London Report: Ukraine tension and ore prices weigh on FTSE August 28, 2014 A RATCHETING up of tension in Ukraine yesterday took its toll on Britain’s top share index, knocking it back from its highest closing level in nearly two months. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Russian forces had entered his country and the military conflict was worsening after Moscow-backed separatists swept into an eastern town. The blue-chip [...]
New York Report: Wall St takes a tumble over world concerns August 28, 2014 US STOCKS edged lower yesterday, after the latest tension between Ukraine and Russia snapped the focus of investors back to the volatile region. However, a trio of economic reports pointed to improving conditions and helped mitigate declines. The second reading of gross domestic product showed the US economy rebounded more strongly than initially thought in [...]
Heart disease to cost UK £18.4bn by 2020 August 28, 2014 In less than six years heart disease will cost the UK €23.1bn (£18.4bn), according to the Centre for Economic and Business Research. The UK will be one of the hardest hit countries in Western Europe by cardiovascular disease, the figures suggest, with only Germany estimated to spend more. By 2020, direct and indirect [...]
Amber Green completes £50m investment in Boris Johnson’s London energy fund August 28, 2014 Amber Green has announced the completion the investment of an initial £50m funding round in Boris Johnson's flagship London Energy Efficiency Fund (LEEF). Thanks to the first investment round coming 18 months ahead of schedule, LEEF has landed a further £11.5m from the Mayor's London Green Fund. The new tranche of cash will be doled [...]
Hollande calls for growth summit amid political turmoil August 28, 2014 French President Francois Hollande has appealed for a Eurozone growth summit to get to grips with the currency block's economic stagnation and high unemployment. The embattled President warned an audience of ambassadors in Paris that “Europe is threatened by a long and possibly interminable stagnation if we do nothing.” Hollande called on European leaders to [...]
Scottish independence is “a one way ticket to uncertainty” says CBI chief Sir Mike Rake August 28, 2014 In a fresh blow for Yes Scotland, the president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has told an audience of business leaders that a vote for independence would be "a one way ticket to uncertainty with no return". Speaking at the CBI Scotland Annual Dinner at the Hilton Hotel, Sir Mike Rake emphasised that [...]
Champions League draw: Arsenal meet Dortmund once again as Liverpool handed tough Real Madrid test August 28, 2014 Arsenal have been drawn in the same Champions League group as Borussia Dortmund for the third time in four years, as Liverpool face two tough ties against Real Madrid in their return to the competition. Chelsea have been drawn against Schalke for their second year in a row in group G alongside Sporting Lisbon and [...]
World’s energy watchdog slashes renewables forecast August 28, 2014 The world's leading energy watchdog slashed its forecasts for renewable energy in a new report published today. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned the sector faced serious threats from policy uncertainty and grid integration risks. However, investment in renewable energy capacity is still expected to soar to $1.6 trillion by 2020. The IEA cut [...]
“Wish we could say more”: Apple sends out event invite – could it be to do with the iPhone 6…? August 28, 2014 If you received one of these, you know you're in Apple's in-crowd – this afternoon mysterious invitations landed in the inboxes of Silicon Valley's digirati. What could it possibly be? Judging by previous rumours, it's either: a) the iPhone 6 launch; or, er, b) the iPhone 6 launch. Although there's a (slim) chance it might [...]
Strictly Come Dancing vs The X Factor – who wins in the battle of the ratings (and how have they fared in the past five years)? August 28, 2014 The launch of BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing will go head-to-head with an audition episode of ITV's The X Factor next month – but which show is mostly likely to win the ratings war? A few years ago, the smart money would have been on the Simon Cowell behemoth, which at one point looked like [...]