Is the historic $1.9bn settlement between HSBC and US regulators a reasonable result? December 11, 2012 YES Roger Francis HSBC said today that it had agreed to pay $1.92bn (£1.2bn) as part of a settlement with US regulators. Although the settlement sets a new record for penalties on a bank, it should be viewed in the perspective of HSBC’s huge earnings power and the bank’s breaches of money laundering and sanctions [...]
Rapid responses December 11, 2012 The payday debate [Re: The poorest will suffer if we ignore the real evidence on payday loans, yesterday] This is the first honest, data-driven response to the payday loan industry debate I’ve seen. Unfortunately, screaming headlines about sky-high interest rates and vulnerable borrowers have led some to ignore the sad truth that many are far [...]
Menus get the Christmas treatment December 11, 2012 WITH DECEMBER well and truly under way, it’s officially that time of year where your favourite eateries trade in their usual menus for something more festive. This season bars, restaurants and pubs are pulling out all the stops as far as their dishes are concerned so whether you’re after something traditional or want a modern, [...]
Forget the Great British Bake Off, we put a selection of mince pies to the test December 11, 2012 WE MAY have just under two weeks to go before Christmas but mince pie season is already well and truly upon us. As far as quality goes, they can be pretty hit and miss. Done well, the pastry is crumbly and the filling substantial and sweet but done badly, it’s enough to throw you off [...]
Eco and a worthwhile investment December 11, 2012 The LAST time I whizzed about in an EV here was in the scooter-like Renault Twizy, which, though great fun, only seats two. This Mia Electric car – a plug-in, zero emission car with a 80 mile range – from a new French manufacturer of the same name, has three seats or, in the longer [...]
Car talk December 11, 2012 Honda recognises the need for speed with its latest CR-Z Hybrid Honda’s latest CR-Z Hybrid will cost from £20,550 OTR when it goes on sale in January. Improvements to the car’s hybrid powertrain sees power go up to 135bhp. The 0-62mph sprint time is reduced from 10 seconds to 9.1 seconds and the top speed [...]
Kcell IPO fully covered ahead of subscription deadline December 11, 2012 Kazakhstan-based mobile telecoms group Kcell has its book largely covered ahead of closing on its London float later today, according to sources close to the situation. It is understood orders are flooding in from Kazakhstan, with the possibility that the book could be oversubscribed. The news will provide a welcome boost to London’s struggling market [...]
Three arrested in Libor probe December 11, 2012 Three British men have been arrested by the Serious Fraud Office in connection with the investigation into Libor manipulation. The men, aged 33, 41 and 47, were arrested at residential addresses in Essex and Surrey. They are the first people to be arrested in connection to the alleged manipulation of borrowing rates in London. Martin [...]
FTSE flat as Tullow Oil sinks December 11, 2012 The blue chip index was broadly flat in early trading this morning, as explorer Tullow Oil, which this morning said it was to acquire a Norwegian exploration company and dispose of its North Sea operations, dropped almost five per cent. Miners ENRC and Kazakhmys dropped 2.64 per cent and 1.86 per cent respectively on the [...]
Forever young: The scientists trying to cheat death December 11, 2012 Since our species became self aware, it has dreamed of cheating death and ensnaring eternal youth. Life extension experts think it's possible
