Airbus files patent for “stacked” passenger seats October 7, 2015 The future of economy air travel looks like it will be a lot less comfortable, if Airbus patents are anything to go by. The aircraft manufacturer has filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark office, and while it features several possible designs, essentially seats are stacked on top of one another. "In modern means of transport, in [...]
Why mobile ad blocking is good for the advertising industry October 7, 2015 Over the last few weeks it has been impossible to read any trade publications without encountering an article on ad blockers. With the introduction of iOS 9 last month, mobile ad blocking risks rising, as users receive the opportunity to opt out of advertising. Rather than descend into a blind panic about ad blockers and [...]
Wind power now the cheapest electricity to produce in the UK as the price of renewable energy continues to drop October 7, 2015 Onshore wind power is now cheaper to produce than fossil fuels in the UK and Germany – the first time this has been recorded in a G7 economy. The cost of wind power has been dropping rapidly in recent years, and the transition is now complete as the renewable has become more cost-efficient than fossil [...]
EU migrant crisis: Mass migration will last decades, World Bank warns developed countries October 7, 2015 Get used to dealing with high levels of immigration for your own good, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have told developed nations today. Large-scale migration from poor countries to richer ones, such as that being seen between the Middle East and Africa and Europe, will become a permanent feature of the global economy [...]
FIFA president Sepp Blatter “provisionally suspended for 90 days” by Fifa ethics committee October 7, 2015 Fifa president Sepp Blatter has been "provisionally suspended for 90 days" by the Fifa ethics committee, according to media reports. Klaus Stoehlker, who has advised Blatter in the past, told Sky News that the committee made the ruling in light of further investigations by the Swiss authorities. He said that the Swiss attorney general's investigation was [...]
London house prices: You’ll need to earn £77k each year to afford one of David Cameron’s starter homes October 7, 2015 Housing groups have called out Prime Minister David Cameron's new plans to accelerate the building of discounted properties for first-time home buyers, saying the government's so-called starter homes will still be out-of-reach for most workers. In his speech at the Conservative party conference in Manchester today, Cameron announced the government’s proposed “starter homes” initiative, which will be part [...]
NIESR says UK economy slowed in the third quarter October 7, 2015 The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has found economic growth remained stuck at 0.5 per cent in the three months to September, having grown by the same amount between June and August. This also represents a slowdown from a growth rate of 0.7 per cent in the second quarter of this year, according to [...]
IMF warns world economic outlook at risk from $18 trillion emerging market debt pile October 7, 2015 Global financial stability is “not yet assured”, the International Monetary Fund has warned, as it said emerging market debt had more than quadrupled over the last decade. The stark warning, from the director of the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department Jose Vinals, comes just a day after the IMF said the outlook for emerging [...]
What China’s yuan surpassing Japan’s yen means October 7, 2015 Over the past few months, global investors have watched China grapple with financial turmoil and the devaluation of its currency. This is in contrast to the news that China’s renminbi has surpassed the Japanese yen, securing the spot as the world’s fourth-most-used payment currency. In August 2012, the renminbi was sitting in the 12th spot, [...]
Chuka Umunna: Tory mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith is a threat to London business October 7, 2015 Former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna has launched a blistering attack on Zac Goldsmith, calling the Conservative candidate for mayor of London a “threat to London jobs and businesses”. Umunna, the Labour MP for Streatham who has endorsed Goldsmith's Labour opponent Sadiq Khan, said: “Londoners can’t afford a mayor who doesn’t get business, doesn’t like [...]