World

Asia to dominate Davos virtual forum as virus-hit West struggles

Germany KBA watchdog also looking into Tesla touchscreen failures: paper

Germany KBA watchdog also looking into Tesla touchscreen failures: paper

The bill for Boris Johnson’s Brexit is coming in and it’s punishingly steep

You would have to possess a heart of stone not to weep with laughter at some of those who are now suddenly complaining about Brexit. It is a bit late for Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist party, those lusty sponsors of the great experiment with the UK’s prosperity, to be wailing that they have been betrayed. I smiled to see that Roger Daltrey, the Leave-supporting lead singer of the Who, has joined the chorus of rock stars furious that the...

London stock market facing blockbuster IPO year

London will enjoy a very strong year for stock market flotations, analysts say, arguing that both Brexit and coronavirus offer firms a unique opportunity to expand. Various big-name businesses that have seen booming online demand from home-bound customers during Covid-19 lockdowns have revealed eye-catching plans for initial public offerings (IPOs) in recent weeks. Clarity over Britain's final departure from the European Union on January 1 acted...

Google says it will pull Search out of Australia if the government doesn't back down on the media bargaining code

Google Australia boss Melanie Silva has told a Senate Committee that the company could pull its search engine out of Australia. The threat comes as the tech giant demands the Australian government change proposed legislation that would compel it to pay local news companies.

US housing boomed in 2020 even as pandemic slammed economy

The US housing market boomed in 2020 even as the coronavirus pandemic caused one of the worst economic contractions of modern times, as Americans took advantage of low borrowing rates to buy homes. The surge in new and existing home sales, and home construction, underscores the unequal experience of the pandemic across the United States. Even as tens of millions of people lost their jobs due to the pandemic disruptions, others were able to...

Why Brexit is poised to unbottle whisky profits

The US imposed a 25 per cent tax on single malt Scotch imports a couple of years ago - punishment for the EU subsidising aircraft maker Airbus. Yet prices have started to rise again.

GameStop shares rocket as frustrated short seller walks away

Shares in GameStop rocketed on Friday as an activist short-seller said he was walking away from the stock in the retailer due to what he called an "angry mob" that has terrorized him and his family. Andrew Left of Citron Research put out word of the decision on Twitter a day after he posted a video at YouTube detailing reasons he was certain the retailer was overpriced in the market. GameStop shares ended the formal trading day up 51 percent,...

I want to move to the South, I want the beach — and a liberal mindset. Where should I retire?

The house budget is $400,000.

What's the state of small business in 2021?

Earlier this month I sat down for a conversation with four top executives from leading companies that together have served millions of small businesses through the Covid pandemic. As we begin to emerge from what historians will look back on as a time of great challenges and economic upheaval, I wanted to better understand what small businesses have learned from the experience, and what lessons will be applied for the future. Here are the biggest...

Victoria's Great Ocean Road is going quiet, and it's both a blessing and a curse for locals

As Victoria's Great Ocean Road goes without busloads of predominantly Chinese tourists this summer, businesses are calling out for more help. But others say this will have a silver lining.

WA Government launches police recruitment drive as Liberals pledge millions for trade

The State Government has launched a $1.8 million advertising blitz to recruit police officers following its budget commitment to add an extra 800 police if re-elected in March.

Retail sales down 4.2 per cent in December

Retail spending moderated in December as COVID-19 restrictions put a dampener on shopping, and after the sharp increase in November.

Coronavirus and lockdowns have put London's iconic black cabs under threat

As London endures its third national lockdown and the UK's economy declines due to the coronavirus pandemic, the city's iconic black cabs and their drivers face an uncertain future.

What to do when you inherit your parents’ stuff — and you don’t want it

Separating emotions from monetary value — and planning ahead

HAMISH MCRAE: Growth is just round the corner

The Bank of England has the best handle on the way the economy is developing and its chief economist said that it would begin to recover 'at a rate of knots' from the second quarter as vaccines were rolled out.

Davos ski resort eerily quiet without economic talkfest this year

Davos ski resort eerily quiet without economic talkfest this year

Gulf Air seeks Airbus, Boeing aircraft delays, acting CEO says

Gulf Air seeks Airbus, Boeing aircraft delays, acting CEO says

Gordon Brown: 300,000 UK jobless hidden by official figures

Stocks falter as Johnson says new UK virus strain more deadly

Global stocks mostly fell Friday as investors fretted about the economic impact of fresh virus shocks amid worries that newer Covid-19 strains may be even more deadly than earlier ones. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned a newer Covid-19 strain may be more deadly, while US President Joe Biden said fatalities in the hard-hit country are expected to exceed 600,000.

Queen bee shortage leaves beekeepers in Australia struggling to rebuild hives

The number of commercial queen bee breeders is dwindling by the day, leaving beekeepers to battle to secure the much-needed queens that are vital for each hive's honey production.

5 high-growth themes and the stock-market ETFs that can deliver big gains in 2021

Cannabis, 5G, clean energy and other strategies for stock-market outperformance.

'A slow drip versus an explosion': inside California's divided Covid reality

California this week became the first US state to record 3m Covid-19 infections. But, within its borders, Californians have been living through two different pandemics. As the north begins to see encouraging signs that the latest, most severe period of the crisis is beginning to abate, southern California and the central valley have continued to face a deluge. “For us, the pandemic has been coming like a slow drip, whereas in Los Angeles it’s...

Even Diageo's cocktail of brands won't guarantee heady profits in a pandemic

Looking into the bottom of the glass as another evening draws to an end in an interminable winter lockdown, it may be tempting to believe the amount we drink has gone up. What else is there to do? Yet the experience of Diageo, maker of brands from Guinness to Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka, suggests something quite different: even if home drinking has picked up, the industry is missing the social drinker. The closure of pubs, bars and...

