Winners of the year 2015: Uber, Lidl and Tony Pidgley and other success stories December 6, 2015 In 2015 the UK's economy continued to steadily grow and employment reached new highs – it was a good year for business. There will be plenty of champagne corks popping and glasses clinking this Christmas period, and no one has more reason to do so this year than these companies and personalities. Read more: The seven [...]
Countdown to Christmas 2015: Seven losers of the year featuring Sepp Blatter, Ukip and the England rugby team December 5, 2015 For every glorious sporting triumph, history-making achievement, scientific breakthrough, artistic masterpiece or political triumph achieved in 2015, there has been a fall from grace to go with it. Whether it's an ousted president, collapsed share price or corporate disaster, for this lot, 2016 can't come soon enough. Read more: Beer, burritos and gifs: This was crowdfunding in 2015 [...]
Merry Christmas: Barclays could cut another 20 per cent of investment bank jobs December 4, 2015 Barclays is planning to cut another 20 per cent of jobs at its investment bank, it has been reported. The bank has already announced 7,000 job cuts at its investment bank, but these are thought to be on top of that. Last year it slashed 2,500 jobs, and expects to make a similar number of [...]
Countdown to Christmas, Syria vote and Star Wars economics: Here’s what got us talking this week December 4, 2015 A ray of sunshine after the gloomiest November in 86 years: this was the week in which the Bank of England declared the end of the financial crisis. Even banks aren’t stressed any more… What got us talking this week 1. Festive fun Only 20 more sleeps until the big day, and don’t we know [...]
Christmas with the Coopers review: A real reheated turkey December 4, 2015 12A | ★☆☆☆☆ A glittering cast assembles for this yuletide comedy about a dysfunctional family whose separating parents (John Goodman and Diane Keaton) want everyone to come together for Christmas Day. “It’s like trying to schedule happiness,” grumbles Alan Arkin’s grandpa, when explaining why he hates Christmas, the irony being that the film he’s appearing [...]
Krampus review: Finally, a film for people who hate Christmas December 4, 2015 15 | ★★★★☆ Finally, a film for people who hate Christmas. You know the type, the ones who claim Die Hard is their favourite Christmas film; they’ll love Krampus. They’ll be banging on about it for years. It’s a horror movie of sorts that tells the tale of a horned demon that exists in central European [...]
The Night Before review: A festive buddy comedy lacking in Christmas cheer December 4, 2015 Cert 15 | ★★☆☆☆ A festive tumbling barrel of semi-improvised dick and drug jokes, The Night Before is a semi-funny Christmas buddy comedy in which lifelong friends Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) hoof it around Manhattan in an attempt to recreate their once honoured annual traditions. Ethan is a developmentally arrested [...]
Countdown to Christmas 2015: Six of the most amazing discoveries humans made this year December 4, 2015 This year, humans around the world have made big leaps forward in unravelling the secrets of the universe and answering some of science's most complex questions. From disease prevention to space exploration and artificial intelligence, pretty much every aspect of science has been lifted by an important discovery in 2015. And new findings are constantly coming [...]
Mario the Grinch ruins Santa rally: Draghi disappoints investors with ECB rates cut December 4, 2015 European stocks dropped and the pound sank against the euro yesterday after chief Eurozone rate-setter Mario Draghi disappointed investors who had banked on a bumper Christmas. After months of talking up extra stimulus, Draghi cut the interest rate paid on deposits kept at the European Central Bank (ECB) to minus 0.3 per cent compared with [...]
John Lewis hails record-breaking Black Friday week December 4, 2015 John Lewis has reported the best week of trading in its 151-year history, as frenzied demand for the latest wearable technology, toys and televisions over the Black Friday helped the retailer smash last year’s record. The department store group said it racked up £187.7m of sales in the week ending 28 November, which was up [...]