Letters to the editor – 06/09 – Defending Wonga, Green Deal, Best of Twitter September 5, 2013 Defending Wonga [Re: Wonga defends reputation as profits rocket, yesterday] Payday lenders mean different things to different people. For many on low incomes, they provide a cash bridge until pay day. For others, they are viewed as taking advantage of people in financial need. Those in the latter group are unlikely to have a need [...]
Trap door opens as Ireland final dream dies September 10, 2013 REPUBLIC of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni was on the brink last night after a 1-0 defeat in Austria effectively ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Bayern Munich full-back David Alaba’s 84th-minute strike in Vienna means Ireland could mathematically still reach a play-off place, but only if they win both of their [...]
Britain slips two places in global race league table September 4, 2013 THE UK has become less competitive in the last year compared to its peer countries, according to a detailed global report published yesterday by the World Economic Forum. Despite the government’s frequently cited pledge to improve Britain’s standing in the so-called global race, the UK slipped from eighth place in 2012 to 10th place in this [...]
We must accept our limited capacity to resolve conflict in tinderbox Syria August 28, 2013 ONE OF the enduring consequences of the war in Iraq, and to a lesser extent Afghanistan, is a deep scepticism towards military intervention abroad among the British people. In the case of the civil war in Syria, I share that scepticism. There are four questions that need to be asked and answered by policymakers [...]
Hodgson’s pride in Lions October 15, 2013 Rooney and Gerrard sink Poles and send England into World Cup finals in Brazil ENGLAND manager Roy Hodgson toasted the proudest moment of his career last night after a nervy but exhilarating 2-0 home victory over Poland cemented his team’s qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. Striker Wayne Rooney’s 41st-minute header eased jitters [...]
London Report: Syrian tension drags bank and mining stocks August 27, 2013 FINANCIALS and miners dragged Britain’s FTSE 100 lower yesterday as tensions in Syria and prospects of stimulus withdrawal by the US Federal Reserve crimped risk appetite. Reopening after a public holiday, London’s blue-chip shed 51.13 points, or 0.8 per cent to 6,440.97, costing the index all the previous session’s gains, albeit in low volumes. Crisis [...]
Limited strikes against Assad would solve little in Syria’s miserable war August 27, 2013 THE USE of chemical weapons on a massive scale in the area around Syria’s capital Damascus has understandably elicited condemnation from the international community – including both Russia and Iran. And we seem to be clear on where responsibility lies. The League of Arab States and many Western powers now state clearly that the [...]
EU adds to sanctions against Iran October 15, 2012 EU governments agreed further sanctions against Iran’s banking, shipping and industrial sectors yesterday, cranking up pressure on Tehran in the hope of drawing it into serious negotiations on its nuclear plans. The move by EU foreign ministers reflected mounting concerns over Iran’s nuclear intentions and Israeli threats to attack Iran atomic installations if a mix [...]
Standard Chartered gets close to settling Iran sanction claims October 30, 2012 STANDARD Chartered saw profits rise in the third quarter, according to its update published yesterday, although its progress was slowed by the cost of settling claims made by US regulators that it broke sanctions against Iran. The emerging market specialist recorded “high single-digit” profit growth, knocking its hopes of upping profits by 10 per cent [...]
Syria crisis highlights a new model for how the Special Relationship can work September 4, 2013 I REMEMBER the exact moment I knew I was a dinosaur. I was included in high-level meetings, aimed at assembling a coalition to buttress George W. Bush’s effort to remove Saddam Hussein. When the topic of whether the British would come along arose, everyone laughed, regardless of party or foreign policy orientation. Confused, I asked [...]