High-ranking Venezuelan general backs opposition leader as supporters rally in the capital February 2, 2019 A Venezuelan airforce general has publicly declared his support for the self-declared interim president of Venezuela Juan Guaido as thousands of opposition supporters rally in Caracas. In a video circulating on Twitter today, General Francisco Yanez of the air force’s high command, said most of the armed forces already disavowed Maduro, who claims he is [...]
Putin suspends missile treaty and pledges to build more weapons February 2, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that Russia has suspended a cold war era treaty to limit missile building after a similar move by the US. Putin told a meeting with foreign and defence ministers that Russia had suspended the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty which limits land-based missiles with ranges of 310–3,420 miles. Putin [...]
A short extension to the Brexit timetable is possible, says Jacob Rees-Mogg February 2, 2019 Eurosceptic Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg has said that he could accept a small extension to the Brexit timeline if Prime Minister Theresa May pursued his plan. Rees-Mogg claims that a delay to the date the UK leaves the European Union could be permissible if a deal with the EU is struck along the lines of the so-called Malthouse Compromise. After May's [...]
ScS Group ends talks to buy Sofa.com leaving Mike Ashley in the driving seat February 1, 2019 Home furnishings retailer ScS Group said today it had ended talks with furniture retailer Sofa.com, leaving the way clear for Mike Ashley who is reportedly putting together a multi-million pound bid. ScS said today it is “no longer in discussions regarding a potential acquisition of the business and assets of Sofa.com”. Sky News reported that Ashley, [...]
Trump tore down the walls for the Democrats’ socialist superstar February 1, 2019 Half-baked policy ideas that don’t stand up to economic scrutiny but spread like wildfire across social media. The ability to tear up the rulebook to forge a new path to power. A US politician who is almost certainly dramatically under-qualified for the office they hold, but who has captured the imaginations of millions through sheer charisma [...]
MPs launch inquiry into impact of business rates on high street retailers February 1, 2019 An influential committee of MPs is launching an inquiry into the government's policy towards business rates, amid mounting pleas for tax relief from embattled retailers on the high street. Parliament’s Treasury committee has revealed today that it is set to scrutinise the impact of Downing Street’s business rates tax, which has been at the centre [...]
Editor’s Notes: Why we cannot take no-deal off the table February 1, 2019 There has been no shortage of ludicrous Brexiter outbursts lately as they see their project imperilled by political reality. One Tory backbencher railed against the CEO of Airbus (who had warned against a no-deal Brexit) on the grounds that he is German. He even invoked the Second World War to make a point about not [...]
WPP sells stake in ‘Davos in the Desert’ consulting firm Richard Attias & Associates January 31, 2019 WPP today said it is selling its stake in Richard Attias & Associates (RAA), the consulting firm behind the so-called Davos in the Desert conference in Saudi Arabia last year. The advertising group said it will sell its minority stake in RAA back to existing shareholders as part of an ongoing plan to simplify its [...]
Billionaire Mike Ashley’s retail empire balloons by a third in one year January 31, 2019 Mike Ashley’s retail footprint has swollen by more than a third in the last year, following a spending spree in 2018 that saw the billionaire tycoon snap up some of Britain’s largest high street chains. The Sports Direct owner, who is reportedly now in talks to add beleaguered music retailer HMV to his growing estate, bought House [...]
Is Tesla still a growth company? January 31, 2019 | City Talk An OK quarter from Tesla, certainly some of the worst immediate fears have not materialised, but the outlook is a little dubious. Back to back quarterly profits – the first time ever and only the fourth positive quarter since listing in 2010 – will get headlines but one must fear that CEO Elon Musk is [...]