Boris Johnson slams Nigel Farage for blaming M4 traffic delay on immigrants December 8, 2014 London Mayor Boris Johnson has fired a broadside at Ukip's Nigel Farage for blaming his tardiness on immigrants. Farage was due to address the party's first Welsh conference in Port Talbot this weekend but was held up by traffic on the M4. The senior Tory lambasted Farage's excuses as "feeble" and one of the "poorest" [...]
Brent Crude oil price slips to $67.35 a barrel, hitting a new five-year low December 8, 2014 The price of Brent Crude has plunged to $67.35 a barrel, its lowest since the midst of the financial crisis in October 2009. The benchmark oil price fell almost $2 a barrel, or 2.5 per cent, hitting a new five-year low and surpassing its previous nadir on 1 December, as prices continue to tumble after [...]
Uber banned in New Delhi after driver rape allegations December 8, 2014 Uber has been banned in the Indian capital of New Delhi after one of its drivers was arrested on suspicion of raping a passenger. “[The] Transport Department has banned all activities relating to providing any transport service by the www.Uber.com with immediate effect," the city’s government said in a statement. Indian police arrested the Uber [...]
David Cameron announces creation of London’s first digital skills hub in 2015 December 8, 2014 David Cameron has announced the creation of the UK's first digital skills hub, as part of a government drive to boost the take-up of maths, science and technology subjects. The National College for Digital Skills, opening in London next year, will equip students with the technological skills needed to "compete in the global economy". It aims [...]
Tax-cutting guru Arthur Laffer delivers stinging verdict on Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century December 8, 2014 While the initial excitement surrounding Thomas Piketty's treatise Capital in the 21st Century may have subsided, its impact endures – and now one of the most renowned free-market economists has sought to reignite the debate. After receiving a wave of adulation, the book came under withering assault for its use of statistics, data and methodology. [...]
Ed Vaizey: Why we must not underestimate the importance of digital skills December 8, 2014 Coding is often thought of as a niche activity – the preserve of a few individuals working in advanced IT professions. In reality, it is something anyone can learn and is a vital tool in the technological revolution that has transformed the way we all live and work – from how we spend our leisure [...]
Bank of England: Most mortgage borrowers could cope with an interest rate rise December 8, 2014 The majority of mortgage borrowers could cope if interest rates rose two percentage points, the Bank of England said today. According to the Bank's quarterly bulletin, which looked at the results of the annual NMG Consulting survey of household finances, if interest rates rose from their historic low of 0.5 per cent to 2.5 per [...]
It’s official: The Bank of England says mortgage borrowers could cope with an interest rate rise December 8, 2014 The majority of mortgage borrowers would be fine if interest rates rose, reckons the Bank of England. According to the Bank, if interest rates rose by two percentage points, just four per cent of mortgage borrowers would need to "take action", ie. cut their spending or work longer hours. That represents 1.3 per cent of [...]
Sony PlayStation Network taken down after hack attack and Lizard Squad claims responsibility December 8, 2014 Hacker group Lizard Squad has claimed responsibility for an attack on Sony's PlayStation network that left some unable to log into the service. The company said its working to fix the problem and greets visitors the site with the message "page not found! It's not you. It's the internet's fault". Sony suffered another attack last [...]
Major investor backs Qatar’s bid for Canary Wharf owner Songbird Estates December 8, 2014 The Qatari sovereign wealth fund and its partner Brookfield's joint £2.6bn bid for Canary Wharf owner Songbird Estates has been provisionally accepted by Madison International Realty. Madison International Realty owns about 2.5 per cent of the company's stock and around 12 per cent of the free-floating shares. This, in addition to an earlier acceptance by [...]