US regulators consider triple parent embryos to prevent disease February 25, 2014 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to consider whether to allow a new fertilisation technique that would combine the DNA of three people, with the aim of preventing genetic disease being passed down to children. Regulators are meeting for a "scientific, technologic and clinical" set of discussions surrounding the new treatment. The [...]
EC ups Eurozone growth outlook but slashes inflation forecast February 25, 2014 The European Commission just published its winter economic forecasts, with stronger economic growth and lower inflation projected for most of the Eurozone and EU generally. Growth is stronger in every large European economy except Italy, and still projected to rise in Greece, which would end a recession that has run since 2008. Olli Rehn, the [...]
Google’s fight to scupper driver headset restrictions February 25, 2014 In what’s most likely one of the first fistycuffs of many, Google is lobbying officials in at least three US states, in a bid to prevent proposed legislation on driving with wearables worn on the head – like Google Glass – reports Reuters. Eight states are considering imposing regulation on Google Glass glasses because of [...]
MPs just realised their SME lending probe is pointless February 25, 2014 Tight-fisted banks have crippled small firms and held back the recovery by choking off the oxygen of credit to Britain’s entrepreneurs – or so the story goes. But MPs this morning were surprised to find the rampant recovery may have come to the rescue. The Treasury Select Committee launched a probe into the state of [...]
The UK’s oil and gas paradox February 25, 2014 As the UK’s oil and gas resources continue to be at the centre of the political debate on Scottish independence, a new report by Oil & Gas UK warns that the industry is facing its biggest challenge in 50 years, due to a steep decline in exploration wells. In its Activity Survey 2014, the industry [...]
Former Asos director to head Boohoo for £500m IPO February 25, 2014 Ex-Asos director Peter Williams is to become chairman of Boohoo.com – a rival online fashion store – as it finalises listing plans valuing it at £500m, Sky News understands. Williams, a seasoned retailer who left the Asos board last year, is to take the reins as the company prepares to float on the stock market. [...]
Mortgage approvals skyrocket to 76-month high February 25, 2014 Mortgage approvals have skyrocketed by 57 per cent year-on-year to a 76-month high in January, according to the British Bankers Association (BBA). Approvals for house purchases leapt to 49,972 in January from 47,086 in December. The numbers follow a stream of data showing a sustained burst of activity in the UK housing market. In 2013, [...]
Chart: British women take more sick days than men February 25, 2014 It seems we're becoming more willing to soldier on. Over the past 20 years, we've been taking less and less time off work for sickness, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. The average sick days taken per worker has fallen from 7.2 in 1993 to 4.4 in 2013. But women still take [...]
MtGox’s mysterious website update February 25, 2014 Some keen eyes have spotted this change to the source code of MtGox's homepage. The website belongs to the world's largest Bitcoin exchange, which is thought to be facing some serious insolvency problems. An unverified document suggests that the company – originally a trading exchange for Magic: The Gathering cards – has lost as much [...]
3 ways corporate Britain rode out the financial crisis February 25, 2014 With the springs of economic recovery in the air, and resilient stock markets and burgeoning M&A deals becoming the norm, 2014 could be the year when the fug of the financial crisis finally lifts for good. It’s too early to tell what economic historians will write about the financial crisis era in decade to come, [...]