Eurozone inflation slows in August but misses European Central Bank target August 31, 2018 Inflation in the Eurozone area slowed to two per cent this month, narrowly missing the European Central Bank (ECB) target. The drop of 0.1 per cent from 2.1 per cent in July this year has kept inflation above the ECB goal of just under two per cent. Energy is expected to have the highest annual rate this month at [...]
Venezuela sinks ever lower as the state tightens its grip August 29, 2018 Life in Venezuela is now unimaginably hard. In recent years, we have watched as this once prosperous country descended into poverty, chaos and political turmoil. The United Nations estimates that more than two million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2015, with thousands more attempting to pour over the boarders of neighbouring countries every day. [...]
British shop prices rise for first time in five years August 29, 2018 British shop prices have risen for the first time in five years as hot weather and the rising price of oil conspired to add to inflationary pressure. Shop prices increased by 0.1 per cent in August 2018 compared to last year, figures from the British Retail Consortium, prepared by Nielsen, will today show. The rate [...]
Gartner Hype Cycle 2017: Artificial intelligence at peak hype, blockchain heads for disillusionment, but say hello to 5G August 17, 2018 The hype around artificial intelligence is at its peak, while those interested in blockchain might be heading for disillusionment. That’s according to Gartner’s annual Hype Cycle, which tracks the progress of emerging technology trends, from early innovation to becoming a household must-have. Deep learning and machine learning are at what it calls the “peak of [...]
Even the Venezuelan President knows that socialism has failed August 10, 2018 Venezuela is back in the news, with a plot straight out of a Netflix drama storyline. The apparent assassination attempt on President Nicolas Maduro last Saturday has everything: a drone explosion during the President’s speech, the terrified reaction of his wife captured during a live broadcast, and now a slew of accusations and counter conspiracy [...]
Bank of England: Economists split as monetary policymakers set out into the unknown | City A.M. July 30, 2018 The Bank of England is widely expected to raise interest rates on Thursday, but the decision by the monetary policy committee (MPC) is likely to be one of the most controversial in recent memory. While most City observers now think rates will rise, economists are split as to whether hiking borrowing costs amid a weak [...]
World Cup delivers consumer spending boost as pubs rake in 10 per cent more cash July 10, 2018 The World Cup prompted the biggest spike in non-essential consumer spending in June since October 2016, as Britons spent 33 per cent more in pubs during England’s first match. Non-essential spending jumped by 5.5 per cent in June compared to the previous year, the strongest year-on-year growth since October 2016, according to data to be [...]
Brexit vote two years on: seven charts that tell the story June 22, 2018 On 23 June 2016, the UK public voted on whether or not to stay in the European Union (EU). Many expected the UK to remain in the EU, but by a majority of 52% to 48% the Leave campaign won. The UK is scheduled to leave the EU at 23:00 UK time on 29 March [...]
FTSE closes lower amid investor fears over impending G7 summit in Canada June 8, 2018 The FTSE closed down today with investors in a cautious mood for most of the day ahead of a G7 meeting this weekend. It ended 0.3 per cent lower at 7,681.07 points. Markets fell as Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin should attend the summit in La Malbaie in Quebec, Canada. Russia was expelled from what [...]
The nanny state is over-egging childhood obesity rates to weigh in on our home lives May 4, 2018 It may no longer be just parents and children that face “naming and shaming” when it comes to childhood obesity. Schools themselves could be added to the list, as part of the government’s wider strategy to tackle obesity. According to The Times, “schools across England could be required to weigh and measure their pupils every [...]