Apple Watch reviews: What the critics think April 8, 2015 The Apple Watch is available for pre-launch tomorrow and the first reviews are in. Here's what the tech journalists who were lucky enough to get their hands on the new device early made of it. Nilay Patel, The Verge “[The Apple Watch] is one of the most ambitious products I’ve ever seen; it [...]
Federal Reserve officials divided over timing of interest rate hike April 8, 2015 US FEDERAL Reserve members clashed during their meeting last month over whether to begin hiking interest rates in June or to wait until the second half of this year, according to the minutes from the meeting released yesterday. Several thought it would be a prime time, but others argued the strong dollar and low global [...]
BG Group boss Andrew Gould eager to quash rival bid speculation April 8, 2015 BG Group chairman Andrew Gould yesterday refused to comment on rival bids that the firm might be considering, after speculation that Exxon could be preparing to make an approach. Gould said the BG board had assessed the Shell offer “very largely on the basis of what we felt was the ultimate potential of BG’s value”, [...]
France expands Renault stake before law vote April 8, 2015 THE FRENCH government announced yesterday its intention to expand its holding in Renault, with the aim of ensuring long-term stakeholders get double votes. In order to have enough firepower to ensure the rules of the controversial Florange law are enforced at the car manufacturer, it plans to expand its stake by 4.7 per cent to [...]
Mercedes races ahead in March as it ramps up record sales April 8, 2015 Mercedes Benz set a new record in March after seeing sales leap 15 per cent during the month. The German car manufacturer, which is a subsidiary of Daimler, sold 183,467 new vehicles in March. The strong sales rounded off what was also the firm’s best ever first quarter, selling 429,602 cars. The highest rate of [...]
Vivendi mends activist ties as Sky bid denied April 8, 2015 SHARES in Sky went up yesterday after Vivendi’s denial that it was planning to bid for the Pay-TV broadcaster failed to quash speculation. The French entertainment giant, which owns Universal music and French broadcaster Canal Plus, also said its recent dispute with an activist hedge fund over its vast amount of spare cash has been [...]
Non-dom crackdown: What impact will taxing the global rich have on the UK? April 8, 2015 Tight finances and pressure to break the deadlock in the election campaign combined yesterday in a very focused new round of tax – on the foreign earnings of over 5,000 rich British residents. Labour first introduced a levy on long-term non-domiciled residents back in 2008, and the coalition has hiked it since. In December, chancellor [...]
Q and A: Labour’s non-dom changes April 8, 2015 Q What is the situation now? A Currently, non-domiciled UK residents only pay UK tax on their UK income. Anything earned abroad is taxed in that country, unless it is brought to the UK. Q That does not sound unreasonable. Why is it being changed? A The problem is that most British citizens living here [...]
House hunters hold off expensive home purchases as General Election could lead to levy rise April 8, 2015 Demand for prime mortgages fell at its fastest pace since 2008 at the start of this year, with industry analysts arguing it shows those looking at the most expensive homes are holding off until after the General Election. Bank of England figures show a sharp fall in lending, with demand for prime mortgages – the [...]
Atom Bank raising £75m before launch April 8, 2015 Atom Bank is raising £75m from investors as it prepares to gain its full licence and launch this year. The Durham-based challenger bank plans to be the first fully digital lender, operating predominantly via mobile apps. The licensing process runs in two stages, allowing banks to gain partial authorisation, helping it to hire more staff [...]
