Online giants to be hit as Google loses EU data case May 14, 2014 US INTERNET giants could be hit by tight new rules on personal data, after Google lost a landmark case in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which ruled that EU citizens can demand any outdated data is removed from servers. The verdict is expected to throw up a host of technical challenges and extra costs [...]
Online giants to be hit as Google loses EU data case May 13, 2014 US INTERNET giants could be hit by tight new rules on personal data, after Google lost a landmark case in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which ruled that EU citizens can demand any outdated data is removed from servers. The verdict is expected to throw up a host of technical challenges and extra costs [...]
Flooding crisis: A case study in the failure of government on all levels February 11, 2014 THE STATE’S many faces have been tearing pieces out of each other as the water level rises around London commuter towns. Who is to blame for England’s flooding crisis? Eric Pickles said it was the Environment Agency, but now thinks everyone should work together. Labour’s Lord Smith, the Agency’s head, has criticised spending cuts. David [...]
Tory policy is becoming a mess of contradictions February 24, 2014 AS RECOVERY becomes entrenched, it is easy to forget the sense of urgency of those heady days in May 2010, when the Tory-Lib Dem coalition agreement was thrashed out. The backdrop of the Greek implosion brought broad consensus on the need for a credible medium-term plan to repair the public finances. The Conservatives who, right [...]
Insurer says disasters caused less death and damage during 2013 January 7, 2014 NATURAL catastrophes like floods and storms claimed more than 20,000 lives and caused around $125bn (£76bn) in damage worldwide in 2013, well below the average of the last decade, reinsurer Munich Re said yesterday. The world’s largest reinsurer said Supertyphoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines, China and Vietnam in November, was probably the strongest tropical [...]
Letters to the Editor – 17/02 – Big bluff, Futures markets, Best of Twitter February 16, 2014 Big bluff [Re: The Scottish nationalists aren’t credible on keeping sterling, Friday] The Westminster politicians would soon change their minds in the event of a “Yes” vote. A vote for Scottish independence would force all interested parties to negotiate over UK asset and debt sharing, bank recovery and rescue plans. Ross McEwan of RBS thinks [...]
Letters to the Editor – 12/02 – Eurozone failings, The praise game, Best of Twitter February 11, 2014 Eurozone failings [Re: Globalisation lay behind the Eurozone crisis – but it has also rescued the euro, yesterday] An interesting analysis, but let’s not diminish the role of economic mismanagement and deep structural issues in the Eurozone crisis. As is shown by the current emerging markets chaos, it can be all too easy to blame [...]
The Bottle Opener: How wine buffs should spend that bonus April 1, 2014 CHATEAU Pontet-Canet, a lovely domaine in Paulliac but normally overshadowed by its more famous neighbours, has been making the headlines recently. Last week it announced the price of its 2013 wines, €60 a bottle in bond, the same price as 2012. So what? you might ask. Well you see, this is the week the world’s [...]
Letters to the Editor – 05/02 – Civil service, More cuts, Best of Twitter February 4, 2014 Civil service [Re: Would political appointments to the civil service increase government effectiveness? Yesterday] Public bodies are largely run by people who have an instinctive opposition to enterprise, standards and choice. No wonder senior Tories are now realising that they need to make drastic changes. It would be nice to return to a world of [...]
The year in preview: Our in-depth guide January 5, 2014 City A.M.’s journalists take a wide-ranging look at what 2014 has in store for the world of finance and business BANKINGRestoring faith means costly overhaulsA CAUTIOUS optimism pervades the British and European banking system at the start of 2014. The incoming economic recovery is at last improving customers’ creditworthiness, while the hard work running down [...]