Gillian Tett looks beyond yesterday's Today item on "jurisdiction shopping" by banks. She warns there is an unintended consequence of the current worldwide desire to bash the bankers. Legislators in key countries are busy unilaterally changing internationally-agreed rules. Unfortunately, Tett says, this makes it more likely that practices illegal in one country but legal in another will be used to cover up looming catastrophes in the capital markets.
Anthony Loyd describes the agonising moral difficulties of reporting on natural disasters, conflicts and famines. First years may remember some shots of the old man he talks about from Grozny in Richard Parry's film.
I felt like Loyd was just getting into the swing of things there, and then it was over. I wish there was a book or something where I could read more by him... ;)
The thing I like about this piece is that it says in so few words what other pieces may have taken reams of paper to say. The shortness of this piece makes it a powerful confession.