The shape of things to come August 14, 2008 Government rules on green homes mean that eco-houses are coming. It’s time to get used to the idea, says Alex Delmar-Morgan Nobody denies that if the world heats up, we will have to change the way we live, build and get around. As recently as five years ago, phrases like “global warming” and “carbon emissions” [...]
Lonmin snubs Xstrata’s takeover bid August 14, 2008 British platinum miner Lonmin yesterday reiterated its opposition to Xstrata’s hostile £5bn takeover bid, saying it failed to recognise the company’s potential for growth. The South Africa-focused company, which last week received an indicative offer from the Anglo-Swiss mining group, told its shareholders to reject a formal offer, as it undervalued the firm’s business. With [...]
Russia orders a halt to war August 13, 2008 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a halt to military operations in Georgia yesterday but Tbilisi cast doubt on the announcement, saying Moscow was still bombing towns and villages. The announcement coincided with the visit of French president Nicolas Sarkozy to Moscow on an EU peace mission and seemed intended to help international efforts to negotiate [...]
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,” [...]