Is there a cure for Ebola? These three companies are racing to create a vaccine against the deadly virus October 23, 2014 As the death toll from Ebola continues to rise in west Africa, the pressure being placed on pharmaceutical companies to come up with a cure for the disease is mounting. According to estimates from the World Heath Organisation (WHO), the epidemic has already killed over 4,500 people in the region and the infection rate [...]
The power of the PowerPoint slide: Simple presentation effects can convince investors to invest October 23, 2014 Even among the most experienced investors, a thoughtfully placed information pyramid and the carefully timed disappearance of a thought bubble can work wonders in convincing them that a company is worth getting involved in. W. Brooke Elliott, a professor of accountancy at the University of Illinois, looked into the effect of corporate presentations [...]
Following the #GamerGate saga, new study states gaming least welcoming area for women online October 23, 2014 A new study from the Pew Research Center has found online gaming is the "least welcoming" online environment for women. The findings come as the #GamerGate saga continues to spark fierce online debate about the level of sexism and misogyny in the video game community. The research, by the US-based Pew Investigation Centre, found just [...]
Travelodge gets 200,000 strange requests a year – but which ones are real? October 23, 2014 My mother always used to complain that I treated her house like a hotel, but judging by some of the requests made at the Travelodge chain, I really wasn't trying hard enough. The British business today revealed some of its most bizarre requests made by some of the 17 million guests that stayed at [...]
NHS will face annual shortfall of £30bn without major services overhaul, health officials say October 23, 2014 The NHS needs extra cash and an overhaul of its services if it is to avoid a £30bn annual shortfall over the next five years, according to senior health officials. In a five year plan unveiled today, they said the next parliament would have to adopt measures such as introducing hospital services to GP [...]
Tesco’s credit ratings downgraded by two agencies October 23, 2014 Credit agencies Fitch and Moody's have downgraded Tesco's rating – with the latter saying it could be dropped further to junk status depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation into its accounting practices. Moody's has dropped the rating on Tesco from Baa2 to Baa3, while Fitch has dropped it from BBB to BBB-. [...]
What businesses will Tesco sell after ruling out a rights issue to raise cash? October 23, 2014 Tesco may be in dire straits, but a rights issue was ruled out by chief executive Dave Lewis this afternoon. Rather, the team will look “to extract value” from the business, most likely by selling off some of its non-core business assets. The supermarket sells much more than just groceries after embarking upon a rapid [...]
Hailo taxi app unveils new features and teams up with futurologists October 23, 2014 Taxi app Hailo has teamed up with futurologists to give an insight into the future of cities as well as launching two new features. The new features are intended to help Hailo adapt to an increasingly competitive taxi market and avoid another inglorious exit from a major market. Pay Hailo lets the user connect to [...]
Islamic banking UK: Islamic Bank of Britain re-branded to Al Rayan Bank as number of non-Muslim investors grows October 23, 2014 The Islamic Bank of Britain has unveiled plans to change its name to Al Rayan Bank, as it aims to increase its presence in London and acquire a wider range of customers. It will also update its logo and all other aspects of its brand identity across its website and UK branches. As long [...]
Tesco boss Dave Lewis in video interview says “We’ve got to be a little bit disappointed” October 23, 2014 Tesco boss Dave Lewis has taken to YouTube to talk about the supermarket’s troubles after posting a 91.9 per cent drop in profits and a £263m profit understatement. “We’ve got to be a little bit disappointed," said Lewis, erring towards an understatement rather than overstatement this time. “It’s fair to say it’s been a challenging [...]