Jittery FTSE 100 swings to a gain as traders fret over Spain’s prospects June 12, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index ended higher yesterday after another volatile session, recovering from a fall in the afternoon as Spanish bond yields hit their highest levels of the euro era on worries about the impact of its banking bailout. Initial relief over an aid deal agreed on Saturday for the country’s banks has quickly turned [...]
Bailout buzz is back in the US as stocks rise June 12, 2012 US stocks took their cues from Europe’s troubled debt markets yesterday, staging a comeback rally to end up more than one per cent as Spanish bond yields came off euro-era record highs. Trading has been choppy this week as investors struggle for clarity on whether the €100bn bailout for Spanish banks agreed over the weekend [...]
Business leaders must speak up in promoting a culture of capitalism June 12, 2012 MY 33 years at Tesco, 14 of them as its chief executive, left me in no doubt that people hold one of two views of the world: there are those who believe in trusting people, markets and competition, and those who put their faith in government, in all its various guises. Life being what it [...]
Government should not be doling out money to charities for lobbying June 12, 2012 WOULD you be surprised to hear that British charities receive more money from the government and the National Lottery than they do from individual donors? More than £12bn a year was transferred from the taxpayer to the third sector at the last count. Much of this was essentially outsourcing. Millions of pounds of foreign aid [...]
Accounting rules place box ticking above prudence June 12, 2012 AN INCREASINGLY acrimonious battle on accounting standards is playing out that few people can follow with ease. Accounting standards, as a consequence of their highly technical nature, are easy to put aside as only of interest to those who have spent decades deciphering company finances. However, accounts are fundamental to the functioning of the modern [...]
As the Eurozone crisis heightens, is now the right time for Britain to consider an EU exit? June 12, 2012 YES Nigel Farage The first duty of any British government is to act, entirely, in Britain’s interest. It’s what it was voted in to do, what it is paid to do. Thus it must allow this country to disentangle itself from the wreckage of the European Union. If it does not, then Britain may well [...]
RAPID RESPONSES June 12, 2012 Confidence shaken [Re: Euro establishment isn’t learning any lessons from the crisis, yesterday] Euro debt is out of favour, but Europe certainly isn’t. Who wouldn’t want a piece of Europe? If debt were converted to become asset backed – governments would have to surrender their assets in a default situation – then I see no sovereign debt [...]
Bridging the gap: How GE is trying to create a legacy for the Olympics June 12, 2012 44 DAYS TO GO Finding long-term use for equipment is key, says Tom Welsh TOWER Bridge and Homerton University Hospital in Hackney have little obvious in common. The first was opened in 1894 by the future Edward VII and is one of London’s most photographed landmarks. The second caters for one of London’s poorest, most [...]
GE lights up Tower Bridge June 12, 2012 Tetra contour cable – GE’s durable alternative to neon lighting – follows the metal curves on either side of the towers and across the walkway Tower Bridge’s Cornish granite and Portland stone cladding protects and embellishes an underlying framework of steel with a Victorian Gothic flourish LED projectors enhance the architecture of the bridge by [...]
Rio summit is a game changer for accountants’ role in businesses June 12, 2012 FOR some time now, the accountancy profession has been actively engaged in the debates on sustainable development and climate change, at least in respect of those areas that impact on accounting and business. Despite best efforts, two commonly asked questions about environmental and sustainability issues continue to be asked. The first, asked by accountants, is: [...]
