight Frank. Ultra-high net worth individuals – those with more than $30m (£20m) in assets – are being enticed to the Big Apple by a more attractive tax regime and a more stable economy. In 10 years' [...]
