Latest news with #DavidWebb
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Yahoo
5 best Canadian travel swaps for U.S. destinations — Canada Day, summer vacations and more
Whether you're concerned about Canada-U.S. border crossing, how far your dollar goes in the States or just feel like spending more time here at home, there are plenty of reasons to consider swapping a U.S. summer trip for a Canadian vacation. From inspired landscapes to rich cultural experiences — and with an abundance of vast nature to explore — a trip right here in Canada might just surprise you. "It's always been a good time to travel domestically, but there are a couple of reasons to plan a summer trip in Canada this year,' says David Webb, editor at Explore Magazine. 'The new Canada Strong Pass is removing entry fees to national parks and historic sites and offering discounts on camping. Plus exploring Canada rather than crossing the border means your dollar will go a lot further.' If you're looking for inspiration, read on for Canadian swaps for popular U.S. destinations. California's Big Sur may be known for its rugged terrain and ocean views, but Tofino, B.C. — 'Canada's no. 1 one surf capital' — boasts spectacular coastline and island vibes. You can stroll along white sandy beaches, hike through misty rainforest and watch stunning sunsets at Long Beach. Delve into deep Indigenous heritage and embrace the opportunity to catch a glimpse at some of the local wildlife, like grey whales, sea otters and even sea wolves — which are unique to the Pacific Northwest. Las Vegas may be glitz, bright lights and 24-hour nightlife energy, but Montreal, Que. blends European charm and a French flare with fabulous live music and a nightlife scene. This historic city, built in 1642, is known for its cobblestone charm, historic architecture and artistic culture. Montreal also hosts an array of festivals throughout the year, like Osheaga, one of Canada's largest music festivals, which is held in early August. Don't forget to indulge in poutine, and enjoy a world-famous Montreal bagel. Maine has lighthouses, fresh seafood and the Atlantic coast — but Nova Scotia offers all this and more right here in Canada. Where else can you see the iconic Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, the most photographed spot in Canada, on the edge of the rugged Atlantic Ocean? You can also enjoy a lively music scene with a strong Celtic heritage — get ready to stomp your feet to the sound of the fiddle. If it's seafood you are after, there's no shortage. Dine on fresh lobster rolls, or pick your own lobster from pot to plate. Be sure to head to Halifax, and hop on the short ferry ride — the oldest saltwater ferry service in North America — across the harbour to downtown Dartmouth. Colorado might be known for its mountainous scenery, however Canada's Rocky Mountains offer majestic wilderness and awe-inspiring vistas. It's the perfect road trip for anyone looking for a great adventure in the midst of truly dramatic nature. Be sure to take a snap shot at Lake Louise, famed for its turquoise water, and don't forget a stop at glacier-fed Peyto Lake. The Canadian Rockies are also home to an array of wildlife, so keep your eyes peeled. From grizzly bears to elk, which are often spotted strolling around the town of Banff, as well as bighorn sheep, it's bound to be an epic trip. If the appeal of Chicago's big city buzz and lake-front location is what you are after, you'll feel right at home in Toronto. Canada's largest city is a cosmopolitan hub and a multicultural metropolis. Explore the revitalized waterfront with views of the CN Tower. Enjoy world class entertainment and visit the many museums like the ROM, home to dinosaurs and ancient relics. If it's food you are after, you won't find a better selection of global flavours than here. One of the best ways to see the city is on foot, where you can get a sense of the diverse neighbourhoods, from Little Italy (for a tasty bite), to Kensington Market, known for its vintage finds and street art. It borders the city's Chinatown neighbourhood, which was established in the late 1800s. Toronto is truly a vibrant mix of food and culture.
