COMEBACK KID December 14, 2011 THE EXHAUSTED boss of Lloyds Banking Group is to jump back in the saddle of the beleaguered lender after doctors said he made a “full recovery”, chairman Sir Win Bischoff has announced. The bank also said that it has entered exclusive talks with the Co-operative Group over the sale of 632 branches, leaving rival bidder [...]
A wake-up call for board of Lloyds December 14, 2011 SIR Win Bischoff nailed his colours to the mast yesterday: if António Horta-Osório has to beg off sick again due to exhaustion, he, Sir Win, will “consider his position”. An impressive gambit, perhaps – except that Sir Win is already on his way out. He’s likely to retire in the next year. And little was [...]
Eurozone back in the eye of the storm December 14, 2011 YOU can’t fool all the people all of the time. Unfortunately, you can generally con quite a few of them temporarily, but it doesn’t usually last very long. The most recent EU summit was a case in point. With all such meetings, investors temporarily accept politicians’ claims to have triumphed at face value, as long as [...]
Gold plummets over $100 with US dollar rising December 14, 2011 GOLD plummeted to its lowest level in over two months yesterday, with many investors liquidating their positions to raise cash. Spot gold dropped as low as $1,566 during the day, before paring losses slightly to trade around $1,575 – still down three per cent (over $100). “The gold price is denominated in US dollars hence [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING December 14, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES BANKS FACE €350BN BASEL III SHORTFALL European banks will have to raise nearly €200bn ($260bn) in new capital or cut their balance sheets by nearly 20 per cent, to achieve the tougher new Basel III banking reform rules that start taking effect in 2013, a new study has found. The study by the [...]
Fulham Fall at the last December 14, 2011 Cottagers out of Europa League after throwing away two-goal lead and conceding in injury-time FULHAM 2 vs ODENSE BK 2 CRESTFALLEN Fulham manager Martin Jol admitted he was bitterly disappointed after watching his side crash out of the Europa League in agonising circumstances last night, following Djiby Fall’s 93rd minute equaliser. Fulham were cruising at [...]
MATCH ANALYSIS December 14, 2011 KEY MOMENT Kerim Frei, the 18-year-old Swiss starlet, enjoyed a reputation enhancing night, but one moment of over indulgence at the death cost his side a place in the knockout stages. With the clock ticking down the young winger would have been well advised to have taken the ball to the corner flag, rather than [...]
Four jockeys among 11 found guilty of corruption December 14, 2011 JOCKEYS Paul Doe and Greg Fairley have been banned from racing for 12 years for breaching rules after a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) probe into alleged corruption. Fellow riders Kirsty Milczarek and Jimmy Quinn received two-year and six-month suspensions, respectively. Fairley and Doe were charged with the most serious rule-breaches, of deliberately ensuring horses did not [...]
England talk won’t distract Harry from Spurs project December 14, 2011 SHAMROCK ROVERS vs TOTTENHAM TOTTENHAM manager Harry Redknapp insists he is fully focused on ensuring Champions League football returns to White Hart Lane next season and will not be distracted by ongoing talk of him succeeding Fabio Capello as England head coach. Redknapp, who has turned Spurs from relegation candidates into Champions League quarter finalists [...]
Villa won’t join Chelsea and Torres is staying put December 14, 2011 BARCELONA manager Pep Guardiola has denied suggestions striker David Villa will join Chelsea in January. The Spain international started last weekend’s 3-1 win over Real Madrid on the substitutes’ bench and was reported to have fallen out with team-mate Lionel Messi earlier this season. But Guardiola insists the 30-year-old, who signed a four-year deal upon [...]
