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Showing posts from April, 2012

Apropos of nothing really

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Irrefutable proof that a good woman can bring  balance and stability in a man's life.

So economic austerity works does it?

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The effect of the European determination to return government budgets to surpluses becomes more and more apparent. The latest Eurostat unemployment figures released tonight show: Click graph to enlarge
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These are not figures to inspire consumer confidence: Click to enlarge When housing prices are declining home owners and buyers get uneasy and that cannot be good for a government trying to persuade people that they are managing the economy well. The good news from RPdata today is that Australia’s housing market is showing signs of stabilising after home values rose 0.2 per cent in March. Not only has the market remained unchanged for the quarter ending 31 March 2012, it is also level with the 31 November 2011 home values across the combined capital cities. The flat result over the quarter is the strongest result since March 2011 when values increased by 0.7 per cent.

politicalowl: The market's verdict on the French presidential election

politicalowl: The market's verdict on the French presidential election : 'via Blog this'

The market's verdict on the French presidential election

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The French election indicator I prepare for the Crikey website based on prediction markets gives Francois Hollande a 58% probability of becoming President.

Angela Merkel gives a French election tip

The political speculator's diary: Angela Merkel gives a French election tip : 'via Blog this' I notice that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel has changed her tune about actively backing Nicolas Sarkozy in the contest for the French presidency. She is now offering to meet with the socialist candidate Francois Holland as it becomes more likely that Sarkozy is on the way to being rejected. While recent opinion polls show that President Sarkozy now has a narrow lead when first round voting intentions are measured, he still lags well behind after minor candidates are eliminated. And as the figures from  TNS Sofres  show, the latest drop in first round support for Hollande is less than the increase shown for Jean Luc Melanchon whose party is further to the left than the mainstream socialists.