Barclays UK profit surges 68%, SA unit benefits from African boom

From Agence France-Presse:  Britain’s scandal-hit Barclays bank posted a 68-percent jump in first-half net profits on Wednesday, as it pushed ahead with a major restructuring that will shrink its investment bank division. Earnings after taxation surged to £1.13 billion ($1.9 billion, 1.4 billion euros) in the six months to June, from £671 million a year … Read more

Malaysia Airlines jet crash insurance may be complex and lengthy

* Insurers likely to pay quickly for plane loss * Aviation insurance market hit hard in recent days * Allianz unit is lead reinsurer for aircraft By Alwyn Scott NEW YORK, July 17 (Reuters) – Insurance on the Malaysian airliner brought down over Ukraine is likely to pay out relatively quickly if the cause of the crash … Read more

Family driven SMEs – the bedrock of every economy

My first trip to Thailand, over 20 years ago, woke up the closet entrepreneur in me. That ‘dealer, trader, buyer, seller culture’ which underpins the success of the country’s economy was visible in all directions as I walked down the street from my hotel. You could almost sniff it in the air. Part of every … Read more

Davos Diary: Day Zero – A flourishing Dorf, erm Platz (with pics)

  By Alec Hogg* Returning to the highest town in Europe is a reminder of how much the World Economic Forum keeps transforming Davos. Every year there seem to be more cranes. They’re building infrastructure only properly used one week a year. Those last few days of January when the world’s rich and powerful gather … Read more