Leadership contest doing little to inspire confidence in any plan for growth August 14, 2022 If Queen of Pop Madonna was living in a material world, it is hard to shake the feeling that our prospective Kings or Queens of Westminster are living in something of a fantasy world. After almost a month of this interminable Tory leadership contest, which every day seems to somehow inspire less confidence, we are [...]
Ach Nein! Rhine water level threatens to leave European shipping high and dry August 14, 2022 AMIDST the doom and gloom of recent headlines, there have been some early signs of optimism that the worst of the globe’s supply chain crisis could be passing. A major benchmark of the time taken for a good to get from the factory to its destination port – the Flexport Ocean Timeliness Indicator – has [...]
Sunak commits further financial support for households to tackle soaring energy bills August 14, 2022 Leadership contender Rishi Sunak has pledged immediate financial support for households this winter to help tame rising energy bills.
Exclusive: Whitehall frustration at Johnson’s October deadline for UK-India trade deal August 12, 2022 Whitehall officials have raised concerns about Boris Johnson’s October deadline for a UK-India trade deal, with suggestions the PM’s “freestyling” could mean a lighter agreement than originally hoped. Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed during an April meeting that there would be a “trade deal by Diwali”, which is on 24 October this [...]
Anxious East Africa holds its breath: Still no election winner while fraud claims start to fly August 12, 2022 NAIROBI – East Africa is holding its breath this Friday morning as Tuesday’s cliffhanger elections in regional powerhouse Kenya still has not produced a clear presidential winner. While vote counting in the country is reaching its final stages, in an extremely close race between the two main candidates, confusion is growing as a range of [...]
Truss backs Bank of England review to ensure ‘it is fit for purpose’ August 11, 2022 The biggest overhaul of the Bank of England in 25 years may be needed to ensure “it is fit for purpose,” Tory leadership front-runner Liz Truss’s campaign told City A.M. today. The comments represent an escalation in Truss’s drive to shake up the regime overseeing the Bank’s performance. She has promised to review Threadneedle Street’s [...]
Tense Kenya still waits for new president after cliffhanger election: Ruto and Raila in neck and neck race August 11, 2022 NAIROBI – Millions of Kenyans are nervously awaiting the results of Tuesday’s presidential election, as day three of vote counting across the country gets underway. Since Tuesday evening an extremely close race has unfolded between the two main candidates for the presidency. Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who is backed by the outgoing president and seen [...]
Truss accused of U-turn as she opens up to idea of direct cost of living payments August 10, 2022 Liz Truss has been accused of performing another policy U-turn, after the Tory leadership frontrunner hinted she was open to giving households cash payments to ease the cost of living crisis. Sources on her campaign today said “there is work going on in government on what more can be done” to help people cope with [...]
Cliffhanger elections in Kenya: Establishment candidate Odinga widens lead over ‘Hustler’ Ruto August 10, 2022 Millions of Kenyans are glued to their TV screens and mobile phones today as an extremely close race is unfolding between the two main candidates for the presidency. Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who is backed by the outgoing president and seen as the establishment candidate, faces deputy president William Ruto, who styles himself as an [...]
Liz Truss summons Chinese ambassador over Taiwan ‘aggression’ August 10, 2022 Liz Truss has summoned China’s ambassador to the Foreign Office over Beijing’s military “escalation in the region around Taiwan”. Truss said she summoned the Chinese ambassador to “explain his country’s actions”, after President Xi Jinping ordered military drills that surrounded Taiwan last week. China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched five live-fire military drills in areas [...]