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Inflation worries handcuff Central Bankers

With flagging economies and worries about austerity measures further crimping growth, about the last thing central bankers from the U.K. and Europe need to consider is combating inflation. But that is exactly what is being heaped upon decision-makers at the moment.

Is default Portugal’s Manifest Destiny?

The daisy chain of events manifesting from the European fiscal crisis that initially consumed Greece then Ireland in its wake has skipped into Portugal. This is not being greeted by market participants as much of a surprise since this development had been foreshadowed for months. Portuguese bond yields had risen above 7%, roughly 4% higher than the benchmark 10-year German bund. This is the inglorious territory of Greek and Irish bond yields just as they were teetering on fiscal insolvency. ...

What's next for the Euro?

Trading in currencies is basically a zero sum game. Rather than a stock or bond that can increase or decrease in value in absolute terms, and might move directionally the opposite of the equity or fixed income markets, currencies are all about relative movement. So in handicapping what might be the fate of the Euro currency in 2011, the question one has to ask is "In relation to what?"

Bob Crow turns to Gandhi to fight coalition cuts

The RMT union, which was jointly responsible for recent strikes on the London Underground, has called for the Trades Union Congress to call a summit at which union bosses will attempt to coordinate a wave of strikes to protest the coalition government's cuts.

Irish eyes are not smiling

"Is Standard & Poor's being overly pessimistic in its view on the Irish economy?" The Irish Times asked its readership to poll and the voting was a fairly close 53 percent "Yes" to 47 percent "No" by the afternoon of Friday 27 August 2010.

Trauma in the travel sector

Flyglobespan was Scotland's biggest airline. Based in Edinburgh, it entered into administration all too suddenly on 16 December 2009 in rather curious circumstances involving several million pounds owed to it by its receipts-handling company. Flyglobespan's advice notice to customers, posted on its website at the time of its collapse, can be used as a typical and now all too familiar example for the 13 or so travel firms that have gone bust since:

Of banks and intimations

Last week a number of banks issued 2010 first-half results. Northern Rock, HSBC, Standard Chartered and Lloyds all released figures showing overall profits in their operations that were good given the current market conditions in their field of activity. All, including Northern Rock, were able to demonstrate the benefits of the "universal model" of banking and senior executives from these companies, both on and off the record, were keen to emphasise their belief in the continuance of thi...