Angela Merkel and Syriza are about to open Pandora’s box: Watch out, Eurozone January 11, 2015 It is not often that I feel sorry for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Having lived in her country since 2006, for me she is the most overrated of modern politicians, having accomplished almost nothing in terms of substantive policy achievements, while somehow being lionised for her lack of ambition. She is the archetype of this [...]
General election 2015 TV debates: David Cameron “running scared” says Ed Miliband January 11, 2015 David Cameron is “running scared” of live TV debates, according to Ed Miliband. Speaking on the Andrew Marr show, the Labour leader claimed the Prime Minister was acting in a “pretty disreputable” manner regarding the debates, after Cameron claimed he would not take part unless the Green Party was also represented. According to the Guardian, [...]
SpaceX rocket landing: Why did Elon Musk’s mission go wrong? January 10, 2015 Today, the American firm SpaceX launched a rocket into space. After releasing its cargo up in the direction of the International Space Station (ISS), the rocket started to change direction and headed back down to Earth. The plan was to eventually land the Falcon 9 rocket on a launch pad just off the coast [...]
Eurozone: ECB said to have discussed €500bn quantitative easing programme January 9, 2015 European Central Bank (ECB) officials are said to have discussed a €500bn quantitative easing programme, which many hope will rescue the embattled Eurozone from its economic quagmire. If the programme is launched, it will involve the central bank buying up government debt rated BBB- or higher. Purchasing only investment-grade debt minimises the bank's exposure to [...]
Labour shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna calls for inquiry into collapse of City Link January 9, 2015 Labour's shadow business secretary has urged the government to initiate an inquiry into the controversial collapse of delivery giant City Link. Chuka Umunna piled pressure on the government, asking for a "full and proper inquiry" and adding "those who have lost their jobs and contractors who are owed money deserve nothing less". Business secretary Vince [...]
Tesco share price rallies as chief Dave Lewis wins over City funds, but Moody’s issues junk rating January 8, 2015 Tesco boss Dave Lewis won the cautious backing of stock-pickers yesterday as he unveiled radical plans to cut hundreds of millions of pounds worth of costs in a bid to revive the fortunes of the troubled supermarket. Shares rallied 15 per cent, marking their biggest one-day gain in six years. Yet lenders to the retail [...]
Cameron: I won’t join TV debates without Greens January 8, 2015 DAVID Cameron has drawn a firm line in the sand over the proposed TV election debates, vowing not to take part unless the Green party is invited too. The Prime Minister’s tough stance on the issue came after regulator Ofcom published provisional guidance suggesting that the Green party has not secured enough support in previous [...]
Tesco boss Dave Lewis: Drastic he may be but let’s not forget dapper January 8, 2015 Drastic Dave Lewis had his day in the spotlight yesterday, reeling off a list of admittedly quite drastic measures in a bid to save Tesco. But the one question The Capitalist wanted to ask was, how does Tesco boss Drastic Dave Lewis feel about constantly being called drastic? Maybe one day he’d like to be [...]
General Election 2015: Miliband, Farage and Clegg accuse Cameron of “running scared” from televised leader debates after refusing to appear without Green Party January 8, 2015 Rival political parties have accused David Cameron of “running scared” from the televised debates ahead of the General Election, after he said he wouldn't take part in them unless the Green Party were also included. The Prime Minister made the comments after draft guidelines were made by Ofcom about who should appear. The report said [...]
Tesco turnaround: Dave Lewis says “We are facing the reality of the situation”. Here’s his statement in full January 8, 2015 Tesco's share price has risen 11.2 per cent today, after revealing better than expected results, a detailed turnaround strategy and the name of its new UK and Ireland boss, Halford's Matt Davies, who joins in June. Chief executive Dave Lewis has gone through a baptism of fire in his first few months at the [...]