Learning English is crucial for Muslim women to integrate, but Prime Minister David Cameron’s plans should not be linked to extremism January 19, 2016 Migrants joining their spouses will have to sit a test to sit an English test two and a half years after arriving in the United Kingdom. This was one of the reforms announced yesterday by Prime Minister David Cameron. The announcement attracted few plaudits. But the idea has promise. Learning English is critical. It not [...]
Boris Johnson just made an announcement in Minecraft to launch the new Games London initiative January 19, 2016 Boris Johnson has never shied away from unexpected ways of doing things. So why should we be surprised the London mayor has chosen to promote the future of London’s gaming sector by turning himself into a Minecraft character? To launch the new initiative Games London, BoJo has appeared in an “in-game press-conference” held within the [...]
What would encourage fathers to provide more childcare? Parliament select committee takes evidence at 10:30 – Drop in favour of opinion piece January 19, 2016 NULL
Four West Midlands schools evacuated over bomb threat phone calls this morning January 19, 2016 Police are investigating after bomb threats were made to three schools in the West Midlands this morning. The schools – Holly Lodge, Bristnall Hall and Oldbury Academy – were all in Sandwell and were evacuated after calls were received between 9am and 9:30am this morning. A school in Dudley was also affected. Some institutions took the independent [...]
EU referendum: Battle commences as the “In” campaign focuses on security and the “Out” campaign remain divided January 19, 2016 It is hotting up. In London, the word on the street is that there are two dates to remember: February 19th and June 23rd. The first is when David Cameron claims a victory in his renegotiation after the make or break European Council meeting; the second is the probable date of the referendum. Eight months [...]
London and Europe are getting a new £500m tech startup VC fund as Chinese-backed Cocoon Networks launches January 19, 2016 London's tech startups are set for a new injection of cash worth as much as half a billion pounds as a new Chinese-backed venture capital fund launches. Private equity firms China Equity Group and Hanxin Capital will launch Cocoon Networks with £500m to invest in UK and European tech companies which show potential for success in China. The wide-ranging fund will span fintech, biotech, medical devices [...]
Autumnal equinox 2015 UK date: Autumn starts today, but what and when is September’s equinox? January 19, 2016 The autumn equinox occurs when daylight and darkness are an approximate equal duration – in fact, equinox is Latin for “equal night”. Astronomically, the equinox marks the end of summer and beginning of autumn. But there are actually several different ways of deciding when autumn begins – for meteorologists autumn started 1 September. The Earth [...]
Oil prices: End of Iran sanctions sends prices lower – but Opec says this year the US shale oil industry will finally feel the burn and cut production January 19, 2016 There seems no end in sight for sliding oil prices, as black gold fell to $28 a barrel for the first time in 12 years. It’s now priced 70 per cent lower than its $120 peak in June 2014. Forecasts of $20 a barrel made by Goldman Sachs last summer seemed outlandish at the time. But [...]
Eurozone inflation climbs to highest rate since July January 19, 2016 Annual inflation in the Eurozone rose to 0.2 per cent in December, according to figures released this morning. December's inflation rate is the highest since July with November's inflation rate revised down to 0.1 per cent from 0.2 per cent. The figures from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, confirm an earlier estimate of [...]
So much for the winter lull: UK house price growth jumps again in November January 19, 2016 UK house prices grew 7.7 per cent in the year to November, up from seven per cent the month before, as people rushed to buy homes before interest rates rise. The east of England led the charge, with price growth of 10.2 per cent, while prices in the south east and London rose 9.8 per [...]