Fears over Greek election and oil prices hit FTSE – London Report January 5, 2015 AFALL in major energy stocks and worries over the political outlook in Greece knocked down Britain’s top equity index yesterday. The blue-chip FTSE 100 closed down two per cent at 6,417.16 points. The index also retreated 0.3 per cent on Friday, after falling 2.7 per cent in 2014. Weaker energy stocks, including BP and Royal [...]
Carillion embroiled in Qatar 2022 World Cup allegations December 9, 2014 Carillion, one of the UK's biggest construction firms, has been implicated in allegations surrounding the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar as it prepares to host the World Cup in 2022. BBC news said it "uncovered worrying testimony about pay, housing conditions and safety standards from foreign workers" including some employed by subcontractors working for Wolverhampton-based [...]
Investors should not ignore the deflation threat January 20, 2015 The spectre of deflation is once again looming, with Bank of England governor Mark Carney refusing to rule it out in the UK in the coming year. It may be the stuff of economists’ nightmares, but has the prospect of falling prices sent Britons scurrying to the hills? Not a bit of it. Many consumers [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: This is what the CBI wants George Osborne to deliver November 24, 2014 What will George Osborne get out of his red box when he delivers the Autumn Statement next week? The CBI got off the starting block early with its wishlist, asking for a range of measures to boost British business, including better infrastructure around Stonehenge and business rates reform. Here's what the group businesses wants to [...]
Swiss voters reject plans to hoard gold, curb immigration and scrap rich expats’ tax benefits November 30, 2014 Swiss voters have rejected proposals requiring the central bank to to hoard huge amounts of gold, in a move that will help ensure the country's economic stability. It failed to secure the so-called "cantonal majority" — which is a yes vote from most of the country's "cantons" or states — needed to pass, according to [...]
US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro to end trade embargo after 50 years December 17, 2014 US President Barack Obama has just announced the end of the longest-standing trade sanctions in US history, as part of a ground-breaking thaw in relations with Cuba. The two long-time enemies, which sit on the opposite ends of the political spectrum, have agreed to “open economic and travel ties”, the most significant improvement in [...]
Euro falls to two-year low on disappointing ECB speech November 6, 2014 The euro fell to its lowest level against the dollar in two years today after much-anticipated comments by European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi disappointed markets. The currency dipped below $1.24 and fell to £1.27, before rallying slightly. Although European stocks spiked immediately after the speech, Germany's Dax closed down 0.92 per cent, while [...]
Swiss vote no on immigration curbs and gold November 30, 2014 SWISS voters yesterday rejected tighter immigration curbs, a minimum gold requirement for the central bank, and the abolishment of certain tax perks. The immigration curbs would have required the government to cut net immigration to 0.2 per cent of the population – yet 74 per cent of voters opposed the change. It was labelled the [...]
NHS: George Osborne to promise an extra £2bn of funding November 30, 2014 Chancellor George Osborne is expected use his Autumn statement on Wednesday to announce an extra £2bn funding for frontline NHS services. It is anticipated that Osborne will pledge extra funding from April next year, according to the BBC. In a speech to parliament on Wednesday, when he will deliver exact details on its [...]
Flexible working: How it can boost women in work November 20, 2014 Companies underestimate the productivity benefits of the practice. The latest figures show that women are still under-represented in senior leadership positions, with only one in five FTSE 100 directorships and 7 per cent of executive directorships occupied by women. So it’s not surprising that we’ve seen a rise in the number of campaigns looking [...]