RDSA.L Share News (RDSA)

David Cameron has said he is prepared to arm Kurdish forces in Iraq after a week of demands by Tory MPs and military figures for Britain to intervene in the conflict. Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, is on Friday expected to tell his EU counterparts in Brussels that Britain is prepared to join France and arm the Kurds. The decision, which was made during a Cobra meeting chaired by Mr Cameron on Thursday, marks a significant escalation in Britain's involvement in the conflict. - The Daily TelegraphEnergy bills in the east Midlands and other densely populated areas could rise by up to £37 a year to reduce the cost to households of distributing energy in remote parts of the country under proposals put forward by SSE. The energy group argues that imposing one national charge for delivering electricity and gas to the home would make bills much simpler to understand than the current system, where suppliers levy 14 regional charges. - The TimesA Barclays document sent to shareholders has laid bare the full extent of the bank's legal woes, ranging from continuing court tussles over rigging interest rates to allegations of ripping off its own clients. As the bank battles to restore its tarnished reputation, the investor prospectus makes clear it faces multimillion-pound pay-outs and years of costly litigation. - The GuardianShrinking sales of gold jewellery across Asia and the Middle East dragged overall demand for the precious metal 16% lower in the second quarter compared to unprecedented conditions in 2013. The World Gold Council, which compiled the Gold Demand Trends report, said that the decline from 1,148 tonnes betweeen April and June last year to 964 tonnes in the second quarter should come as "no surprise given the stark contrast in conditions in the global gold market" at this time last year when gold prices fell 25% to record lows and kick-started a buying spree.- The Times A record number of disadvantaged teenagers will be heading for university this year after an unprecedented expansion of places. With a dip in A-level grades yesterday, many leading universities lowered their entry requirements to accept applicants who had narrowly missed their targets. Experts predicted that the number of students accepted by universities this year would pass 500,000 for the first time. - The TimesEurope's biggest oil company, Royal Dutch Shell, has been selling off non-core and less profitable businesses in a drive to shore up global profits. In the latest shake-up it has sold a 155,000 acre shale gas project in Pinedale, Wyoming, for £550m to Ultra Petroleum. - The Daily ExpressAB