and the chairman of the london stock exchange group will learn his fate today, as shareholders vote on whether to oust him or not over the departure of a former chief executive. and on the markets, asian stocks are broadly higher, as optimism grows that us legislators are on the brink of passing sweeping tax cuts. the future of the south african retail group, steinhoff, hangs in the balance. it's battling a huge accounting scandal. today is a big day. the retailer is meeting its lenders, right here in london, to find out whether those that it owes money to will throw them a lifeline or claw the money back at any cost. steinhoff may not be a household name to you. let me give you a bit of background. its origins are in the furniture business in germany in the ‘60s. but it's now a global giant, with brands across europe and the us. alarm bells were ringing last week when it failed to publish its financial results. what we did learn is that its grappling with a seven billion dollar hole in its finances. little wonder that the regulators are now taking a look. the value of shares is down 8

and the chairman of the london stock exchange group will learn his fate today, as shareholders vote onr, as optimism grows that us legislators are on the brink of passing sweeping tax cuts.