Lights out for darker skies: First World War started with a crash August 3, 2014 For the City, the Great War began with a financial crisis. Even before Britain committed itself, Europe’s great powers ranging against one another spelled disaster: the collapse of the magnificent, peaceful edifice of international trade built between the empires. As told in Jerry White’s riveting account of London in the war, Zeppelin Nights, on Friday [...]
Meet the magical computing that puts the human into artificial intelligence August 3, 2014 Think Artificial Intelligence and the first thing that comes to mind is probably robots. Thanks to popular culture, AI is considered distinctly un-human, and can prompt people to worry about the role of technology in our daily lives and who is really in control. However, there’s a new wave of technology fighting to put the [...]
The City will never forget the lessons and sacrifices of the First World War August 3, 2014 Today marks the 100th anniversary of Britain entering World War One. At a time when geopolitical flashpoints in the Middle East, eastern Europe and elsewhere are in the news, this seems like an apt moment to reflect on the lessons of the past. The Great War resulted in the tragic deaths of an estimated 17m [...]
You’re now guilty until proven innocent if the taxman decides to visit August 3, 2014 For weeks, concerns have been mounting across the UK about a tidal wave of shock tax demands about to hit tens of thousands of individuals and businesses – and with good reason. Now that the Finance Bill 2014 has received Royal Assent, HMRC has two new weapons it can use against those it believes have [...]
The rules of successfully asking for a pay rise August 1, 2014 Ok. You want a raise. Who doesn’t? But you are different. Obviously. You deserve it. Your friends and family have told you that you do for all the hours and effort you have been putting in. And the salary you happily accepted when you took the job just doesn’t stretch as far as it did. [...]
Cut unemployment benefits for immigrants, but don’t cut immigration August 1, 2014 Prime Minister Cameron should be applauded for his plan to halve the length of benefits for unemployed immigrants down to three months. When a government allows immigrants to collect benefits without employment, it essentially pays someone to live off taxpayer dollars without contributing to the economy. But in Britain this is not generally the case. [...]
Britain’s fossil fuel subsidies: Soon it won’t just be renewables we’re propping up July 31, 2014 THERE is no doubt that fossil fuel subsidies – mostly found in the developing world – are a major and unwelcome feature of the global economy today. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that global fossil fuel subsidies cost $544bn in 2012. Add to this lost tax revenues and the figure rises to around $2 [...]
Forget free market selfishness: It’s socialism that turns us into liars and cheats July 31, 2014 Markets make people better. Not many people seem to think so these days, but the idea got a boost from a recent piece of research by Dan Ariely and others, which compared moral behaviour in Germans brought up in East and West Germany. The team found that those with an East German background cheated twice as [...]
Argentina’s mismanaged economy: Default drama should be back again soon July 31, 2014 INVESTORS always seemed too optimistic that Argentina was going to solve its now-confirmed debt default, as the saga has wound over the past year. First, investors seemed to believe that the US Supreme Court would come to the rescue as a final appeal. More recently, investors believed a deal with the holdouts – bondholders who [...]
As the conflict in Gaza continues, are we seeing a realignment of the Middle East? July 31, 2014 Carly Beckerman-Boys, visiting fellow at the LSE’s Middle East Centre, says Yes. The Gaza conflict has shone a light onto heightened tensions and muscle flexing between regional Arab leaders. Their jockeying over whether to force or entice Hamas into a ceasefire has made old and new regional dividing lines far more visible. Egypt, Jordan and [...]