New York Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
An Investor Who Took on Hong Kong's Tycoons Faces a Tougher Foe
David Webb made his fortune in Hong Kong by weeding out the bad companies from the good on the city's stock exchange. By the age of 32, he had earned enough to leave his job and decided that he would start ruffling some feathers in his adopted home. In the three decades since, Mr. Webb, who moved to the city from his native Britain, has almost single-handedly taken on the rich and powerful in the financial hub, tirelessly campaigning for greater transparency from the city's public companies about their ownership and their financial dealings. The activist investor tussled with tycoons who dominated Hong Kong's economy, crossed swords with regulators to fight for the rights of minority shareholders, and lifted the curtain on shadowy business transactions. His biggest expose was publishing a report that documented previously unknown connections between a network of 50 companies that he called the 'Enigma Network.' The report caused their shares to tank and prompted investigations by government watchdogs into share price manipulation by the company's owners that hurt small investors. One former regulator calls him the 'conscience' of Hong Kong's financial markets. 'I could go out and criticize behavior and companies and not feel like I would become unemployable,' Mr. Webb said in an interview at his apartment, where floor-to-ceiling windows offered a sweeping view of the city's financial district. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
South China Morning Post
23-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
David Webb on speaking truth to power and life with terminal cancer
I WAS BORN in London in 1965 and adopted by a couple in Leicester as a baby. My dad was an economist and lectured at the University of Leicester, and my mum was a dispensing optician. In 1972, dad got a job with the United Nations and was seconded to in London in 1965 and adopted by a couple in Leicester as a baby. My dad was an economist and lectured at the University of Leicester, and my mum was a dispensing optician. In 1972, dad got a job with the United Nations and was seconded to Bangkok . His speciality was public utilities, energy and water. I remember flying kites in Lumphini Park and weekends in Pattaya. I went to a school run by American nuns called Ruamrudee International School, which probably helped to inform my atheism at an early age. David Webb at a farewell fireside chat at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents' Club on May 12. The club was packed for the event with the 59-year-old corporate governance activist, who is battling late-stage prostate cancer. Photo: May Tse AFTER TWO YEARS we went back to Leicester for a year and then to a village near York called Escrick. Its claim to fame was that the lower extension of the last ice age reached Escrick and was in a field behind us. When we learned about it at school, I went into the field and checked the soil composition, and indeed there was a lot of rubble in one half of the field and not in the other. Advertisement I WENT TO state-run schools and had good teachers. I did my O-levels at Fulford School. In 1981, my dad got a job in the private sector, so we moved down south to Woking, where I did my A-levels. I played the clarinet in the jazz band at school. When I was 16, I created and sold my own computer games in the classified ads in computer magazines. Publishers noticed and started writing to me asking if I could write a book or a game. My first book came out just after I finished my A-levels, called Supercharge Your Spectrum, showing people how to write code. state-run schools and had good teachers. I did my O-levels at Fulford School. In 1981, my dad got a job in the private sector, so we moved down south to Woking, where I did my A-levels. I played the clarinet in the jazz band at school. When I was 16, I created and sold my own computer games in the classified ads in computer magazines. Publishers noticed and started writing to me asking if I could write a book or a game. My first book came out just after I finished my A-levels, called Supercharge Your Spectrum, showing people how to write code. In those days, games were distributed on cassette tapes , which you connected to your computer. I wrote a game called Spookyman, which came out in 1982. I WAS VERY scientifically and mathematically minded. I did double maths, physics, statistics and went to Oxford University. I continued writing computer games through the first half of my degree. After my first year at Oxford, I got another book out, called Advanced Spectrum Machine Language. With the royalties from the games and books, I began getting involved in the stock market. That led me into corporate finance in London and then to Hong Kong in 1991. David Webb, pictured in 2009, moved to Hong Kong in the 1990s. Photo: SCMP Archives I'D STARTED WORK in the City in London in 1986 at a small, old merchant bank called Brown, Shipley & Co. After a year, I was poached by Phillips & Drew stockbroking firm and joined them about a month before the 1987 stock market crash. I stayed with them until 1990 and was then poached by Barclays de Zoete Wedd. They sent me to Hong Kong for a few weeks in the summer of 1990 for a project. I stayed in in the City in London in 1986 at a small, old merchant bank called Brown, Shipley & Co. After a year, I was poached by Phillips & Drew stockbroking firm and joined them about a month before the 1987 stock market crash. I stayed with them until 1990 and was then poached by Barclays de Zoete Wedd. They sent me to Hong Kong for a few weeks in the summer of 1990 for a project. I stayed in the old Hilton Hotel . I thought the city was amazing – the tax rates were low and there were no taxes on investments, dividends or capital gains. There was a free-market can-do attitude about the place. Then I was moved to London for a two-year secondment. I stayed with the bank for three years and then the former chairman of BZW (Asia), who had left, reappeared at Wheelock and Company as an in-house adviser for (chairman) Peter Woo . He hired me, so I went to work for a conglomerate in Hong Kong on a contract. I MET MY WIFE in Hong Kong in 1994 and we got married in 1996. We had kids in 2003 and 2005. They were brought up in Hong Kong and went to the German Swiss International School. One is just finishing a physics degree at Oxford University and the other one has just started at Liverpool University doing computer science. David Webb arrives at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong for a farewell fireside chat last month. Photo: May Tse MY CONTRACT WITH Wheelock expired in 1998 and we went our separate ways. The Asian financial crisis had begun in 1997 in Thailand. It rolled into Hong Kong in 1998 and the stock market crashed. By then I'd been investing in small-cap stocks in Hong Kong for a few years and was doing well at that, so I thought it was a good time to go all in.
