Obama phones Putin, warns him to negotiate ahead of Minsk summit February 11, 2015 US President Barack Obama has upped the rhetoric over Ukraine, using a phone call to tell Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peaceful settlement this week. The phone call came after Obama confirmed he had asked officials to look into supplying the Ukrainian government with weapons to fight the Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine. Putin is meeting [...]
Weak Eurozone dampens boost of low oil prices February 10, 2015 World growth will not surge on falling oil prices, analysts at Moody’s said today, because problems in the Eurozone and China’s economic slowdown will dampen any boost. The impact of lower oil prices may even have an adverse effect in some struggling Eurozone countries, said the author of the report. “In the Eurozone, the fall [...]
Greece could seek funding from Russia if Europe doesn’t budge, says defence minister February 10, 2015 Greece has warned that it could seek assistance from Russia if it fails to strike a new debt deal with the Eurozone. The country’s defence minister Panos Kammenos said there was a “plan B” if its negotiations over a new bailout deal are rejected. Kammenos is a member of the right-wing Independent Greeks [...]
Fast-growing economies to catch up on UK February 9, 2015 THE UK economy will no longer be one of the top 10 largest economies in the world by 2050, a city consultancy has said today. PwC tips Mexico to be one of the 10 biggest economies in the world by 2030 and Nigeria to enter the top 10 by 2050. By that time, the UK [...]
Car review: The BMW X6 M is a sledgehammer on stilts February 9, 2015 There’s no point wisecracking about BMW’s coupe-like X6 SUV – BMW has heard all the jokes. And while you might find this “lifestyle” proposition a 4×4 too far, its German maker is happy to have the last laugh; the X6 sells well, just not in traditional 4×4 markets. You’ll need to look further afield to [...]
Fat Britain: More people in UK and Ireland view themselves as overweight than anywhere else in Europe February 9, 2015 When it comes to self-image, people in the UK have an inflated view of themselves. A higher percentage of people in Ireland and Britain consider themselves to be “overweight” than anywhere else in Europe, according to a survey by information service Nielsen. Out of the 32 countries included, Ireland came in first [...]
ESA races ahead in space travel with Europe’s first space taxi launch February 9, 2015 Until its Space Shuttle programme was closed down in 2007, the US was the dominant force in the development of space taxis. Operated by Nasa, the 40-metre-long vehicles delivered satellites into space, conducted science experiments in orbit and helped construct the International Space Station. At the time, Europe had created nothing capable of [...]
Competition authorities could weigh on Ball’s bid to buy out rival can firm Rexam February 5, 2015 The scale of the potential merger between can-making giants Rexam and Ball could lead to problems with competition regulators. US giant Ball is only slightly larger than FTSE 250 firm Rexam, and comprise the two largest businesses in the sector globally. The proposed £4.3bn buyout could make sense in extending Ball’s reach globally. [...]
Dairy Crest milk sales go sour but cheddar cheese churns up a profit February 5, 2015 DAIRY Crest said yesterday that it has sold enough milkshakes and blocks of cheddar cheese to offset losses across its dairies business as the company battles with falling milk prices. The FTSE 250 company said its cheddar brand Cathedral City and FRijj milkshakes both performed strongly in the nine months to 31 December, although sales [...]
UK firms face unprecedented risks – politicians shouldn’t be adding more February 5, 2015 Uncertainty has become a new watchword for British businesses. It may not be new for them – to varying degrees they have always operated in an uncertain world – but it is now more prominent in their thinking than at any other time in a generation. Today, they face an underperforming Eurozone, ongoing conflicts in [...]