How much legislation actually comes from Brussels? October 13, 2014 There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding how much British legislation has its origins in Brussels. Ukip have claimed ad nauseam that 75 per cent of Britain's laws are made in Brussels – but are they right? A research paper published in 2010 from the House of Commons Library may shed some light [...]
Global markets fall despite iPhone 6-inspired rise in Chinese exports October 13, 2014 China reported an unexpected rise in exports this morning, but the news failed to inspire faltering Asian and European markets. Stocks on major indices across the globe are still struggling as anxious investor sentiment provoked by the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) weak global growth forecast showed no signs of abating. Last week the [...]
Da La Rue’s share price climbs after Bank of England confirms 10-year deal October 13, 2014 De La Rue's share price rose today after its 10-year deal to print sterling bank notes received the final approval. The printer and passport manufacturer will take on the new contract, producing bank notes from the Bank of England's base in Debden, Essex, in April. De La Rue, which has been printing bank [...]
Mark Carney on interest rate rises, Eurozone weakness and the 2015 general election October 13, 2014 Is Bank of England governor Mark Carney on a media blitz? He’s already taken the opportunity to tell bank chiefs to face up to new laws which make them legally responsible for any wrongdoing. And, while attending the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, he’s also given interviews to CNBC and CNN making clear that eurozone weakness and [...]
7Digital share price surges after talks with Will.I.Am for smartwatch music service confirmed October 13, 2014 One of the digital darlings of London’s Silicon Roundabout has confirmed it’s in talks with global superstar and tech entrepreneur Will.I.Am to create a music streaming service for his soon-to-launch smartwatch. 7Digital Group said it is in discussions with “respect to the delivery of a music service on a new range of devices, including wearables,” [...]
Russian rouble sinks to record lows as oil prices tumble October 13, 2014 Vladimir Putin was enjoying himself at Russia’s first Grand Prix for a century yesterday, but the party was quickly over as the Russian president woke up to further falls in oil prices and a weakening rouble. The Russian currency hit record lows against the dollar and the euro on Monday morning, as tumbling oil [...]
HP breaking in two: Is this good for the brand? October 13, 2014 So, Hewlett Packard is splitting its brand in two, HP on the consumer side and Hewlett Packard on the B2B side. From a corporate structure / investor perspective it's a clever move, but from a branding side it is fraught with challenges. When building a strategy and positioning for a brand, one of the [...]
Jean Tirole wins 2014 Nobel Prize for economics October 13, 2014 Jean Tirole has won the 2014 Nobel Prize in economics for his work on large firms and regulation. The highly coveted Sveriges Riksbank award in economic sciences dedicated to the memory of Alfred Nobel carries prize money of 8m Swedish krona (£775,000). This year's prize was focused on "taming powerful firms", particularly in industries with [...]
Tweet money transfer: Twitter and French bank BPCE will let users transfer cash via twitter October 13, 2014 Twitter is partnering with French bank BPCE to launch a new service that lets people transfer money between them by simply tweeting. Details of the plans are due to be unveiled tomorrow by BPCE’s mobile payment off-shoot S-Money. The French bank said those using the free peer-to-peer transfer service would need just a bank card and [...]
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales to lead global push for ethical phone group TPO as it lists in London October 13, 2014 Ethical mobile phone company The People's Operator (TPO) is looking to list on London as it seeks capital to help fund global expansion using a similar model to Wikipedia. The London-based company, which allows users to donate 10 per cent of their monthly bill to charity, is planning to launch onto Aim in November. [...]