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 [...]
Darling mulls stamp duty suspension August 6, 2008 The Treasury yesterday refused to deny reports that the Chancellor has plans to temporarily abolish stamp duty on house purchases. Yesterday morning, Alistair Darling took to the airwaves and hinted he may try to jump-start the ailing housing market by bringing forward proposals to suspend stamp duty. Details of the move, which would bring much [...]
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 [...]