THE WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD February 26, 2012 A RALLY on Wall Street will be put to the test this week, with the S&P 500 at its highest level since before the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. The broad index is up 8.6 per cent for the year, closing at 1,365 on Friday. The S&P 500’s close was the highest since June [...]
The energy policy paradox: cheap tariffs for the savvy mean higher bills for most February 26, 2012 AT A time when energy bills are soaring, many families will be angry that British Gas reported profits last week of over £500m. It follows the news ten days ago that EDF’s profits rose to almost £1.6bn and announcements from the other “Big Six” energy firms are due in the coming weeks. But politicians and [...]
London needs to have world-class education for all February 26, 2012 IN 2004 the opening of Mossbourne Academy marked a turning point in the London Borough of Hackney. Built on the site of the former Hackney Downs school (described by the then government as the “worst school in Britain”), Mossbourne became a symbol of academic excellence in one of the most deprived parts of London. Under [...]
Build for the future to keep the City running February 26, 2012 THE recent Court of Appeal hearing regarding the St Paul’s protest will be welcome news to many working in the City. Although peaceful protest is a democratic right and often sparks important debate, it is equally important that the rights of people working in the City are also respected. The mess and nuisance generated by [...]
RAPID RESPONSES February 26, 2012 Fluid thinking [Re: Time to invest in infrastructure we actually need, Monday] Water shortages will continue to be a problem unless we tackle them, but unfortunately the real solutions are not “sexy”. A national water grid is impractical, economically and environmentally, and a major undertaking. It couldn’t be done in the near future. Any comparison [...]
Powder rules on the mountains of Japan February 26, 2012 SKIING in Japan has been on the radar of dedicated powder seekers for a number of years. The snow that falls upon Japan’s resorts has to be some of the best in the world; it is light, dry and very often chest deep. Now that word has leaked out about Japan’s fantastic skiing opportunities – [...]
TRAVEL NOTES February 26, 2012 New palatial property in Marrakesh The Oetker Collection – which includes Le Bristol in Paris and the du Cap Eden Roc on the Cote d’Azur – is to unveil a deeply seductive new property, Le Palais Namaskar. Set in 50,000 sq m of Balinese-inspired scented gardens and designed by Philippe Starck protégée Imaad Rahmouni, the [...]
Turning obstacles into business opportunities February 26, 2012 A STAGNATING economy can offer smaller businesses the room to expand – Rajesh Agrawal, founder of RationalFX, certainly believes that the recession granted his money transfers and online foreign currency payment business an opportunity. But Agrawal has been thriving for some time despite leaving his small home town at 22 to live on only 5,000 [...]
KICK-STARTING STARTUPS AND THE ECONOMY February 26, 2012 RISING youth unemployment and the threat this poses to the economy is obviously looming large in the minds of politicians and business leaders. Hot on the heels of initiatives for paid internships, the government is now offering cash rewards for companies which take on an unemployed young person under the age of twenty-four. The reasons [...]
Possibilities for new companies abound even in troubled times February 26, 2012 TIMES are undeniably tough for many people in the UK, with living standards daily eroded as we pay the price for the malinvestments of our credit-fuelled boom. However, as bad as things are, hope springs eternal in the minds of British entrepreneurs – as it must. Although Investec’s recent Entrepreneur Confidence Index reveals that only [...]
