KICKED OFF Nearly 300 investment trusts have been removed from trading website Hargreaves Lansdown for failing to file key information documents for investors by a deadline of January 1. THE DAILY BRIEFING

ROCKET MAN Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing for an important rocket launch tomorrow – with the billionaire’s cherry red Tesla Roadster on board.

If the launch of the Falcon Heavy – the most powerful rocket in the world and as powerful as 18 of Boeing’s 747 jumbo jets – is successful, it will be used to transfer large payloads and spacecraft into orbit.

ON BOARD Ruth Cairnie, 64, a non-executive director at engineer Rolls-Royce, has been appointed to power generation business Contour Global’s board.

NAME SWITCH Coalbed methane producer Green Dragon Gas, one of the largest producers in China, has decided to change its name to G3 Exploration.

GAS DEAL Sales and support services group DCC has completed its purchase of Shell’s liquefied petroleum gas business in Macau and Hong Kong for £100m.

HOMES SALE Listed residential landlord Grainger will buy a 237home development in Sheffield from Abode Hallam, for around £32m.

INSURER BOUGHT Motor insurer Tempcover has been bought by its bosses for £13.3m. The deal was funded with £7.5m from private equity firm Connection Capital, and a £5.8m loan from Santander.

GROWTH SLIP Growth in the construction sector slipped in December, according research group IHS Markit. Its reading of 52.2 in its purchasing managers’ index, where anything over 50 is expansion, was down from 53.1.

RECORD INVESTMENT The lowcost arm of investment giant BlackRock sucked in a record £182bn from investors last year, up 76pc from 2016. The iShares exchangetraded funds, which track markets around the world, have been hugely popular because fees are lower.

AIR BOOST Airline Ryanair’s passenger tally was up by 3pc to 9.3m last month, despite pilots’ strike threat.

NEW FACE Fashion firm Burberry has appointed Orna NiChionna to its board, to serve as a non-executive director.