Keir wins £100m nuclear contract February 20, 2012 British construction group Kier has won a £100m contract from France’s EDF to prepare the ground for construction of a new nuclear power station in the west of England. Kier said in a statement on Monday that the contract to carry out site works for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, which is due [...]
S&P warns Japan over debt February 20, 2012 Standard & Poor’s warned it could lower Japan’s sovereign rating if the economy expands less than expected or if public debt continues to grow, as the country’s unpopular government struggles to win support for higher taxes. The ratings agency affirmed its AA- rating on Japan with a negative outlook, but also warned that higher taxes [...]
Italian police seize $6 trillion of fake US bonds February 17, 2012 Italian police announced today they had seized about $6 trillion (£3.8 trillion) of fake U.S. Treasury bonds in Switzerland, and issued arrest warrants for eight people accused of international fraud and other financial crimes. The operation, co-ordinated by prosecutors from the southern Italian city of Potenza, was carried out by Italian and Swiss authorities after [...]
US inflation rises February 17, 2012 US petrol prices jumped 0.9 per cent in January, pushing overall consumer prices up at their fastest pace in four months and offering a reminder of the risks energy costs could pose to the economic recovery. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.2 per cent, according to figures from the Labor Department is unlikely to ring [...]
Murdoch announces launch of The Sun on Sunday February 17, 2012 Rupert Murdoch has announced his intention to launch a Sunday edition of The Sun newspaper “very soon”. The new publication has been rumoured ever since the News of the World was forced to close in July 2011 and it is believed that several mock-ups of ‘The Sun on Sunday’ have already been produced, suggesting its [...]
German President resigns over home loan scandal February 17, 2012 GERMAN President Christian Wulff resigned this morning after state prosecutors asked parliament to remove his legal immunity over accusations that he accepted favours. He has been hit by a scandal over a home loan that he accepted while leading the state of Lower Saxony. “The developments of the past few days and weeks have shown [...]
FTSE buoyed by Greek endgame February 17, 2012 The FTSE 100 opened on the front foot as the end game at last appeared to be approaching in the Greek bailout debacle. Optimism is growing that Greece has finally done enough to secure a second bailout, which could be approved as early as Monday. Averting a disorderly Greek insolvency is seen as a crucial [...]
UK retail sales in surprise 0.9pc jump February 17, 2012 UK retail sales rose 0.9 per cent in January compared with the precious month, official figures showed. The surprise lift followed a 0.6 per cent rise in December, according to the figures from the Office for National Statistics. Sales rose at thir fastest pace since April 2011, as consumers splashed out on furniture and sports [...]
John Lewis sales up despite snow February 17, 2012 Britain’s biggest department store chain John Lewis said sales rose last week as heavy snow prompted its shoppers to switch to the firm’s internet offer. The employee-owned retailer said on Friday its sales rose 4.1 percent to 52.3 million pounds in the week to February 11. “The start of the week saw the cold wind [...]