Germany urges Taiwan to help ease auto chip shortage

Germany urges Taiwan to help ease auto chip shortage

Reliance profit soars despite oil business slump

Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries on Friday said that its profit soared 12.5 percent during the last quarter of 2020 despite sharp revenue fall in its dominant oil-to-chemicals business. The 12.5 percent growth figure was in line with the market estimates after a 15 percent fall in its quarterly profits during the quarter ending September 2020.

Apple, Tesla and Facebook ready to report record sales in busiest week of earnings

Companies have barely managed to eke out positive earnings growth so far this season, but the big test arrives in the week ahead.

Aussies paying $140,000 to stay connected

Bills for the internet, mobile phones and streaming services quickly add up, but a changing market and 5G entering the fray means the chance for a better deal.

Exclusive for MoS readers: See Bordeaux with TV chef James Martin

On this eight-day luxury river cruise along the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde, you'll experience the region's full flavour - with one of the UK's most popular chefs, James Martin.

US existing home sales hit 14-year record despite pandemic

Record low mortgage rates amid the coronavirus pandemic fueled a US housing boom last year, pushing existing home sales to the highest since 2006, according to a survey released Friday. "Home sales rose in December, and for 2020 as a whole, we saw sales perform at their highest levels since 2006, despite the pandemic," NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said.

Stock-market legend sees few weeks of ‘putting your last, desperate chips into the game’—then pop

In an interview with Bloomberg TV's “Front Row,” the storied investor, Jeremy Grantham, who is often credited with several prescient market calls over the past two decades, insists that a steady rise in stocks, fostered by free money from the Federal Reserve and the government can't continue without consequences.

Inflation likely ended 2020 still subdued

The consumer price index is expected to have risen 0.7 per cent in the December quarter, keeping the annual rate also at 0.7 per cent.

'What's the point of cash if you can't go and spend it?'

Campaigners are calling on the Government as a matter of urgency to introduce legislation to preserve cash.

Aust shares dip but 1.27pc higher for week

ASX investors had minor losses on Friday but the market climbed for the week as first-half earnings season looms.

Relocating to Queensland? Get in line, Sunshine state builders record four-fold rise in new home enquiries

A building company says the level of inquiry for new homes in south-east Queensland is "phenomenal," with a mass domestic migration to the Sunshine State apparently underway.

Asos is front-runner to buy Topshop brand, Sky News says

Asos is front-runner to buy Topshop brand, Sky News says

From Belgium to Coonalpyn, migrant couple's 'wild ride' story of success in land Down Under

When the Ait-Touatis traded the hills of Vijlen in Belgium for the dusty backdrops of Coonalpyn in South Australia, they hoped to make a success of it. But what came next was beyond their highest expectations.

Star hosts gear up as Britain braces for partisan TV news

After taking the oath of office last Wednesday, Joe Biden felt the need to condemn an increasingly weaponised field of national conflict: broadcast news. Encouraging his fellow Americans to focus on the distant mirage of unity in his inaugural address, the new president warned against a “retreat into competing factions”, and distrust of those who “don’t get their news from the same sources you do”. Now Britain is on the brink of a similarly...

Biden administration to unveil more climate policies, urges China to toughen emissions target

Biden administration to unveil more climate policies, urges China to toughen emissions target

Goldman says strengthening Turkish lira may be limited by reserve building

Goldman says strengthening Turkish lira may be limited by reserve building

Volkswagen looks to claim damages from suppliers over chip shortages

Volkswagen looks to claim damages from suppliers over chip shortages

How to make sure your spouse gets your retirement savings when you die

There are differences between IRA and 401(k) beneficiaries

'Ethical' funds still hold shares in Grenfell fire firm

A number of leading ethical investment funds continue to hold shares in Irish building materials business Kingspan.

LNG production at Shell's Prelude gas processing plant in Western Australia restarts following 11-month closure

It was supposed to be an economical and environmentally safe solution to LNG production, but with almost a third of its short life in shutdown Shell's floating colossus may prove to be a mistake.

Former Dragons' Den star investing in hospitality sector

Willingham's adrenaline has kicked in again over the pandemic - despite having to hold board meetings from her bedroom at home in Brighton during lockdown.

Sky UK boosts original content as it takes on streaming rivals

Sky UK is squaring up to Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ in the battle for viewers by increasing its number of original British shows by 50% and releasing a new, exclusive film every fortnight, including a Danny Boyle-backed biopic about Britpop record label Creation Records. Fuelled by Britain’s appetite for bingeing on new shows during the pandemic, the number of UK subscribers to the main three streaming services is now approximately 32m – double...

Brexit has left us all at sea – even the fishing industry

Teething troubles? Bumps in the road? Pull the other one, Mr Gove. As the daily news from fishing crews, farmers, road hauliers, wine merchants, musicians and thousands of businesses up and down the land – not least in Northern Ireland – confirms, Brexit tier 3 is indeed a disaster. Far from having teething troubles that disappear, many of these businesses are having their commercial teeth extracted. It becomes increasingly manifest by the day...

MONTANARO EUROPEAN: Big returns from small firms

Its view is simple: smaller companies offer potential to deliver investors stellar returns, if they are also run with a firm eye on the environment, adopt fair work practices and do not promote boardroom greed.

Stock-market bulls brace for major gut check as earnings, Fed and GDP loom

Stark reality for the euphoric stock market? The coming week may present the closest thing to a gut check for bullish investors so far in 2021.

3 ways President Biden’s proposed stimulus checks will be different from Trump’s payments

'The $600 already appropriated is simply not enough,' President Joe Biden said.