Rwanda has a pop at France for genocide August 6, 2008 Rwanda formally accused senior French officials yesterday of involvement in its 1994 genocide and called for them to be put on trial. Among those named in a report by a Rwandan investigation commission were former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and late President Francois Mitterrand. Kigali has previously accused Paris of covering up its [...]
It’s time to take a punt on politics August 4, 2008 The quick changes in the political landscape offer opportunities for spreadbetters, says Chris Shillington A week is a long time in politics, as Harold Wilson said, but the few minutes it takes to read a 1,000 word article can also be a significant period. Especially if the article in question is one written by foreign [...]
Cabinet backs Brown after Blair memo August 4, 2008 Three cabinet ministers threw their weight behind the embattled prime minister yesterday in an attempt to defuse the speculation surrounding his leadership. Chancellor Alistair Darling, deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman and Skills Secretary John Denham all endorsed Gordon Brown, insisting he is the right man for the job. Denham said Brown had the skills necessary [...]
A year on from Northern Rock, what next for mortgages? August 4, 2008 The question of whether the government can rescue the mortgage market is now being asked by its own advisers, as if the mortgage market can be sorted out in some kind of a vacuum, detached from the rest of the banking sector. I can understand ministers want to stabilise house prices, and that making more [...]
Miliband says no leadership challenge July 31, 2008 The favourite to succeed Gordon Brown sidestepped claims yesterday he was launching a leadership bid and said he was convinced the prime minister could win the next election. Foreign Secretary David Miliband, a youthful figure at the centre of the party, sparked talk of a leadership challenge by saying Labour needed a “radical new phase” [...]
Police close in on Antigua murder case July 30, 2008 Police in Antigua are questioning six suspects over the murder of a British doctor shot dead on her honeymoon, according to local media reports yesterday. Catherine Mullany, 31, was killed in her hotel room at a luxury resort on the Caribbean island. Her husband Benjamin Mullany, also 31, was shot in the neck and is [...]
Brown hints at Iraq troop withdrawals July 23, 2008 Prime Minister Gordon Brown played up an improving security situation in Iraq yesterday and said the number of British troops there could continue to come down as key security tasks were completed. Brown told parliament the 4,100 British troops serving in Iraq would stay for the “next few months” but said he expected to see [...]
Reprieve for foreign profit taxation plan July 21, 2008 Chancellor Alistair Darling is considering axe-ing unpopular plans to reform the taxation of foreign profits that threatened to drive businesses away to tax havens outside the UK. Since the Treasury set out proposals last year to clamp down on tax avoidance, including introducing UK taxes on foreign profits and passive income, several companies have already [...]
Brown calls for release of five Britons July 21, 2008 Gordon Brown called for the release of five British hostages held in Iraq yesterday, after the release of a video claiming that one had killed himself. earlier this year. The prime minister, who is visiting Israel, described the video as “abhorrent”. He said: “I call on the hostage-takers to release those people who have been [...]
Anger as government admits it will miss carbon target by huge margin July 18, 2008 The Government admitted yesterday what experts have been saying for some time — that it will miss by a large margin its own target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent from 1990 levels by 2010. New projections from the Department of the Environment (DEFRA) put CO2 emissions in 2010 at only 15.5 [...]