ECB rates, growth and stimulus: Four charts that tell you what you need to know September 4, 2014 Today has been a busy day for central bank watchers. The Bank of England's monetary policy committee voted to keep rates at a record low of 0.5 per cent – but the European Central Bank (ECB) was where today's action really was. The ECB, against expectations, cut interest rates to 0.05 per cent and later [...]
Couch potato, otter or manic multiscreener – how do you watch TV? September 4, 2014 Couch potato, otter or manic-multiscreener – what do you turn into when you turn on the TV? Whichever you are, you are probably not using Twitter at the same time. Traditional TV watchers – couch potatoes – are still the biggest group of viewers, although there are signs of decline as other norms emerge, [...]
Prop-up-aganda? Chinese state media is encouraging 1.3bn people to buy more equities September 4, 2014 Policy makers in Europe and the UK are attempting to encourage equity markets through a range of fiscal measures – over in China, the government is also attempting to boost stocks, but in a slightly more pro-active manner. State-run newspapers Xinhua News Agency and the People's Daily and broadcaster CCTV appear to have started [...]
“DIY” policing – how do the London forces fare? September 4, 2014 You would probably expect London-based police forces to be the main culprits when it comes to the "emerging trend" of asking victims of crime to carry out their own investigations – but you'd be wrong. Sort of. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary admitted this morning that high-volume crimes are "on the verge of being [...]
iBrute force: Is this how Apple iPhone hackers leaked nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton? September 4, 2014 Yesterday a thread appeared on notoriously NSFW forum site 4chan, promising to post nude photos of actresses Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Ariana Grande in return for Bitcoin donations. Publicists for Lawrence and Upton confirmed the pictures were real (although Grande’s insisted they were “completely fake”). But how did the hacker get access to their [...]
Euro slides to one-year low as ECB cuts rates to 0.05pc, but confirms stimulus programme September 4, 2014 The euro slid to 1.302 against the dollar, its lowest level since July 2013, after the European Central Bank cut interest rates from 0.15 per cent to 0.05 per cent and confirmed plans to start a programme of buying asset-backed securities. ECB president Mario Draghi hinted during a speech at Jackson Hole last month that the [...]
Cameron: “I won’t resign if Scotland votes Yes” September 4, 2014 David Cameron thinks the fate of Scotland is bigger than he is, after he denied a Yes vote in the Scottish independence referendum on 18 September could lead to his resignation. Opinion polls have narrowed recently, with a recent survey showing 47 per cent of decided voters were leaning towards a Yes vote, up sharply from [...]
Bank of England MPC votes to keep interest rates at record low September 4, 2014 The Bank of England's monetary policy committee has done just what everyone was expecting, and held rates where they are at 0.5 per cent. The minutes of last month's meeting revealed the nine-person panel had been split seven to two in favour of leaving rates at their historic lows, and it is considered unlikely that [...]
Watch: Dyson unveils the 360 Eye, its robotic vacuum cleaner September 4, 2014 In recent years James Dyson has experimented with fans and hand dryers, but it seems he has returned to his first love, the vacuum cleaner. At a press conference in Japan this morning, Dyson unveiled his first robotic vacuum, the 360 Eye. Admittedly, robotic vacuum cleaners aren't a new idea – in 2001 Dyson trailed [...]
French unemployment edges higher adding to Hollande’s woes September 4, 2014 The unemployment rate in France has edged higher in another blow to President Hollande’s efforts to reduce jobless rates- one of a variety of economic woes for the French leader. 10.2 per cent of the French population were out of work in the second quarter of this year, compared to 10.1 per cent in the [...]