Jeremy Hunt should scrap plain cigarette packaging August 25, 2014 After Australia passed a first-of-its-kind law in 2012 mandating that all cigarettes be sold in plain brown packaging free of branding, UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt vowed to keep a close eye on the Australian law’s progress before introducing similar legislation in the UK. Two years later, the Australian bill has failed to reduce smoking, [...]
Cricket Comment: Reaching Ashes without loss is England target August 12, 2014 A THIRD successive Test victory this week to round off the series and beat India 3-1 at the Oval would be a terrific way for England to cap a transformative few weeks, but it’s not vital. Defeat would puncture a fragile feel-good factor that has developed, but a draw would still be enough to take [...]
Car Review: Rolls-Royce Phantom – as big, luxurious and iconic as ever August 12, 2014 Alan Sugar drives one. So does Simon Cowell. But, by and large, owners of the Rolls-Royce Phantom prefer discretion. For every ostentatious celeb with a Roller there will be 10 discreet owners who hide behind the tinted, double-glazed windows. Yet it’s impossible to avoid people stopping and staring when you drive one. It may have [...]
UK vs ECB: Britain squares up to Eurozone in legal battle for City’s rights July 9, 2014 British lawyers accused the European Central Bank (ECB) of breaking the single market rules in a landmark case yesterday. By insisting euro-denominated payment transactions are cleared within the Eurozone, the ECB is breaking the law, the Treasury argued. The UK complained in 2011 but it has taken until now to reach the European Court of Justice [...]
Britain needs safeguards on ever-closer union – or we’ll sleepwalk into EU exit June 30, 2014 DAVID Cameron has been engaged in a valiant, some might say vainglorious, charge to set clearer parameters for the future development of the European project – only to find that those who pay the piper call the tune. The paymaster of Europe is undoubtedly Germany, and recent events have demonstrated that it is indeed Germany [...]
Bitcoin Jesus offers citizenship to libertarian paradise June 16, 2014 Roger Ver, otherwise known as Bitcoin Jesus, has expanded the horizon of what can be bought with the world’s favourite cryptocurrency. The self-described libertarian and founder of Passports for Bitcoin is selling the right to live in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in cryptocurrency. Just a three-hour flight away from Miami, the islands [...]
Bitcoin Jesus offers citizenship to libertarian paradise June 16, 2014 Roger Ver, otherwise known as Bitcoin Jesus, has expanded the horizon of what can be bought with the world's favourite cryptocurrency. The self-described libertarian and founder of Passports for Bitcoin is selling the right to live in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in cryptocurrency. Just a three-hour flight away from Miami, the islands [...]
The new EU price controls that will hold back a cashless future – and hit the poor June 8, 2014 PAYMENT cards are a marvel of modern civilisation. Both consumers and retailers benefit from payments that are safer and quicker than cash or cheque – and from the fact that consumers are not limited by the amount of cash in their wallet or bank account. Brits get this, which is why Britain has among the [...]
This is no zombie government – but the Queen’s Speech lacked bold vision June 4, 2014 NOTHING baffles me more than the complaint that government isn’t doing enough. The accusation that coalition ministers have become zombies, walking around aimlessly with nothing to do, has energised those who feel that, if government slows down, life as we know it might well collapse. The notion that creativity, social progress and economic growth will [...]
Asian markets on the rise while Thailand declares martial law May 20, 2014 Asian markets are enjoying modest gains as the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) two day policy meeting gets underway. The BoJ is widely expected to maintain current policy when it announces its decision on Wednesday. Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has sought to maintain an optimistic outlook for the health of the Japanese economy, dampening expectations the BoJ [...]