When traders and chatrooms go hand-in-hand August 12, 2008 Investors can now exchange ideas online, Katie Hope assesses the pros and cons Social networking sites are nothing new. Millions of people every day log on to Facebook to update their profile, “poke” their mates and throw sheep at each other, but the trend has now hit Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading. While adding chatrooms, [...]
Ex-Thai PM in UK exile bid August 12, 2008 Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra skipped bail yesterday and went into exile, accusing political enemies who removed him in a 2006 coup of meddling in the courts to “finish off” him and his family. The Supreme Court issued arrest warrants for Thaksin and his wife, Potjaman, and seized 13m baht (£200,400) in bail bonds [...]
US dollar soars as oil plunges August 12, 2008 The US dollar jumped to a six-month high against the euro yesterday and a 21-month high against sterling, boosted by a fall in oil prices and speculation that the slowdown affecting the American economy was spreading worldwide. The greenback, rose to a peak of $1.51 against the euro and $1.93 against the pound as crude [...]
Conflict in Georgia leads to fears over oil supply August 12, 2008 Oil prices spiked yesterday on fears that the conflict in Georgia could threaten supplies and cut off a major pipeline to Europe. At one point, crude oil rose by $1.81 to $115.41 in London trading, before falling back to its earlier price of $114.32. The short-lived rally came as Russia continued its offensive against Georgia, [...]
MPs jump on Brown’s fuel rebate plans August 11, 2008 Gordon Brown’s plans for a fuel rebate for all families on child benefit were rubbished yesterday for being “indiscriminate”, with the payment set to help the rich as well as the poor. It emerged yesterday that the Prime Minister is mulling proposals to give £150 to the 7m families who receive child benefit, to help [...]
Water bills face rise August 11, 2008 Britain’s water companies are planning to increase household water bills to fund their investment plans for the 2010-2015 period, piling further pressure on hard-pressed consumers already coping with rising living costs. Southern Water, Thames Water and United Utilities, which submitted their five-year investment programmes to industry regulator Ofwat yesterday, revealed the highest increases above inflation. [...]
Georgia pulls forces out of rebel region August 11, 2008 Georgian forces pulled out of the breakaway South Ossetia region yesterday after three days of fighting, with Russia saying its troops controlled most of the separatist capital Tskhinvali. A Georgian convoy of troops and artillery left South Ossetia through Ergneti, a village just inside Georgian held territory south of Tskhinvali. “They have been withdrawn, completely,” [...]
Rivals move to impeach Musharraf August 8, 2008 Pakistan’s ruling coalition will move to impeach President Pervez Musharraf on charges of plunging the country into a political and economic crisis, party leaders said yesterday. They also warned Musharraf, a former general who first came to power in a 1999 military coup, against any attempt to dismiss the government. The move is likely to [...]
Informant says Maddy stolen to order August 8, 2008 An informant told police in London that Madeleine McCann was stolen to order by an international paedophile ring, according to newly released documents. The unnamed source said a spotter took photographs of her while she was on holiday with her family in Portugal and sent them to the group in Belgium. The ring then ordered [...]
Osama bin Laden’s driver is convicted August 7, 2008 A Military court yesterday convicted Osama bin Laden’s driver of supporting terrorism but acquitted him on the more serious charge of conspiring with Al Quaeda in the first US war crimes trial since World War Two. The trial of Yemeni captive Salim Hamdan at the remote US naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba was [...]