Jeremy Clarkson’s ousting, Britain enters “noflation”: What got us talking this week March 27, 2015 It was a week of departures: Jeremy Clarkson was finally ousted by the Beeb (he’s now 16/1 to stand for Ukip), Zayn Malik caused untold pain among teenage girls (and a certain amount of glee at Spotify, which capitalised from a “sadness spike”) when he announced his departure from One Direction, and ITV bosses revealed [...]
Theatre review: Rules for Living March 27, 2015 National Theatre | ★★★★☆ So this is it: the final curtain for Sir Nicholas Hytner, the revitalising creative director of the National Theatre. That he would bow out with Rules for Living, a new play from young writer Sam Holcroft and directed by stalwart Marianne Elliot, exemplifies the combination of steady-handedness and risk he has [...]
These priceless Henry Moore sculptures are all free to view in and around London March 26, 2015 When Henry Moore’s eight-foot bronze Reclining Figure: Festival sold at a New York auction house for £19.1m in 2012, it made him the second most expensive British artist of the 20th century, ahead of Lucian Freud and Damien Hirst. With this fact in mind, it’s amazing that so many of his sculptures are still freely [...]
Give fantastic Roy new deal says Rooney March 26, 2015 ENGLAND captain Wayne Rooney has urged the Football Association to tie down national team manager Roy Hodgson to a new contract beyond next summer’s European Championships. Hodgson’s current deal expires after the tournament and FA chairman Greg Dyke this week reiterated that he was in no hurry to commit to a coach who oversaw England’s [...]
Co-pilot of Airbus A320 Germanwings flight 4U9525 28-year-old Andreas Lubitz intended to “destroy the plane” March 26, 2015 The pilot of Germanwings flight 4U9525 intended to “destroy the plane”, officials investigating the crash that killed 150 people have said. Investigators confirmed this morning that only the German co-pilot was in the cockpit at the time of the descent after the pilot had left for a “natural call”. In a press conference this [...]
Think Meerkat’s growth is impressive? These are the fastest growing social apps March 26, 2015 Meerkat, the new live video streaming app that launched just a month ago, is enjoying strong growth after its latest deal valued it at approximately $40m. Silicon Valley venture capitalists have helped Meerkat raise millions of dollars in new funding. It was led by Greylock Partners, which has previously backed the likes of Facebook, Instagram [...]
When do the clocks go forward? British Summertime begins by springing forward on March 29 March 26, 2015 Sad news folks. This weekend we all get one hour less asleep because on March 29 the clocks go forward, meaning we lose an hour on Sunday morning. It's not all bad news – the fact we are “springing forward” means it is the official start of British Summertime, which after a winter of weatherbombs, [...]
The most exciting frontier markets opportunities: From Vietnam to Pakistan, Romania to Nigeria March 26, 2015 Every portfolio needs diversifiers, and frontier markets are becoming increasingly relevant for investors seeking growth. Frontiers tend to be uncorrelated with developed markets, so the investment stories will thrive – or fail – independent of events in Europe or the US. Below, we highlight four of the hottest frontier markets right now. VIETNAM After [...]
Tough at the top: Will the FTSE giants fall from grace? March 26, 2015 From dividend cuts, to the accounting scandals just waiting to happen, SVM’s Colin McLean talks to Annabelle Williams about the potential pitfalls facing the UK market. The last few years have been tough for the UK’s biggest companies, as FTSE giants from supermarkets and banks, to insurers and oil majors, have come under pressure. [...]
Ros Altmann: The savers’ champion talks pension reform, QE, and the pension annuities bombshell March 26, 2015 "I was gobsmacked.” Ros Altmann summarises her reaction to the Budget last year, when the chancellor first outlined his dramatic plans to bring pension freedoms to all. On the afternoon of that Budget day, Altmann, a pensions expert and campaigner, adviser to successive governments, and investment manager and economist, could barely contain her excitement when [...]