South Africa’s woes hit the rand to lows October 9, 2012 FEARS that miners’ strikes are having an impact on the broader South African economy have dragged the rand down to three-year lows against the US dollar. With industrial action threatening to creep into other sectors, the outlook is bleak for the economy and is reflected in its currency. The rand is seen as a gauge [...]
The EU’s unstoppable ambition is stirring up trouble for the future October 9, 2012 IN EUROPEAN cinemas a short video called Hidden Treasures of Europe was broadcast last year. Produced by the European Commission, it starts with synthesizer chords reminiscent of Bach. We see a mountain lake and hear church bells. The question “Sweden?” appears, followed by the answer “Montenegro”. Two girls watch their mobile phones. The question “France?” [...]
Krugman’s senseless manifesto is good on rhetoric but bad on economics October 9, 2012 NOBEL Prize winner Paul Krugman will shortly be in town. With Lord Richard Layard, he will be calling for more public spending and borrowing. The two have issued a Manifesto for Economic Sense. But is it? The opening sentences make dramatic claims: “More than four years after the financial crisis began, the world’s major advanced [...]
Robust copyright is invaluable for a thriving economy October 9, 2012 COPYRIGHT. Can you think of anything more boring, more old-school, more passé? Surely it stands in the way of people just helping themselves to the things they find online? Its defenders are old businesses who want to use it to cheat, because they can’t compete their way to online success. But before we all rush [...]
Should home owners have the right to use disproportionate force against intruders? October 9, 2012 YES Robert Buckland The government is right to want to give home owners the peace of mind to know that they can defend their homes and their property without fear of being treated like a criminal. We have all heard stories about the victims of burglary finding themselves prosecuted and the time has come to [...]
Rapid responses October 9, 2012 Sharing is caring [Re: Osborne’s employment incentives idea is no game changer, Tuesday] If the purpose of the idea is to give workers a vested interest in the business, with the carrot of not paying capital gains tax on any profit that those shares make, then there are already existing schemes in operation such as the [...]
Aston Martin strikes the right balance October 9, 2012 “It’s the best car we’ve ever made,” says Dr Ulrich Bez of the new Vanquish. I resist the temptation to ask Aston Martin’s boss whether its new flagship GT is better than the £1.2m-plus One-77 hypercar or the less extreme, but almost as exclusive, V12 Zagato now on sale. To be fair, Bez isn’t referring [...]
Car talk October 9, 2012 The new Volkswagon Golf Volkswagen has released prices for the new seventh-generation Golf. Starting from £16,330, it will be sold with a choice of four petrol engines and two diesel engines. All will have seven airbags, semi-automatic air-con and a touchscreen entertainment system with DAB radio that’s teed up for your bluetooth phone, MP3 player [...]
Get ready for the Simons effect October 9, 2012 When it comes to setting the agenda, Dior’s Raf Simons leaves YSL in the shade The tents are down, brands have packed up and press and buyers have finally retreated back to their respective cities; fashion month is well and truly over. And with everything coming to an end, people’s attention has quickly moved from [...]
Hart not best in world yet, says ‘66 hero Banks October 9, 2012 ENGLAND’S only World Cup winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks believes Joe Hart is not yet the world’s finest and has conceded that the lack of a genuine back up to him is a sincere concern. Since succeeding David James as England’s first-choice goalkeeper following the disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign, Hart has developed to the previously [...]