Scoop
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
TOP Will Convene Citizens' Assemblies To End Political Gridlock
Sunday 15 June 2025. To break the cycle of political indecision and costly policy reversals, The Opportunities Party is launching The Citizens' Voice. The party's first 2026 Election policy calls for the use of Citizens' Assemblies on pressing issues successive Governments are failing on. "Politics as usual isn't working. We're stuck in a wasteful cycle of pendulum politics where every left-right lurch after an election costs us," says TOP spokesperson David Webb. 'Every time Government changes, we endure economic uncertainty on par with 9/11. We just can't afford that anymore'. Recent examples of political waste include $229 million on the abandoned Auckland light rail project, $300 million (and counting) for cancelled inter-island ferries and $297 million lost in (another) overhaul of New Zealand's polytechnics. 'The consistent decline in right track / wrong track polling shows us that people are losing trust in our political system. The Citizens' Voice is about turning that trend around by doing democracy differently – with everyday people leading on the hard issues, and politicians following' says Webb. The Citizens' Voice policy has two components: Citizens' Assemblies. Like jury duty but for policy, Assemblies bring together a random, representative, paid group of New Zealanders to learn about a complex issue, deliberate on solutions and make recommendations that Government must respond to. The process is designed to progress politically gridlocked, long-term issues like superannuation, housing, healthcare and infrastructure. Parliamentary Commissioner for Citizens' Voice. An independent, non-partisan office gives the policy institutional backbone. The Commissioner will convene Assemblies, ensure they are fair and robust, use new digital democracy tools to amplify Citizens' voices and ensure Government engages seriously with Citizens' recommendations. 'Citizens' Assemblies are about trusting that everyday New Zealanders, when given information and time, can find common ground and set sensible, long-term policy directions on the issues politicians have failed on' says Webb. Citizens' Assemblies have helped navigate tense, complicated issues internationally and in New Zealand. In Ireland, Assemblies broke decades of deadlock on marriage equality and abortion. In Auckland, an Assembly's recommendations on water infrastructure were adopted by the Watercare Board. Two issues that could benefit from a Citizens' Assembly approach are New Zealand's Constitutional system and Superannuation. 'The Treaty Principles controversy highlighted the partisan, performative nature of Parliament. The Bill itself was short-sighted and divisive, but there is a real need for a national conversation on our Constitutional framework and the role of Te Tiriti. How we make that decision is as important as the decision itself - maybe more so' says Webb. 'Superannuation is on track to send New Zealand over the fiscal cliff – but it's a politically untouchable issue because it's a vote loser for politicians. A Citizens' Assembly would give Parliament the social license to finally act on Superannuation.' 'The problem with kicking the can down the road, is that eventually, you run out of road' says Webb. 'With challenges like AI and climate change coming at us, New Zealanders deserve a political system built around courage, co-operation and long-term thinking. We're launching the Citizens' Voice policy to do just that.' A full overview of The Citizens' Voice policy - including FAQs, briefing papers and international examples - is available at
South China Morning Post
14-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Activist investor David Webb awarded MBE for contributions to Hong Kong
Hong Kong corporate governance activist David Webb has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his nearly three decades of contributions to the city, with the Briton saying he felt touched by the many tributes during his 'final battle'. The former investment banker posted on his Webb-site platform on Saturday that he was delighted the United Kingdom government, 'with its keen interest in Hong Kong affairs', had recognised his efforts in the city over the past 27 years by appointing him as a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Webb's name can be found on this year's King's birthday honours list of overseas and international recipients, published late Friday night in the UK, 'for services to raising standards of corporate economic governance, particularly in Hong Kong', according to the list. 'I am of course delighted … What matters to me most though is how my work is perceived by the people of Hong Kong and beyond, and I've been deeply touched by their many tributes over the last few months as I began to withdraw from public life and prepare for my final battle,' Webb said. 'The honour also means a lot to my family, who have supported me so well along this journey.' He ended his message by signing off with 'carpe diem' and ga yau – encouragements in Latin and Cantonese, urging people to put in their all and live life to the fullest.
