| Mandela memorial: it's the ANC that's betrayed South Africa, not the booing
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 Jacob Zuma and his party have embarrassed the country far more than those who registered their protest at FNB stadium Nelson Mandela's state memorial service was attended by more than 90 000 people and 100 heads of states, paying their last respects to a man who is not only a national hero but also a global icon for peace, hope and reconciliation. It was a day of eulogies to Mandela, but some say it was overshadowed by the boos and jeers that the sitting president, Jacob Zuma, received when he walked into the stadium and again when he was about to address the crowd. The commotion set social media alight, with commentators disagreeing on whether it was appropriate behaviour for a memorial service. It certainly raised the stakes for the upcoming general election. In a public statement, the ANC said that those who booed during Mandela's memorial service did South Africa a disservice and embarrassed the country. ANC deputy president and business tycoon, Cyril Ramaphosa, tried to take control of the situation ...
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| The UK's least credit-worthy regions
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 People in the North East have the lowest average credit scores in Britain, while those from the North of Scotland are considered the safest bet by lenders. A new study has ranked the regions of the UK by the average credit scores of their residents, revealing the parts of the country where customers are most and least likely to qualify for a credit card, loan or mortgage. After the North East, ...
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| Families weighed down by rent and energy costs
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 Essential spending on rent and energy is at a record high for families and is forcing cutbacks in other areas, including transport costs. In its latest health check of household finances, the Office for National Statistics found that families were spending £68 a week on these areas, overtaking transport, which came in at £64.10. In response to these soaring costs, households have cut overall ...
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| Six share tips for dividend investors
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 The appeal of dividends over the past five years is easy to understand as savings and bond rates have slumped to rock-bottom levels. For many in retirement they have proved a lifeline helping to keep their income at acceptable levels. Even for those many years from taking a pension, dividend yields of 4 per cent plus have provided a welcome boost to returns during some tough times. The ...
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| The Rise of the Resource Curse
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 By 2030, roughly half of the world's economies will become giant filling stations for developing superpowers. Instead of the world moving toward greater transparency and freer markets, we could see rising corruption levels and greater income inequality.
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| Activist Hedge Fund Seeks Higher Bid in Pharmaceutical Merger
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 LONDON, Dec. 10, 2013 (NEW YORK TIMES) -- Elliott Management, the New York-based hedge fund founded by Paul Singer, urged the McKesson Corporation on Tuesday to sweeten its deal to acquire the German pharmaceutical wholesaler Celesio, saying its tender offer to acquire the outstanding shares of Celesio ''substantially undervalues'' the company. In October, McKesson, the health care services company based in San Francisco, announced that it had acquired a controlling stake in Celesio from Franz Haniel & Cie., the company's majority shareholder, and planned to start a tender offer for the remaining shares in a deal valued at $8.3 billion. But Elliott, which has an economic interest in Celesio of more than 25 percent, said it did not plan to tender the shares or convertible bonds owned by its affiliated funds under the current offer. ''Simply put, Elliott believes that Celesio's shareholders and bondholders are not getting a fair deal at the current price,'' the hedge fund said. ''Given the value McKesson ...
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(sources)
