Why British homeowners still aren’t buying into the idea of the home connected by smart tech June 29, 2016 Take any object in your home and you can guarantee that at some point a Silicon Valley startup has tried to create a web-enabled version of it. The ever expanding “Internet of Things” (IoT), as it’s clunkily termed, now includes almost every household item under the sun. Many are useful, such as thermostats, light bulbs, [...]
Brexit and the pound: How hard will battered sterling hit our economy? June 21, 2016 The pound has strengthened as the latest polls show public feeling has swung towards a remain vote this Thursday. Sterling rose 2.3 per cent to $1.4693, the biggest one day gain in over seven years. The last time it rose this sharply was 12 September 2008, days before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. “Three polls over [...]
Inflation rate still negative in Eurozone as ECB policies having muted effect May 31, 2016 The Eurozone remained locked in deflation in May 2016, according to flash estimates released this morning by Eurostat. Inflation, on the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) across the 19-member single currency union came in at minus 0.1 per cent, up slightly from minus 0.2 per cent in April. The main index was dragged down by [...]
EU referendum: Business secretary Sajid Javid to say small businesses rely on trade with EU May 31, 2016 Business secretary Sajid Javid is to argue small and medium-sized businesses benefit from EU membership – amid rising tension between Remain and Leave on the economy. Javid will cite new figures which show 1.2m small firms export to Europe or supply firms that export to Europe, demonstrating the importance of free trade with the bloc. On a [...]
Hinkley Point dealt fresh blow after French trade unions continue to oppose it May 27, 2016 EDF's plans to build the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset were dealt a fresh blow last night, after a key French union continued to oppose it. The central works committee said it wouldn't back the project until EDF provides more information. It had previously called for a two to three-year delay amid [...]
Shell cuts 2,200 more jobs after its takeover of BG Group May 25, 2016 Royal Dutch Shell said today that it will cut an additional 2,200 jobs due to low oil prices and in the wake of its £35bn takeover of BG Group. This takes the total job cuts resulting from the integration of its smaller rival to at least 5,000 globally, including 475 job losses in the UK. Shell recently reduced its 2016 spending [...]
Hinkley Point crisis deepens as experts warn that there’s “zero possibility” of the project being finished by 2025 May 25, 2016 The government is facing fresh calls to reconsider its plan to build two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset, with experts warning that there’s “zero possibility” of the controversial project being finished by 2025. The concerns come after Vincent de Rivaz, the French utility giant’s UK boss, failed to assure parliament's energy and climate [...]
European grocery prices increase at slowest rate for six years May 23, 2016 The price of items in Europe's shopping-basket have risen at the slowest rate for six years, as the price war in supermarkets continues to hit grocers. As a result, shoppers are purchasing more of such grocery items including food, drinks and toiletries, with sales volumes increasing year-on-year for the eighth quarter in a row, Nielsen data [...]
Eurozone deflates: Prices going down, again, but maybe not for long May 18, 2016 The Eurozone fell back into deflation in April, as prices dropped by 0.2 per cent over the year, official statistics out yesterday showed. Falling transport and energy costs pushed the headline rate of inflation down from zero in March. It marks the second month of deflation this year for the Eurozone after oil price volatility [...]
US inflation jumps to three-year high as gas prices soar May 17, 2016 Prices in the United States jumped by their highest amount in more than three years during April, as inflation hit 0.4 per cent, putting more steam behind the chances of further interest rate rises this year. The consumer prices index moved up from 0.1 per cent in March, as energy prices increased considerably during the [...]