Shale gas reserves in Scotland pale in comparison to England says new report June 30, 2014 Scotland's shale gas reserves are relatively minor compared to those in the north of England, according to a new study from the British Geological Survey (BGS). The Midland Valley is estimated to have just 80 trillion cubic feet of shale gas, compared to the north of England's Bowland Basin with an estimated 1,300 trillion cubic [...]
Travel to space in a balloon for just £44,000 June 30, 2014 If you have a spare couple of grand laying around and find yourself wanting to view the curvature of the Earth, there’s a travel company that’s almost ready to take you to space in a balloon. It’s not your average kind of balloon, of course. World View, a space travel company, has just launched the [...]
Higher core Eurozone inflation may allow ECB to “wait and see” June 30, 2014 Inflation in the euro area has held steady in June, static at an annual rate of 0.5 per cent, according to data released by Eurostat. Fears over the disinflationary climate in the Eurozone prompted the European Central Bank (ECB) to take action this month, with president Mario Draghi delivering a package of measures aimed at [...]
UK mortgage approvals just fell to an 11-month low June 30, 2014 UK mortgage approvals fell to an 11-month low of 61,707 in May, according to the latest data from the Bank of England. That's considerably down from April's 62,806 approvals. That figure has been downwardly revised from an initial estimate of 62,806 approvals last month. Mortgage approvals have been trending downwards since hitting a 74-month high [...]
British Airways “happiness blanket” tests in-flight experience June 30, 2014 British Airways has been testing out a “happiness blanket” on customers to see how they feel about the in-flight service it offers. Passengers involved in the experiment conducted on flights from London to New York, had their brainwaves monitored and displayed through a blanket made of fibreoptics. Turning blue when customers are content and red [...]
US haggis ban should be overturned, says UK minister June 30, 2014 The UK government is attempting to convince US authorities that traditional Scottish Haggis is safe to eat, so as to overturn a decades-old ban on the highland delicacy. Haggis imports have been prohibited in the US for 43 years following an embargo on food containing sheep lung. Environment secretary Owen Paterson will be hoping to [...]
Why Goldman Sachs thinks UK growth is about to take off June 30, 2014 The UK's annual GDP growth could continue at a pace of three per cent next year, according to Goldman Sachs. Upward revisions to the bank's forecast reflect "persistent strength displayed by UK activity indicators". Goldman reports that its current activity indicator (CAI) is consistent with annualised GDP growth of 3.5 to four per cent. The [...]
Premier Oil announces $130m disposal June 30, 2014 Premier Oil has announced the sale of its non-operated interests in the Scott, Telford and Rochelle fields to MOL Group for a cash consideration of $130m. For the year to date, production has averaged 3.7 kboepd net. The deal comprises six UK North Sea licence and will require government approval. Tony Durrant, chief executive, commented: Our [...]
First Legoland in Japan set to open in 2017 June 30, 2014 Merlin Entertainment has announced an agreement to build a Legoland theme park in Japan. The plans represent an attempt to capitalise on Japan's status as the second biggest theme-park market in the world, worth around £4bn annually. The park will cost £185m, and will be built using Merlin's operated and leased framework, where the [...]
Sports Direct confirms no deal for Office June 30, 2014 Sports Direct has confirmed that it is not considering an acquisition of footwear retailer Office. The FTSE 100 company said recent speculation over a possible deal was "unhelpful to the customers, staff, suppliers and other stakeholders of both companies". The board of the UK sports retailer has had its fair share of concerns over past [...]