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 [...]
EU VAT rule change could hike the cost of ebooks January 1, 2015 After weeks of deep discounts and mega-sales courtesy of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day, shoppers may be a bit miffed to find out that at the start of the new year they may have to pay more for their ebooks. As a result of a change in EU tax rules, digital products will be [...]
Rail companies vow to show cheapest tickets on eve of 2.2pc fare hike January 1, 2015 Britain's biggest train companies have agreed to sign up to a new code of practice to inform passengers of the cheapest possible deal for their journey. The move comes after a meeting held by the rail minister, Claire Perry. The code of practice is still a work in progress. Rail fares are set to rise [...]
2,300 City Link workers lose their jobs on New Year’s Eve January 1, 2015 Over 2,300 City link workers were made redundant on New Year's Eve after it was announced the company was going belly up. City Link's biggest shareholder Better Capital bought the company for the sum of £1 back in 2013. John Moulton, the founder and managing partner of Better Capital said: Of course, I wish it [...]
Business predicts 2015: UK wages to rise, Eurozone will avoid deflation and HS2 could be scrapped January 1, 2015 If 2014 was eventful in business, politics and the economy, this year is sure to prove just as eventful. A UK general election, geopolitical crisis, Eurozone woes and candidates putting themselves forward for the race to the White House will leave no shortage of news. With this in mind the influential business group the Institute [...]
Oil price will rise in 2015 and there will be no UK shale gas revolution, says Cebr Energy December 31, 2014 This year has been a roller coaster for the world of energy. The American shale gas revolution led to falling prices and reshoring of industry while the price oil has plunged below $60 per barrel. The fall in the price of oil has been cheered by industry and consumers while countries such as Russia and [...]
Uber suspends UberPop taxi app service in Spain after court injunction December 31, 2014 Taxi app company Uber has suspended its UberPop service in Spain after a court ruling banning the ride-sharing app was confirmed. UberPop is a ridesharing service and platform connecting private car owners with passengers who also have the option to split the fare. UberPop mirrors UberX in the US. Uber has been operating in Spain [...]
Swanky modern apartment or lovely old bulding? Brits’ dream homes revealed December 31, 2014 As anyone who's ever sat at a British dinner table can attest, we're a nation of property obsessives. But what kind of homes do we prefer? YouGov has investigated Brits' attitudes to interior design. Are we a nation desperate for the swanky high rise apartment, or do our hearts yearn for the traditional period features [...]
Cambridge, Guildford and Reading: The UK cities where it’s easiest to get a job December 31, 2014 Cambridge was the easiest place in the UK to get a job in 2014, according to research by job site Adzuna, with just 0.17 jobseekers per vacancy. Surprisingly, the worst place wasn't in the cut-and-thrust of the City – but in Salford, where there were 23.54 jobseekers per role. Guildford, Reading and Winchester also fared [...]
London Air Ambulance called in after man suffers severe injuries from Peter Jones escalator fall December 30, 2014 The London Air Ambulance was called into central London today after a man in his 20s suffered severe injuries after falling from an escalator in the Peter Jones department store. The incident that occurred at the Sloane Square store, owned by John Lewis Partnership at around 1pm on December 30, with police saying they will [...]
