Inflation Falls To Lowest Rate in Two Years

UK inflation rate (excluding owner occupiers' housing costs) fell to 2.1% in December, from 2.3% the previous month, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) 12-month inflation rate was 2.0% in December 2018, down from 2.2% in November 2018.

The largest downward contributions to change in the 12-month rate came from falls in petrol prices and from air fares, where ticket prices rose between November and December 2018, but by less than a year ago.


Given this and the ongoing Brexit uncertainty there is no way that the Bank of England will raise rates.

Police Probe Suspected Pension Scam

Police make arrests in probe of suspected £18m #pension scam https://t.co/rA7lfEB0Tl via @financialtimes

— Josephine Cumbo (@JosephineCumbo) December 19, 2018

China Retaliates For Huawei

China has detained a former Canadian diplomat at a time of growing tension between the two countries over the arrest of a Chinese executive accused of violating sanctions.

Michael Kovrig, who had served Canada in Beijing, Hong Kong and at the UN in New York, is now a senior adviser for the International Crisis Group (ICG), which researches conflict prevention.

I warned that China would retaliate a few days ago.

Trump Tries To Ease Chinese Tensions

EXCLUSIVE - @realDonaldTrump tells @Reuters in interview that he would consider intervening in case of Huawei CFO if it would serve national security and help with a China trade deal

— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) December 11, 2018

Paris Is Hot!

With the French riots, let's spare a thought for the bankers who left Brexit Britain for Paris... https://t.co/xUJvhNVtlL pic.twitter.com/S7uKwLhEc9

— Henry Mance (@henrymance) December 6, 2018

America The Stupid - The Huawei Idiocy "Tactic"

This seems like a bad idea pic.twitter.com/ujwAjBByZo

— Eric Gomez (@EricGomezAsia) December 6, 2018

In the event that America is thick enough to pursue this "tactic", they will find PDQ that many American executives currently in China and related territories will be placed under arrest on all sorts of charges.

This is a policy destined to not only fail, but make things worse!

O2 Has Crashed

O2 has crashed, and is blaming a global software problem for a network outage that has left frustrated customers without access to the internet and 4G services.

Millions of customers are believed to have been affected in the data blackout, which is also impacting customers of Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Giffgaff and Lycamobile who use O2's service.

China Will Retaliate For Huawei

The arrest of Huawei CFO Wanzhou Meng (also deputy chairwoman and the daughter of Huawei’s founder) will throw a spanner into the brief outbreak of sanctions peace between the USA and China.

As I noted earlier today, Huawei is regarded as a security risk (because it is Chinese) and as such part of the "Great Game" being played out between the USA and China for global dominance. Hence, there will be Chinese countermeasures for this.

Trump Doesn't Care About The National Debt

NEW: Trump has told aides he doesn’t care about the national debt in part because when it becomes truly untenable he will be out of office. https://t.co/tMJ5k5hiTl

Via @swin24 and @lachlan

— Sam Stein (@samstein) December 5, 2018

There is at least the upside, he admits that he won't be in office forever!

Huawei On The Skids

Big news: “Canada has arrested the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei Technologies who is facing extradition to the United States on suspicion she violated U.S. trade sanctions against Iran” https://t.co/ChwtpE4Jqw

— Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) December 5, 2018

Additionally, BT is removing Huawei equipment from the core of its network for transferring calls and internet traffic because of concerns over national security.

Macron Caves In

Macron folds:
FRENCH PM TO ANNOUNCE 3-MONTH SUSPENSION OF FUEL TAX INCREASES - RULING PARTY LAWMAKER

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) December 4, 2018

Carney Gets Political Again!

Carney: Sterling has not factored in high chance of a disorderly Brexit

you ain't seen nothin yet

— Katie Martin (@katie_martin_fx) December 4, 2018

He is wrong, the markets have already factored in the costs of a disorderly Brexit.

Police Comment on Deutsche Bank Raid

Here Is What the Police in Frankfurt tweets about the Deutsche Bank Raid... pic.twitter.com/EdMmI4Qzza

— fiatcurrency 💰 (@fiatcurrency) November 29, 2018

Deutsche Bank HQ Raided Over Money Laundering

The scene outside of #DeutscheBank HQ in Frankfurt as prosecutors raid it in a money laundering probe. /via @carolynnlook pic.twitter.com/zrgF6UwmKl

— Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) November 29, 2018

Markets Ignore Carney's Tantrum

The pound has finished up on the day after international currency traders laugh off Mark Carney's politically motivated bed wetting. pic.twitter.com/xI2HzED4ug

— Peter Thompson (@P_G_Thompson) November 28, 2018