By Haridos Apostolides, US Correspondent 2014 has barely begun, but the American media machine has already put its unremitting reporting on the impending Presidential Election into gear… taking place in November 2016. As RealClearPolitics.com surveys suggests, the popular consensus has former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democrats fighting it out with the likely front-runner from New Jersey, hardball governor Chris Christie on the Republican ballot. Christie is known nationally for two major reasons; his larger-than-life persona and his...

In a tribute to his most famous screen character, Jim Royle, he said: “Guilty, my arse.”

By Adam Walker, Economics Correspondent Since the financial crisis hit in 2007 there has been a great deal of debate concerning the culture of big business capitalism and the demonisation of the financial industry. The elitism associated with the banking industry, coupled with accusations of political bias, immunity from punitive action and excessive bonus schemes has been the main target of people’s anger, many claiming that the financial sector is out of control when compared with other industries. However, are these...

By David Dumeresque of Tyzack Partners The Art of Survival: Adapting to Change in the Digital Era Fifty years ago, Leon Megginson, Professor of Management and Marketing at Louisiana State University wrote in the Southwestern Social Science Quarterly: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” What Professor Megginson was referring to, in a business sense, was that those who survive are the...

By Haridos Apostolides, US Correspondent The negotiations that no one, especially American leaders, ever truly believed would happen are, indeed, happening. On January 20th, Iran will enter into negotiations to reduce their nuclear practices with the United States, Great Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. The new, “more liberal” Iranian president, Hassan Rohani, has brought the unpredictable Middle Eastern state to the UN table, mostly due to the extreme sanctions placed upon the nation. In recent years oil exports have halved,...

By Pieter Cranenbroek – International Politics Blogger On New Year’s Eve, French President François Hollande announced a series of liberal reforms that meant a move away from socialist thinking. Although the socialist president’s alleged liaison with an actress may have overshadowed his astonishing flirt with liberalism, he would do well to quickly re-join his ideological family. It is Hollande’s profound conviction that France needs to strengthen its economy to keep its influence, but switching to a liberal economic policy will help...

Kerry Lister-Pattinson – 28, founder Making Winter Warmer I'm the type of person who really feels the cold. One especially freezing November night in 2013 a thought popped into my head; 'what must it be like for people living on the streets?' It was that thought that led me on to launch Making Winter Warmer for those Without. My idea was simple, to collect warm clothing that my friends no longer needed and to get them to the people who do....

By Joe Mellor, In house Reporter  “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” - Nelson Mandela. When the world revisited the great man’s quotes after his death, this one seemed to resonate with a lot of people. Mandela’s words seems pertinent in light of French President Francois Hollande’s alleged sexual antics. However, the French seem to have a different approach when it comes to politicians sinning, especially of the...

Freedom of Information request reveals the cost of failed Boris Island plans.  Despite extensive publicity and substantial resources, Boris Johnson’s grandiose hub island airport failed to land a spot on the Airports Commission’s shortlist for expanding UK airport capacity. The three options earmarked for further consideration included adding a third runway at Heathrow, lengthening an existing runway at Heathrow and a new runway at Gatwick. The Airports Commission stopped short at condemning the ambitious, expensive idea of building an airport...