OECD slashes its Eurozone growth forecast by a third September 15, 2014 The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has cut its 2014 GDP growth forecast for the Eurozone by a third, from 1.2 per cent to 0.8 per cent. It also reduced its 2015 outlook for the area, from 1.7 per cent in May to 1.1 per cent now. In its interim economic assessment, [...]
David Beckham pleads with Scotland to vote No to independence to preserve UK’s “historic bond” September 15, 2014 David Beckham has become the latest big name to enter the fray over Scottish independence. In a letter released by the Let's Stay Together campaign the former England captain said he was "thrilled to watch us competing against the world" in the Olympics and expressed his pride in the United Kingdom. He said: The achievement [...]
Dixons Carphone could offer 1,500 Phones 4u workers jobs September 15, 2014 Dixons Carphone is planning to offer jobs to hundreds of Phones 4u employees after the mobile phone retailer collapsed into administration. Carphone Warehouse has previously announced it will have 1,500 vacancies at the newly-formed company, a four per cent increase in the total number of jobs available prior to the merger, which was completed in [...]
Scottish independence: Voters in rest of the UK say no financial aid to independent Scotland September 15, 2014 As we enter the final days of the campaign for Scottish independence, the polls are coming in thick and fast. The Sunday papers carried three polls, with two placing the no vote in the lead. The poll which did put the Yes campaign in the lead – by eight points – was largely ignored because [...]
Rouble falls to record low against the dollar on ceasefire worries September 15, 2014 Scottish independence may be hitting the headlines over here, but morning trading showed markets' main concerns are still over the situation in Ukraine and the associated sanctions hitting Russian businesses. While the pound fell slightly against the dollar – 0.02 per cent – on jitters over what will happen north of the border on Thursday, [...]
Tag Heuer is planning a smartwatch after Apple Watch launch September 15, 2014 Apple might have one more watchmaker a little hot under the collar with the Apple Watch. Luxury watch brand Tag Heuer has told a Swiss newspaper it’s planning to launch a smartwatch a week after Apple launched its much-anticipated smartwatch. Jean-Claude Biver of Tag Heuer owner LVMH said "We want to launch a smartwatch at [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell: Three things you didn’t know about the WPP Group CEO September 15, 2014 1. Sir Martin’s oldest friend is the historian Simon Schama. They met at school and went up to Christ’s College, Cambridge together. They toured Eastern Europe, including a visit to what had been the Nazi concentration camp at Theresienstadt. 2. Fresh from business school, he was marketing consultant for Heinz baked beans and ketchup. 3. [...]
Scottish independence: Uncertainty over the referendum could dampen UK house price growth September 15, 2014 House prices across England and Wales were up 7.9 per cent over the last 12 months, according to data from Rightmove. The company, which surveys a sample accounting for 90 per cent of estate agents, does not seasonally adjust its figures and so one-off monthly trends are difficult to analyse. Nevertheless, the 0.9 per cent [...]
The Chinese city of Chongqing has created the world’s first lane for mobile phone-using pedestrians September 15, 2014 Anyone who has spent time in a city is familiar with the frustrations of phone zombies – the strange, hunched figures absent-mindedly wandering into oncoming pedestrians' paths because they're too busy using their phones to look where they're going. Now the Chinese city of Chongqing has solved the problem, by creating the world's first lane [...]
Scottish independence: Fears of a Yes victory drive investors to ditch £17bn in a month September 15, 2014 Investors ditched £17bn of shares, bonds and assorted financial assets in the last month as fears grow that the Yes campaign could triumph in Scotland. Click to see what the bookies are predicting According to a report in The Times, the assets were dumped after the tide of business opinion, while never with the Yes camp, has [...]