Explaining those "retail shock" figures: everyone seems to have forgotten that this time last year was an extremely bad month, making this year look good by comparison.

Some people have the most amazingly strange ideas about markets, like the ones for oil.

Fortunately, such markets seem to continue working, whatever people think about them.

A short answer that reveals a great deal about globalisation.

My, my. It looks as if not each and every factoid served up in Al Gore's film is actually correct. Who'd a thunk it?

Competition for the workers' wages doesn't just come from those other workers abroad you know.

And finally, should a bank really be trying to make you brighter as you wait to negotiate with it?