Greek crisis: European markets dip ahead of meeting between Alexis Tsipras and Angela Merkel March 23, 2015 Germany's Dax lead European markets down, falling 0.93 per cent as Chancellor Angela Merkel prepared to thrash out a deal with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras this afternoon. France's Cac 40 fell 0.56 per cent, while the FTSE 100 – which on Friday hit 7,000 points for the first time – fell back 0.27 per [...]
FTSE 100 and 250 quarterly review takes effect as Hikma, Tullow Oil and Afren shuffle March 23, 2015 The shake-up revealed as a result of the quarterly review of the FTSE 100 and 250 takes effect this morning. Hikma Pharmaceuticals entered the blue-chip benchmark index, and its shares were down 2 per cent at £21.40. The pharmaceutical products manufacturer, which floated around ten years ago, has a market cap of £4.22bn. Hikma knocked out Tullow Oil [...]
Russia warns Denmark of a nuclear strike March 23, 2015 RUSSIA has warned Denmark of a nuclear strike on its warships if the Scandinavian country joins Nato’s missile defence shield. The Russian ambassador to Denmark Mikhail Vanin issued the dramatic threat in an opinion piece published in the Danish daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Vanin wrote that Denmark had not comprehended the consequences of joining the Western [...]
Russia warns Denmark of nuclear threat if it joins Nato missile defence shield March 22, 2015 Russia has warned Denmark of a nuclear strike on its warships if the Scandinavian country joins Nato’s missile defence shield. The Russian ambassador to Denmark Mikhail Vanin issued the dramatic threat in an opinion piece published in the Danish daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Vanin wrote that Denmark had not comprehended the consequences of joining the [...]
Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg set their sights on tobacco industry March 19, 2015 Two titans of capitalism have combined efforts to launch a new front in their war against the tobacco industry. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and ex-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are throwing their weight behind a scheme to help governments of poorer nations defend anti-tobacco laws from legal challenges. The assault on tobacco has been ongoing [...]
Heidelberg cements place with revenue rise despite fall in profits March 19, 2015 HeidelbergCement yesterday announced that net profit plummeted 26 per cent to €687m (£496m) for the 2014 financial year. The German cement producer said the decline reflected a one-time loss and non-recurring charges, which pushed 2013 profit up to €933m. It said the crisis in eastern Ukraine had impaired its sales and results there, but that [...]
Tireless Advocaat backed to deliver on survival task March 17, 2015 SUNDERLAND can expect obsessive dedication from the man tasked with saving them from relegation, veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, according to one of the players who knows him best. Advocaat, 67, was yesterday confirmed as the Premier League strugglers’ new boss, following the sacking of Gus Poyet on Monday. Arthur Numan, who played under Advocaat [...]
China is hot on the heels of US and Russia in arms export league March 16, 2015 China has become the world’s third largest exporter of arms after the US and Russia, according to a new report, accounting for five per cent of the overall total. China overtook Germany, France and the UK in exporting weapons between 2010 and 2014, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, [...]
Banco Madrid in bankruptcy step after US claims March 16, 2015 SMALL Spanish bank Banco Madrid yesterday filed for bankruptcy after the United States accused its Andorran parent of laundering money for organised crime groups. Customers of Banco Madrid, which caters for affluent people, rushed to empty their accounts after parent group, Andorran lender Banca Privada d’Andorra (BPA), was described by the US Department of the [...]
EKF Diagnostics posts £4m loss but revenue up March 16, 2015 MEDICAL equipment company EKF Diagnostics reported a pre-tax loss of £4m last year, compared to a £600,000 profit in 2013. Boosted by acquisitions made during the year, revenue at the company increased by 26 per cent to £40.1m, up from £31.8m in 2013. The Cardiff headquartered firm described 2014 as a challenging year with currency [...]