Soros: Euro in crisis June 23, 2010 BILLIONAIRE investor George Soros yesterday launched a blistering attack on German fiscal policy, warning that its unwavering pursuit of austerity savings is putting the future of the European Union and the single currency at risk. “By insisting on pro-cyclical policies, Germany is endangering the European Union. I realise that this is a grave accusation, but [...]
SPORT | IN BRIEF June 23, 2010 United pull out of Cole race FOOTBALL: Arsenal remain favourites to sign Joe Cole this summer after Manchester United reportedly pulled out of the race to sign the England midfielder yesterday. The 28-year-old will become a free agent when his Chelsea contract expires on 1 July after the Blues refused to offer him a new [...]
US base rate held at zero June 23, 2010 THE US Federal Reserve said it would hold interest rates at a record low for “an extended period” yesterday, saying it aims to aid an economic climate that has become “less supportive”. The Federal Open Market Committee voted nine to one to keep the rates at zero to 0.25 per cent after its two-day meeting, [...]
FOOTBALL TRADER BEN CLEMINSON TAKES A LOOK AT ITALY’S FINAL GROUP MATCH AGAINST SLOVAKIA June 23, 2010 CHAMPIONS Italy have played nothing like their title suggests at this tournament and they are very lucky that they are still in with a decent chance of qualifying from Group F. Marcello Lippi’s side have lacked ideas but with Paraguay likely to beat New Zealand in the other game, a draw could feasibly be enough [...]
Budget won’t cause a new recession June 23, 2010 WE all know what Mark Twain thought of the extraordinary ability of statistics to make even the weakest of arguments sound persuasive. In the main, this week’s emergency Budget was remarkably honest, especially after years of debased Red Books from the previous Labour government. But there has been some confusion about the extent of the [...]
Two-day Tube strike starts June 23, 2010 LONDON Underground maintenance workers began a 48-hour strike at 7pm last night, after last-ditch legal action by employer Tube Lines failed. A High Court judge denied Tube Lines an injunction to stop the strike, despite arguments that the strike ballot was invalid. “We urge the RMT to pull back from taking this needless action which [...]
Henry to meet President Sarkozy as French begin debacle inquest June 23, 2010 FRENCH president Nicolas Sarkozy will today meet striker Thierry Henry to dissect the nation’s disastrous World Cup campaign. Henry called Sarkozy himself to request a meeting after the team crashed out at the group stage amid bitter in-fighting. Sarkozy yesterday met with his prime minister and sports minister to begin the inquest, after the France [...]
Kerviel asked to pay €5bn June 23, 2010 Societe Generale called for a court order yesterday that would force rogue trader Jerome Kerviel to pay back the near €5bn he lost through unauthorised trades. Jean Veil, the French bank’s lawyer, demanded compensation that effectively would leave Kerviel in debt for the rest of his life.
Facebook looks east for growth June 23, 2010 Facebook plans to expand into China, Russia and Japan in order to become the first social network to reach 1bn users, founder Mark Zuckerberg said yesterday. He told a conference the company would start to make strategic moves after years of relying on organic growth.
Nike posts profit but shares dip June 23, 2010 Sportswear retailer Nike posted quarterly profits that jumped 53 per cent yesterday, but shares dipped two per cent after revenue missed analysts’ goal. The retailer said net profit rose to $521.9m (£349m), for the three months to 31 May. Revenue rose almost eight per cent to $5.08bn, thanks to an upswing in orders for sports [...]