Animal Spirits Poland is Europe’s economic star. Will politics derail it? September 29, 2015 Each month John Hulsman examines under-appreciated opportunities around the world, uncovering markets that it would be easy to overlook A few years ago, I remember leaving a wonderfully Hapsburgian café in Warsaw with a good friend of mine, an expert in the terribly sad history of Central and Eastern Europe. While I was enthusing about [...]
Oil prices: Has black gold lost its shine? As Royal Dutch Shell takes a $4bn hit from a failed venture, are oil companies still investable? September 29, 2015 Royal Dutch Shell has halted oil exploration in the Arctic, after a $7bn (£4.6bn) quest failed to yield enough crude to justify continued spending. The venture has been a “very costly error” and will damage the company both financially and reputationally, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Lucas Herrman. Shell said it is likely [...]
As world leaders clash over how best to deal with Syria, is the West right to be more tolerant towards Assad? September 28, 2015 Kamal Alam, fellow at RUSI and Syrian military analyst advising the British Army on Syrian affairs, says Yes Three years ago, Bashar Jaafari – the suave Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations – slammed the West on the UN Security Council floor for trying to use Syria in games similar to the ones TE Lawrence [...]
Fifa president Sepp Blatter to face criminal charges as part of Swiss corruption probe September 25, 2015 Sepp Blatter will face criminal charges from Swiss authorities, who have opened an investigation into the Fifa president. Read more: More charges set to be brought in Fifa probe The Swiss attorney general has brought charges of criminal "mismanagement" and "misappropriation" against Blatter, who had previously avoided any allegations specifically against his person in the corruption [...]
Qatar World Cup 2022: Fifa confirms dates for final and reveals shorter tournament September 25, 2015 After years of speculation, disputes and recriminations, Fifa has finally settled on dates for the controversial 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Read more: Qatar and Russia could no longer host the World Cup if bribery evidence is found Football's first winter World Cup will begin on 21 November and finish with the final on 18 December just [...]
The five best countries for a fulfilling expat career: Go to Russia finds HSBC Expat Explorer Survey September 25, 2015 Russia has topped a new ranking of countries which are able to offer expats a role that's more fulfilling than their previous one. The annual HSBC Expat Explorer survey found six in 10 expats living in Russia said that they were now getting more out of their jobs. "Learning the local language is key to successfully [...]
Strong dollar and hot weather hit H&M’s summer sales and see share price fall September 24, 2015 Swedish retail giant H&M's share price fell this morning, despite promising third quarter results. The figures Sales at H&M Group – which includes facias Cos, & Other Stories and Monki as well as the mainline brand, were up 11 per cent to SEK 132bn Swedish Krona (£10bn) in the nine months to the end of [...]
Champions League: England’s fourth place under threat from Italy after Man United, Arsenal and Man City flop in Europe September 22, 2015 English clubs’ disappointing start to the Champions League group stage has increased the chances of the Premier League’s allocation of places being cut from four to three. Figures published by European governing body Uefa show Italy is only narrowly behind England in the coefficient rankings, which determine how many teams from a given country qualify for [...]
Dairy Crest churns out strong sales of cheddar cheese as spreads suffer September 22, 2015 DAIRY Crest said yesterday that Britons tucking into its Cathedral City cheddar cheese had helped offset falling sales across its spreads business in the first half of the year. The company said first quarter sales of its four key brands, Cathedral City, Clover, Country Life and Frylight, were in line with the same quarter of [...]
The end of cheap oil: Have prices troughed? September 22, 2015 Having fallen by more than 50 per cent since last summer to under $50 per barrel, Opec has said that it expects oil prices to rise to $80 per barrel by the end of the decade. The oil cartel, which decides on the collective production policy of countries like Saudi Arabia and the Gulf [...]