Stringfellow speaks out on his naked ambition August 14, 2011 ARE you really 100 per cent libertarian?” Peter Stringfellow asks a room of Adam Smith Institute supporters. “I consider myself a libertarian but I do question myself occasionally. I want the freedom to compete, but I don’t necessarily want other people to have the freedom to compete with me.” The audience laughs. He is speaking [...]
Stepping into the property market of the new world order August 11, 2011 WITH debt and financial turmoil gripping the economies of Europe, North America and Japan, it’s not hard to look at the rise of India, China and Singapore and sense a coming shift in global power. Recent headlines have been staggering: last year, David Cameron led the largest British trade delegation to India in living memory, [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 10, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES HONG KONG EXCHANGE HIT BY HACKERS Computer hackers forced the Hong Kong stock exchange’s website to crash, prompting the bourse to suspend trading in the shares of seven companies including HSBC and the exchange operator itself. The cyberattack, which deprived investors of important announcements from listed companies, came just hours before Hong Kong [...]
Businesses hit by riot threat August 8, 2011 BUSINESS groups in London warned yesterday that ongoing riots in the capital could add to the UK’s economic woes, as more high street stores were vandalised and looted by rioters. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) reacted strongly to the outbreaks of vandalism, saying struggling shops would be hit hardest by the damage. “Clearly, with high [...]
Asia to lead the way in the next wave of stock exchange mergers August 8, 2011 EMERGING markets will lead the way in the next wave of exchange mergers, according to a new study by PwC. The firm says high operating leverage and heightened competition have suppressed margins across the sector, paving the way for M&A activity. Share trading has rocketed by a fifth in Asia over the last decade, while it [...]
Miller deals a dose of reality to Allardyce August 7, 2011 WEST HAM UTD (0) vs CARDIFF CITY (1) WEST HAM manager Sam Allardyce lamented some wasteful finishing as his tenure began with a dispiriting last-minute defeat against Cardiff. A summer of steady and shrewd investment saw the Hammers installed as pre-season favourites to make an instant return to the Premier League, following their relegation in [...]
Deutsche Post ups forecast August 2, 2011 Deutsche Post nudged up its 2011 outlook as it cut costs and garnered more customers seeking supply chain services. As the economy improves, manufacturers of machine parts, cars and other goods ramp up production and pay Deutsche Post to transport parts and finished products. Europe’s biggest express delivery and mail company said on Tuesday it [...]
Gold hasn’t hit the top as debt remains a risk August 1, 2011 PRESIDENT Obama’s deal on debt pushed gold off its record high, but it bounced back sharply. Now is not the time to sell, as over the foreseeable future the ongoing US and Eurozone debt crises will see it break new highs. BOUNCING BACK On Friday, gold hit a record high of $1,632.30/oz, but on Monday [...]
WOULD YOU LIKE A WILL OR DIVORCE WITH THAT? July 28, 2011 WHEN the Legal Services Act was announced last year, it was quickly dubbed the Tesco law, due to rumours it could encourage supermarkets to start offering legal services to their customers. But come Monday the moniker may have to be altered. Despite news this week that the Act could be delayed until the end of [...]
Don’t compare this to Marshall Plan July 21, 2011 PERHAPS the worst element of yesterday’s proposals to rescue the Eurozone was the attempt to rebrand the exercise as a new Marshall Plan for Greece. It is the kind of propagandistic nonsense that would have made George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth proud. The Marshall Plan was intended to help Western Europe survive the post-Second World [...]