SPORT IN BRIEF November 10, 2009 All Black Carter hit with banRUGBY UNION: New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter will miss Saturday’s Test against Italy after being handed a one-match ban. The All Black, who was punished for a high tackle on Martin Roberts in last week’s win against Wales, will return to face England at Twickenham on 21 November. Carter, who [...]
Eco case raises philosophical questions November 10, 2009 ALL those people who designated their religion as “Jedi Knight” in the last census may have delighted at the case of the so-called “eco-employee” last week. The employee in question is Tim Nicholson, who formerly worked for residential landlord Grainger. Nicholson claims that he was made redundant because of his environmental beliefs, and has been [...]
DIRECTORS: PREPARE FOR INSOLVENCY November 10, 2009 JULIAN TURNERPARTNER, REED SMITH LAST week the Insolvency Service released its statistics for the third quarter, showing that the number of company insolvencies – including liquidations, administrations and receiverships – were slightly lower than they were for the second quarter of the year, but significantly higher than for the same period in 2008. There were [...]
Oversold pound offers buying opportunities November 10, 2009 RATINGS agencies might have got a bad press during the financial crisis but yesterday’s volatile moves in sterling-US dollar indicate that they still command plenty of attention from the markets. David Riley, Fitch’s co-head of global sovereign ratings, told Reuters Television early yesterday morning that Britain’s coveted triple-A rating is more at risk than that [...]
AUSSIE AN FX OPTION FOR GOLD BULLS November 10, 2009 BORIS SCHLOSSBERGDIRECTOR OF CURRENCY RESEARCH, GFT THIS week gold reached a record high, breaking the key $1,100 an ounce level after the central bank of India purchased 200 tonnes from the International Monetary Fund – the largest such transaction by a central bank in over 30 years. Analysts’ opinions regarding this latest surge varies greatly, [...]
Euro expected to stay painfully strong in run-up to Christmas November 10, 2009 AFTER only a few weeks of respite for European policymakers, the euro is once again edging back up to test the critical $1.50 level against the US dollar. So far, at least, momentum has been unable to carry the pair through this psychological resistance level for an extended period of time. Officials in the Eurozone [...]
THE TIPSTER WEAK DOLLAR OFFERS BUYING OPPORTUNITIES November 10, 2009 THE dominant theme in the currency markets at the moment is the question mark hanging over the value of the dollar and whether the greenback’s weakness will continue. The single currency is once again at the key $1.50 level as the weak dollar continues to drive euro-dollar higher. There is strong resistance between 1.5000 and [...]
Opec-like forum for gas firms November 10, 2009 The club of major gas producers should operate like oil exporters’ group OPEC in defending its members against low gas prices, Algerian energy and mines minister Chakib Khelil said yesterday. Gas importing countries, particularly in Europe, have expressed concern the Gas Exporting Countries Forum could drive up prices by acquiring the same influence over gas [...]
Falling German sentiment dampens recovery hopes November 10, 2009 HOPES of recovery in Germany were dashed yesterday by the second consecutive fall in the country’s investor sentiment, which worsened by more than expected in November. The ZEW think-tank’s monthly poll of economic sentiment posted its lowest reading in four months, dropping to 51.1 from 56 in October. A separate gauge of current conditions rose [...]
British boss interim head of GM Europe November 10, 2009 NICK REILLY, the British executive who is president of General Motors’ (GM) international operations, has been named as the man to lead the recovering carmaker’s European arm, Opel, as it searches for a new chief executive. The news comes a week after GM, which emerged from bankruptcy at warp-speed in July this year, shocked the [...]