General Electric to sell capital fleet to competitor Element Financial for $6.98bn June 29, 2015 General Electric, the American multinational conglomerate, is to sell off GE Capital’s fleet management operations in the US, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand for $6.98bn (£4.44bn) in cash. One of America’s largest companies, GE will sell several of its fleet businesses to a Canadian rival, as part of the firm’s strategy of focuses on its [...]
Up to 160 Conservative MPs want to cut the top rate of income tax to 40 per cent June 29, 2015 Senior Conservatives have said up to 160 MPs want the top rate of income tax taken down to 40p in the next budget, due on 8 July. Read More: Think tank IFS says Labour cannot bank on 50p tax rate to bring in more money This mounts pressure on George Osborne ahead of his first truly Conservative [...]
Greek debt crisis: Should UK tourists take cash to Greece? Government imposes ATM limit on citizens as banks close June 29, 2015 Foreign tourists are exempt from the €60 (£38) daily limit Greece's government has imposed on ATM transactions in the country, Greek authorities have stated. In response to a possible bank run and crisis, Greece has closed banks until after the referendum next week, and capital controls have been imposed. Worried tourists have been queuing up [...]
How Argentina’s struggle in the late 1990s could provide lessons to Greek leaders June 26, 2015 As Greece teeters on the brink of default, its leaders could do worse than to look to Argentina's own tussle with default back in the late 1990s. Why they're similar Like Greece, the economic crisis in Argentina began against a backdrop of deregulation and financial liberalisation – although in Argentina's case, its convertibilidad policy pegged the [...]
Fifa presidency: Bookies favour Blatter to be Fifa president at Christmas June 26, 2015 Given his 17-year reign, Sepp Blatter was never likely to give up his presidency easily. And following his about-turn today, Bookies are now saying he is favourite to be Fifa president at Christmas, with odds of 5/6 at bookmaker PaddyPower, suggesting that a vote for new president won't happen until next year. However, they are [...]
Leaked document shows David Cameron wants to keep Britain in the EU by highlighting “risky” impact of UK exit June 26, 2015 A leaked note from a private meeting with a European leader has revealed the Prime Minister’s modest demands to secure agreement from fellow EU leaders, along with his desire to keep Britain in the EU. The document of the PM’s private conversation with a fellow leader shows that Cameron has set himself the “firm aim” [...]
How important is the EU to UK trade? June 26, 2015 The European Union is larger than any individual economy in the world, surpassing the USA, China and other Bric economies. Yet, the growth of non-EU economies has outpaced the growth of EU economies, largely driven by the growth of these Bric economies, meaning the EU’s share of global GDP has fallen from 30 per cent [...]
How your political leanings affect your self control June 26, 2015 Do you find yourself struggling to avoid taking that last slice or pizza, or are you the first to hit the gym in the morning? Either way, it could be down to your political learnings. Right-wingers have more self-control than people who consider themselves to be politically liberal, new research suggests. Research from the University [...]
Amazon wants to make talking to robots an everyday event with Echo June 25, 2015 Amazon is aiming to make talking to robots as normal an event as turning on the TV or checking your phone. The company has ambitious plans to make voice control ubiquitous in households and has started by launching the Amazon Echo, a wireless speaker you can control through voice commands by saying “Alexa”. Alexa is [...]
Devolution is coming: Now the Midlands needs to make the most of it June 25, 2015 Speaking outside Number 10 on 8th May, the Prime Minister declared that his new government’s mission was “ensuring this recovery reaches all parts of our country.” At Birmingham Airport, we are clear that unlocking new growth in our region means supporting new direct aviation connectivity opportunities around the world. This is why we are focused [...]