Asian shares flat as investors look to Yellen testimony February 26, 2014 Asian markets are flatlining in the wake of a relatively calm day on Wall Street and a lack of significant economic data. Investors are remaining cautious ahead of Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen's testimony on Thursday. Markets will also be looking to whether the People's Bank of China will undertake further market reforms and seek [...]
Europe votes for world’s toughest carbon targets February 25, 2014 The European Parliament has voted for the world's strictest carbon dioxide standards for new cars, presenting fresh challenges to the auto industry. New cars sold across the EU will now be limited to 95g of carbon dioxide per kilometre. The new standard represents a significant cut from the present limit of 130g per kilometre. The [...]
US regulators consider triple parent embryos to prevent disease February 25, 2014 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to consider whether to allow a new fertilisation technique that would combine the DNA of three people, with the aim of preventing genetic disease being passed down to children. Regulators are meeting for a "scientific, technologic and clinical" set of discussions surrounding the new treatment. The [...]
Mortgage approvals skyrocket to 76-month high February 25, 2014 Mortgage approvals have skyrocketed by 57 per cent year-on-year to a 76-month high in January, according to the British Bankers Association (BBA). Approvals for house purchases leapt to 49,972 in January from 47,086 in December. The numbers follow a stream of data showing a sustained burst of activity in the UK housing market. In 2013, [...]
BlackBerry launches the $200 Jakarta in Barcelona February 25, 2014 BlackBerry has announced the launch of BlackBerry Jakarta, its first phone made in partnership with Foxconn, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. There was some initial confusion as to the name of the device when the company said pictures of the Z3 would be out soon. BlackBerry CEO John Chen told the Congress: We’re [...]
Ladbrokes to close 50 shops as profits dive February 25, 2014 Bookmaker Ladbrokes has reported a collapse in profit before tax of 66 per cent to £67m for the year ended 31 December. The company has been hit hard by tax changes to gaming machines and the rising cost of horse racing picture rights. Richard Glynn, chief executive, commented: While our financial results for 2013 were disappointing, [...]
MtGox shuts down in fresh blow for Bitcoin February 25, 2014 MtGox, one of the world's largest Bitcoin exchanges, has suspended trading and taken its website offline, as well as erasing the company's twitter account. This follows the resignation of the exchange's chief executive Mark Karpeles, on Sunday. The Financial Times reports that a document circulated online says the exchange has lost a staggering 744,000 Bitcoins [...]
Asian shares jump after bullish day on Wall Street February 25, 2014 Asian shares a regaining some momentum after a bullish day on Wall Street helped ease fears over Chinese credit contraction. An unexpected rise in German business sentiment provided further reason for optimism over the Eurozone recovery. The Nikkei has jumped 1.4 per cent while the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index is up a more modest [...]
Here’s how a market in organs could clear kidney waiting lists February 24, 2014 Scotland has just seen the successful example of a kidney pairing scheme that allowed Sue Heathcote, 55, to receive a transplant. The scheme involves swapping kidneys between one incompatible donor and recipient and another mismatched pair. Sue had been unable to find a match until she registered for the scheme. "We did not get a [...]
Volunteers who kept the underground running during strike awarded £25 voucher February 24, 2014 London Underground Tube staff who volunteered to keep services running during this month's strike have been awarded £25 "by way of thank you." The strikes were called in response to the closure of London ticket offices and plans to cut 750 jobs. The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said the volunteers were awarded £25 for [...]
