Meet the hottest of HOT HATCHES March 1, 2011 DESPITE the fact that Citroën has been doing rather well these past several years in the World Rally Championship, it’s taken until now for the French manufacturer to create a road car with WRC credentials. Citroën has created its new 204bhp 1.6-litre DS3 Racing model to be an extremely sporty rival to cars including Mini’s [...]
CAR TALK March 1, 2011 Vauxhall’s new Zephyr Officially it’s only a concept, but make no mistake: most of what you see here is Vauxhall’s new Zephyr. The rakish exterior design of this Zafira Tourer Concept has been inspired by high-speed train design and is conceived to be a “lounge-on-wheels”. Ambient mood lighting, a panoramic windscreen and flexible seating for [...]
Wait for the pop before profiting from deflation February 28, 2011 EVERYONE has amazing hindsight. To those who go on about the dotcom boom or the credit bubble as being obvious, you should ask how much they made shorting it. The answer is inveterately that they made none. Today as I write there are several bubbles: China for instance. The idea that China is a bubble [...]
EQUITIES DROP IN THE FACE OF OIL PRICE RISE February 28, 2011 LAST week provided a reminder that equities can go down as well as up. Although the sell-off was small in percentage terms, it has been a long time since the major global stock indices experienced a number of successive losing days. The pull-back was triggered by strength in the oil price. Brent crude finished up [...]
You shouldn’t be scared of the fear index February 28, 2011 THIS week has seen a drop in volatility in the markets from the tempestuous times of last month. Six days ago, at the height of the tensions in Libya, the Volatility Index (VIX) hit 22.13 per cent, the highest point seen in 3 months. Despite the fact that it may seem to those concentrating on [...]
THE TIPSTER February 28, 2011 BEING one of the main safe investments, gold is on the up again after its recent correction. With concerns in the Middle East still prominent and ongoing talk of inflation, the demand for the metal is still high. The all-time high was $1,423.75 in December 2010 but with the situation still fragile, we may very [...]
Only a dribbling loon would buy a green laptop February 28, 2011 SONY knew it had to up its game for the new range of Vaio laptops. It’s consumer division is struggling and those pesky people at Apple have just launched another shiny new device carved out of a single block of solid gold, featuring a beacon like the Bat Sign that broadcasts into space the fact [...]
Labour goes to war over living costs February 28, 2011 THE squeeze on middle earners exploded into a political battle yesterday, after Labour leader Ed Miliband accused the government of imposing a “cost of living crisis for ordinary families… for years to come.” The Conservatives hit back, attacking Labour for causing “the deepest recession since the war” while leading the UK to a record annual [...]
Cameron: UK may use force against Gaddafi February 28, 2011 PRIME MINISTER David Cameron yesterday laid out a stark warning to Libya, saying in Parliament that the UK has not ruled out “the use of military assets” to halt Colonel Gaddafi’s escalating violence against Libyan people. Cameron said that giving arms and support to dissenting groups inside Libya “is certainly something we should be considering” [...]
Episode three: Sunday Lunch Blitz February 28, 2011 EMMA peers over the top of the Sunday supplement. “That smells wonderful, darling.” I add a stalk of rosemary to the bubbling casserole and glance at my wife. After a couple of days’ biding my time I sense my opportunity. Returning the casserole to the oven I make my move. “I think you should have [...]
