Britain's economic prospects brightest in more than a decade, survey finds

Britain's economic prospects are the brightest they have been in more than a decade and optimism among consumers has surged to its best level in nine years, according to separate reports published on Friday.

U.K.’s Osborne to Boost Home Building, Extend Help-to-Buy

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said he will extend the Help-to-Buy program for newly built homes until 2020, and announced plans for a garden city outside London to spur Britain’s housing supply.

The Economist: “The Fed's have-it-both-ways policy”

R.A., regarding Bernanke’s Jackson Hole speech, your column notes that you “found the tone on monetary policy to be confusing and timid.” Expectations now turn to what President Obama will say next week and what the Fed will do (or not do) when they next meet. Uncertainty again prevails.

Alexander Mirtchev

The new EU External Energy Policy: an important move - if it is not too late

By Alexander Mirtchev

 With the adoption of its new External Energy Policy, the EU has finally made a first step towards its integration as a single negotiating bloc in the world energy market. As such the External Energy Policy could become an important factor in the global energy security picture and a possible geopolitical game-changer. However, it remains to be seen whether the big EU member states will be willing to subordinate their interests to the wider EU interest. The External Energy Policy has probably come five years too late, argues Alexander Mirtchev, President of Krull Corp. and Vice-President of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.