Green shoots?
‘Britain appears to be on the verge of economic recovery amid signs that the worst downturn in decades may be coming to an end.’ – Gary Duncan, The Times
‘The UK economy is showing more signs of recovery as industrial production expands at its fastest rate for nearly two years.’ – Sky News
‘UK car sales rose by 2.4% in July compared with the same month last year, the first rise since April last year, latest industry figures have shown. The number of new cars sold in the UK during the month was 157,149, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).’ – BBC
High-speed rail
‘The transport secretary, Lord Adonis, hit back at airline industry criticism of his high-speed rail plan today as he accused the Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary, of having his “head in the sand” over the competitive threat posed by 250mph trains.’ – Dan Milmo, The Guardian
‘Europe’s largest high-speed rail operator has predicted that domestic air travel in the UK will lose millions of passengers to a 250mph train service if an ultra-fast network becomes a reality.’ – Dan Milmo, The Guardian
Clinton in North Korea
‘In the end, his achievement was considerable. He returned home to a warm welcome from the delighted relatives of the two women. He promised nothing to the North Koreans, denied any link to the stalled nuclear non-proliferation talks and made it clear that he had carried no message of greeting or other endorsement of the ailing dictator from President Obama.’ – Leader, The Times
‘Former US presidents have a notable track record as extraordinary envoys, Jimmy Carter being a distinguished example. But Bill Clinton wields particular political and personal authority. Not only is he the most recent former Democratic US President, and so the direct forerunner of Barack Obama, but he left office in a blaze of international goodwill, leaving two major initiatives – on the Middle East and, as it happened, on North Korea – incomplete. The other reason for his special position is that his wife is US Secretary of State.’ – Leader, The Independent
’Unlike in the dying days of the Clinton administration, when the former president was desperate to strike a last-minute deal with Pyongyang, Mr Kim’s regime is now the proud owner of a nuclear bomb. It is clear what Mr Kim has gained. But what, if anything, has the US achieved apart, of course, from the release of two American journalists facing 12 years of hard labour? Barack Obama has sought to portray Mr Clinton’s visit as purely private. That is not credible, particularly given the former president’s relationship to Hillary Clinton, secretary of state.’ – Editorial, The FT