Not wanted on EU voyage. Europe’ most virulent outbreak of tribalism is nowadays evident in Scotland’s determination to quit the United Kingdom and team up with the EU.  The problem is that the EU has no intention of participating in this particular version of the Highland Fling. Scotland’s main economic dowry of whisky is now almost entirely owned outside Scotland.  It’s two banks, the Bank of Scotland and the Royal Bank of Scotland are bankrupt and nationalised and controlled from London, writes our European correspondent. Its oil and oil services industry is badly depleted.  That leaves salmon. Here Scotland indeed…

Doctrines now having opposite effect of the intended one. France the country that invented diversity and multiculturalism is having to abandon them just because they constrain diversity and multiculturalism by forcing the nation into gender segregation. The problem was thrust into embarrassing pubic prominence a year ago when police were required to guard an Arab potentate’s private beach on France’s Mediterranean coast, writes our European Correspondent. Some of the police rostered onto the task were women. Such guardianship ran counter to the proclaimed religious beliefs of those using the private beach. The female police were rostered off. The religious embarrassment…

Industrialist sees tie-up as turning point in public asset policy nationwide The Port of Auckland can no longer be expanded because of the growing opposition from a coalition of leisure and environmental groups commented Napier industrialist Ken Evans who also drew attention to the increasing pressure on the Auckland port to release land for high density housing. Mr Evans (pictured) of Napier Engineering was commenting on the alliance between the ports of Auckland and Napier. The deal between the two port authorities had the strength he said of recognising Napier’s position as the obvious alternative port in the North Island.…

Orderly and methodical marketing was his trademark The death at 65 after a short illness of vineyard proprietor Richard Riddiford will recall for many his remarkable organisational feat in instituting the Wellington region’s main food and wine exposition, Toast Martinborough. This required a two phase management. The first in bonding together the Martinborough district’s numerous and by definition, individualistic vineyards. The second in the precision marketing so that the event was perceived as a gastronomic one. He was successful in both these steps which he capped by ensuring that the annual event was always sold as if tickets were in…

Bulk Carrier’s arrival emphasises port’s role as nation’s fertiliser handling hub. The arrival at Napier in August of the bulk carrier Mollie Manx emphasises the port’s role as New Zealand’s fertiliser hub. The 60,000 tonne vessel was built six years ago and calls into Napier before resuming its outward voyage to Laayoune the capital of Western Sahara. The vessel is registered in the Isle of Man and is owned by LT Ugland Shipping which specialises in owning large-capacity bulk carriers. It was built at the Tsuneishi Phillipine Shipyard. Vessels in the Ugland fleet are all named after family members or…

Hawkes Bay & Wairarapa Wines get a special Commendation. Singapore tastemaker Robin Greatbatch proprietor of the Blue Bali restaurant on the Botanic Gardens has declared himself an ardent promoter of New Zealand wines, especially those from Hawkes Bay and the Wairarapa Valley. “These wines have the dual advantage of being perceived as premium, yet at the same time are affordable,” enthused Mr Greatbatch. He is widely credited with introducing to the island city state Indonesian cuisine and presentation. His Blue Bali series of restaurants and bars is definingly positioned in a large colonial era administration building situated at No 1…

Problem hiding in plain sight We asked MSC Newswire's European correspondent for an update on the emergency in France........ You have evaluated at close hand the terrorism in France. Are there any lessons that can be learned by New Zealand?We can see clearly an ingrained mind-set in both countries centred on the it-can’t happen here syndrome. The difference being that in France, it has happened there. We can see also a facilitating over-tolerance in both countries and at many levels of the community in both countries in regard to accepting and even condoning anti-social behaviourBe more specific here.I will. In…

Process consolidation at key Westland meat plant In 2015 ANZCO implemented a policy to centralise process rendering on its Canterbury plant at Ashburton. This was part of ANZCO’s strategy of applying to the best advantage the geographical spread of its New Zealand-wide processing sites in order to achieve freshness of products. The consolidation meant that the ANZCO plant at Kokiri, near Greymouth, now concentrated on meat cuts and associated chilling and blast freezing along with hide preservation and products in thepharmaceutical sphere. It also meant that the Kokiri plant was now required to transport to the centralised Canterbury plant all…

John Key is obvious candidate The continuing shadow of the Tapie scandal overhanging Christine Lagarde has reappeared and threatens to create at the head of the International Monetary Fund a vacancy that could by filled by New Zealand Premier John Key. South Seas prime ministers past and present are currently in vogue to fill exactly this kind of top-line international forum role, a trend that was begun by former New Zealand premier Mike Moore taking the helm of the World Trade Organisation. Another former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark is in full campaign for the top slot at the…

Wool pulled over eyes of English-speaking realm MSC Newswire’s European correspondent explains the causes and effects of the emergency in France: - Terrorism presents the picture of a permanent part of French life?Until Nice and the Thomas-a-Becket style assassination of the catholic priest you could almost say that it was becoming an accepted part of French life. Explain?It is not yet understood in the English-speaking world that the very structure of France led inevitably to the kind of chaos we see today. Fill in the gaps?The constant pull from France’s extreme left, the gauche de la gauche, as it is…

But old Siegmund knew all about private banking. Former US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner visited Singapore last week in his new role as president of global private equity fund Warburg Pincus and his presence hardly raised a ripple of interest. No wonder, writes MSC Newswire's Peter Isaac. Singapore has taken over from Switzerland as the home of private banking with the added impetus of becoming the centre of Chinese private banking too. Driven out of Switzerland by a Franco-US led purge on anonymous accounts, the private banking sector and its customers have settled in the orderly city state and have…