It pays to be known as an expert insurance company which focuses on covering a range of personal and commercial risks often thought to be ‘too complex or too much trouble’ for other companies. Like classic cars, pricey homes, high art, world renowned events and also kidnapping and ransom demands.

Europe’s top insurer of fine art and valuable possessions, Hiscox, has ducked the blanket gloom and doom of the financial markets to announce record results for the first half of the year.

Continue reading “Specialist Insurer Hiscox Announces Record Profits” »

Pharma companies have been dragged into the firing line this week. The UK’s Observer quoted Professor Michael Rawlins, the chair of the health watchdog, NICE, as saying the drugs industry is overpricing critical new medicines to improve its profits.

His remarks came in the wake of the current outcry surrounding NICE’s refusal to approve costly new kidney drugs for NHS use. He told The Observer, “We are told we are being mean all the time, but what nobody mentions is why the drugs are so expensive.”

Continue reading “Not-so-NICE remarks from Health Watchdog about Pharma Industry” »

The UK Government’s Renewable Fuels Agency’s report said in early August, 2008 that of the biodiesel used in the UK from mid-April to mid-May, only a fifth of the total quantity of biofuels sold met recognised environmental standards.

The time has come for differentiation among biofuels. Some biofuels are clearly superior to others in terms of environmental benefits, and the standards that they adhere to. An unambiguous trend is emerging in the biofuels industry that recognises the fact that there is a premium on biofuels which meet sustainability criteria.

Continue reading “‘Greener’ and Sustainable Biofuels Attract Interest and Investment” »

While Fedora may have once meant a type of hat, Magnolia, a type of flower and Alfresco, simply being outside — today any techie worth his salt will tell you that like WordPress or dotCMS, these are well-known Content Management Systems (CMS).

Continue reading “New Report Forecasts World Market for Content Management Systems” »

A new report, B2B Online Media Report, finds that the English-language website alibaba.com which specialises in business between international buyers trying to contact Chinese sellers retained its top spot in the top 30 Asian online B2B companies.

Continue reading “Alibaba.com Still Number One Asian B2B Website” »

In search of spiritual salvation, adventure sports, heritage sites or even some of the world’s most gorgeous beaches in a country balancing tradition and modernity? Or even elephant spotting? Head India-wise - but you may not be alone.

A new report, Indian Tourism Industry Analysis, finds that in just three years India will see a doubling in the number of international tourists visiting the country.

Continue reading “India Set For 10 million Foreign Tourists By 2010″ »

Welcome to the Solar Generation! By September this year, Spain will see power coming from the largest rooftop solar power station in the world.
The Guardian reports that it has a capacity of 12 megawatts of power, and is made up of 85,000 lightweight solar panels covering an area of two million square feet.

Continue reading “Here Comes the Sun - Spain Gets World’s Largest Rooftop Power Station” »

So you thought the DIY shopping was a man’s job. Think again. A new report, How Britain Shops 2008: DIY, finds that heading to the nearest DIY store, picking bookcases you can dismantle, guttering or rawlplugs are no longer unsuitable jobs for a woman. Forget the old stereotype of shopping for clothes, shoes or jewellery, the report finds that more women are shopping for DIY than ever, heading home with armfuls of new kitchen or bathroom fittings.

Continue reading “Men as DIY Shoppers Challenged by Ms Fix-its” »

A new report, which profiles the 100 top earning companies in China’s electric motor industry, says that more and more multinational corporations are adopting new strategies and working to enter China’s booming motor market.

Continue reading “MNCs Compete to Enter China’s Booming Electric Motor Market” »

The biofuels sector has seen increased activity over the past few years. Recently, it has been in the eye of a veritable media storm. While Governments across the world have put in place mandates and subsidy schemes to encourage production of biofuels, there have also been a number of cautioning voices, warning of the dangers of biofuel production. There was clear evidence of diverging opinions and diverse points of view surrounding the issue at a recent conference in London.

Several of these issues were addressed at Bioenergy Europe 2008, a two-day conference organised by Environmental Finance. Dr Kyriakos Maniatis, DG Energy and Transport, European Commission outlined the EU policy, targets and provided an update on developments. He spoke of the upcoming directive on fuel quality which is currently in discussion in the Commission and the need to ensure that biofuels fulfil the sustainability criteria.

Continue reading “Bioenergy Europe 2008 Highlighted the Infancy of the Debate Surrounding Biofuels” »