Obama requests $500m to arm Syrian rebels June 27, 2014 Obama has asked congress for $500m to arm and train “moderate” Syrian rebels, in an attempt to bolster defence against Bashar al-Assad's forces, the White House has said. If approved, they hope that the aid will also help to counter militant groups such as Isis, which has captured much of the northern part of Iraq, [...]
How did the ice age start? Scientists are closer to finding the answer June 27, 2014 Two and a half million years ago, a period of freezing cold struck the Earth and covered much of its northern hemisphere in sheets of ice, some three kilometres thick. With so many factors controlling the climate, from the composition of the atmosphere to the location of our planet relative to the sun, it has [...]
New sanctions against Russia could come on Monday June 27, 2014 Russia has until Monday to take steps to improve the situation in eastern Ukraine or face further sanctions, European Union leaders meeting in Brussels today announced. The measures that the EU has asked to be in place by Monday are: agreement on a verification mechanism for the ceasefire and effective border control the release of [...]
This 12 acre Caribbean island costs the same as a three bedroom London flat June 27, 2014 As any good economist will tell you, when you're considering a purchase ask not if you should spend the money or not but what else you could buy for the amount you're considering parting with. To put that into context, if you have £5.7m burning a hole in your pocket should you buy a three-bedroom [...]
Mercedes is making a million dollar car June 27, 2014 Mercedes is set to unveil a luxury car with a million dollar price tag, making it the most expensive sedan in the world. The Mercedes S-Class Pullman, part of its flagship range, is slated to have armour plating and a separate section partitioned off from the chauffer, Bloomberg reports. The model, due to go on [...]
Scottish independence savaged by Ed Miliband in plea for progressive Britain June 27, 2014 Ed Miliband has pleaded with Scottish voters to reject independence and work for a progressive change throughout the UK in a bid to shore up Labour support before the 2015 general election. Speaking to an audience in Edinburgh, the embattled Labour leader said: "Scotland has always thought big. And the way to think big in [...]
Why Ukraine’s free trade agreement with EU puts all eyes on Moscow June 27, 2014 Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have signed landmark free-trade pacts with European leaders this morning, binding the former Soviet states closer to the west. The agreement slashes import tariffs between the countries and the European Union and is considered a watershed moment for the region: a marked shift away from Russian influence and Moscow's proposals to [...]
Tesco living through a period of radical change, says CEO June 27, 2014 Tesco's annual general meeting has kicked off, with shareholders expressing anger at the poor performance of the UK's biggest supermarket over the last year. Philip Clarke, who replaced Sir Terry Leahy as CEO of the company in 2010, acknowledged that the results had been bad but remained optimistic, saying that Tesco was "living through a [...]
Blockchain breaks new ground with DNA wallet June 27, 2014 The blockchain technology which underpins the network of cryptocurency Bitcoin, is breaking new ground through an Israeli startup called DNA.Bits. DNA.Bits is planning to store genetic and medical data, with genetic information available to researchers. However, privacy will be maintained through the use of private keys to keep a digital DNA Wallet. The new technology [...]
Amazon brings battle with book publishers to the UK June 27, 2014 Amazon has been accused of bullying UK publishers in the latest upset between the book industry and the ecommerce giant. An investigation by the Bookseller, the industry trade magazine, found Amazon was putting UK publishers under "heavy pressure" when it came to agreeing new contract terms. Publishing houses are worried about certain terms proposed in [...]