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 [...]
David Cameron warns of “further consequences” if Russia continues to invade Ukraine August 28, 2014 David Cameron has said he is "extremely concerned" by evidence Vladimir Putin has launched a full-blown invasion in eastern Ukraine, warning there will be "further consequences" if Russia doesn't pull them out. In a statement this afternoon, the Prime Minister said the Russian president was "completely disregarding" the sovereignty of its neighbour. The international community [...]
More tube strikes on the way? RMT announces overtime ban for next week August 28, 2014 The Rail, Maritime and Transport workers' union has made the latest move in its conflict with London Underground (LU) and Mayor Boris Johnson. On Wednesday, RMT staff will be instructed not to work any overtime and not to participate in development courses. The union blamed the action on LU's failure to engage over plans to close ticket [...]
London restaurant Chilango raises tasty £2.2 million with crowdfunded burrito bond August 28, 2014 London burrito restaurant Chilango has raised a tasty sum through its so-called “burrito bond”, which it funded through crowd funding platform CrowdCube. The Mexican food chain raised £2.2m, more than double the amount it was aiming for with the retail bond. Almost 750 investors bought into the four-year mini-bond, which offers a fixed-rate of eight [...]