Greeks fly in for debt showdown: Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis to meet George Osborne on European tour February 1, 2015 The anti-austerity Greek finance minister is to meet with chancellor George Osborne today as part of a Europe-wide charm offensive to win over creditors and fellow politicians. Investment bank Lazard has been hired by the Greek government to advise on its debt burden during negotiations. Greek officials will also be in the City this week, [...]
Putin’s latest aggression is just smoke and mirrors: We must now call his bluff February 1, 2015 When we last left Vladimir Putin at the end of 2014, he was a cornered animal at bay, turning with teeth bared as the forces of the market relentlessly drew closer to him. But ever the creative tactician, the Russian President is seeking to – not for the first time – dramatically change the facts [...]
Obama plans to tax US companies’ $2tn profits held overseas at 19 per cent closing loophole February 1, 2015 US companies could face a larger than expected tax bill after Barack Obama revealed plans to tax the foreign profits they hold overseas at a rate of 19 per cent. In the US President’s budget, due to be announced this week, a new one-off 14 per cent rate of tax on the estimated $2tn of [...]
Bill Gates talks artificial intelligence concern, immortality, overpopulation and more in “ask me anything” January 29, 2015 If there's one thing Bill Gates enjoys more than computer software, philanthropy and tennis, it's talking to people on the internet. Whether it's TED Talks, book recommendations or online newsletters, the Microsoft founder loves to communicate with the web's masses. The billionaire took to Reddit for his third "Ask me Anything" yesterday, and what followed [...]
Educating Yanis Varoufakis: Greek finance minister and his English mentor MP Stuart Holland January 28, 2015 Former British MP Stuart Holland, who calls newly elected Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis a close friend of over a decade having worked with him on a number of academic economics papers, last night said he felt more confident than ever in Greece’s economy. “He is brilliant, and he’s very well informed because we’ve been [...]
Mark Carney calls on Germany to foot Eurozone’s risk January 28, 2015 Eurozone countries should share more risks and allow taxpayers’ money to circulate more freely as it does between countries in the UK, Mark Carney said in an unusually outspoken address last night. The Bank of England governor hinted that Greece’s troubles would be less severe if it could access more German money, comparing the situation [...]
Drastic Dave reveals 43 Tesco store closures January 28, 2015 TESCO chief executive Dave Lewis yesterday lived up to his nickname “drastic Dave” as the company named the 43 stores it would be closing in a bid to revive its flagging fortunes. The retailer said it would shut 30 convenience stores – including 18 Express outlets and 12 inner-city Metro shops – along with seven [...]
Mark Carney slams Eurozone austerity and urges common fiscal policy January 28, 2015 Mark Carney has launched a withering attack on the Eurozone's pursuit of austerity and urged a new course for European fiscal policy. Speaking in Dublin, the governor of the Bank of England warned the Eurozone could suffer another lost decade of stagnation and unemployment. "Since the financial crisis all major advanced economies have been in [...]
Francois Hollande wants tech firms to be sanctioned as “accomplices” to hate speech January 28, 2015 President Francois Hollande has outlined some bold plans to penalise tech firms if they fail to tackle hate speech. The French President has called for a framework of sanctions that would hit companies like Facebook and Twitter for hosting extremist material such as racially hateful statements that are illegal in France. "We must act at [...]
Mike Ashley and Rangers will face charges of failing “the best interests of football” next month January 28, 2015 The Scottish FA have set a date of March 2 for the hearing into charges against Mike Ashley and Rangers. Ashley will face two charges relating to his possible breach of the Scottish FA’s dual club ownership rules. The Sports Direct founder owns Newcastle United and also has an 8.96 per cent stake [...]