352 items found
Gary Gibbon
George Osborne was less than obliging to Labour MPs questioning him in the Commons this afternoon. They were accused of talking utter rubbish, he queried whether it was worth them turning up their questions were so stupid. Word has it he may be feeling slightly bruised himself soon when he sees what US diplomats were…
The euro plunges further as the debt crisis shows signs of spreading to Portugal and Spain, even after Ireland unveiled an austerity plan while negotiations on the country’s bailout continue.
Ken McCluskey, new leader of the country’s biggest union, pledges to lead the fight against the coalition government’s cuts – and refuses to rule out the possibility of a general strike.
Ireland’s premier Brian Cowen rules out rushing through emergency economic measures, as financial experts tell Channel 4 News that the Irish bailout could lead to more splits in the Eurozone.
As talks continue over a multi-billion euro bailout to save Ireland from financial fallout, Prof Andrew Clare writes that unless debt holders learn hard lessons the economic crisis will persist.
I’ve just been talking to the Chancellor George Osborne at a briefing in Brussels after his lunch with fellow European finance ministers about the Irish debt question.
George Osborne tells Channel 4 News a healthy Irish economy is in “Britain’s national interest”, as he considers all the options to help the country out of its debt crisis, writes Faisal Islam.
EU finance ministers are looking at plans to help Ireland out of its debt crisis with experts ready for a bail-out – including a potential offer of bilateral aid from the UK, Faisal Islam explains.
Europe heaps pressure on Ireland to accept a financial bail-out, as fears grow that a failure to do so would be catastrophic. Economics Editor Faisal Islam says it could all end in the courts.
Madeleine McCann’s parents tell Darshna Soni their fear that the authorities have given up searching for their missing little girl. Their own fund to find her could run out of money by next spring.
Jon Snow
Strange times. China’s inflation rate zooms on through their own target range of 3 per cent to 3.6 per cent. The country’s growth rate slows from a first quarter rate of 11.9 per cent, a second quarter of 10.3 per cent, to today’s’ 9.6 per cent. It’s a result the ‘authorities’, wanted to see. But the inflation rate is not. It’s almost impossible to imagine what this set of financial circumstances heralds for us all in the future. If China catches a cold, a good number of us will die of flu, one senses.
Fifa officials have confirmed they are investigating claims that two of their committee members offered to sell their votes for who will host the next World Cup.
Jon Snow
There’s a dramatic Gulf developing between scientists and politicians about cannabis. Today in Birmingham, one of Britain’s most respected drugs researchers, Roger Pertwee, Professor of Neuropharmacology at the University of Aberdeen, is advocating the wholesale decriminalisation of cannabis. In a speech to the British Science association he is saying that present policy is causing more…
Gary Gibbon
David Cameron mingles with EU leaders at his first-ever European Council. Gary Gibbon watches.
Faisal Islam blogs on a coup for the Treasury after some strong US backing.