MP expenses scandal has cut general election odds May 17, 2009 THERE is nothing like a good political scandal to get the blood flowing. Watching Question Time last week was a bit like watching Doctor Who when you were a child – best done from behind the sofa and through the fingers. Never has there been so much fury against politicians. The atmosphere is even worse [...]
Index reshuffle is chance to make a substantial profit May 17, 2009 INDEX reshuffles, at least in Britain’s FTSE indices, don’t tend to spark much more than some token interest among the trading community. The process is deliberately as transparent as possible and well publicised in advance in order to minimise any dramatic share price movements ahead of the rejig. Unfortunately for spread betters looking to capitalise [...]
BETTER DATA DOESN’T MEAN A RECOVERY May 17, 2009 CONFUSION between better-than-expected data and good data – and there is a huge distinction between the two – may have made traders over-optimistic about the pace of recovery. But the markets crashed back down to earth last week as investors started to doubt whether there had been any green shoots at all. To be fair, [...]
THE TIPSTER WATCH THOSE RESISTANCE LEVELS May 17, 2009 HOPES of the recovery rally continuing apace were dashed on Friday when the FTSE 100 closed down, putting last week’s losses at 1.9 per cent. The blue-chip index has struggled to stay consistently above the 4,400 mark, a key psychological barrier that the market will continue to target this week. Any strong break through resistance [...]
The Big Game May 17, 2009 IT’S not often you get to stand in an over-sized shower in a deluxe hotel room watching elephants grazing in the distance through the morning mist, let alone find yourself, just hours later, sipping a glass of champagne watching those very same majestic creatures at much closer range, ambling around a polo pitch. Elephant polo, [...]
THE RESORT May 17, 2009 The Anantara Golden Triangle Resort has just 77 rooms and suites, surrounded by lotus ponds and boasting magnificent, high-vaulted ceilings. My hilltop bedroom – a room with three views – was enchanting. While you may be content to relax in the surrounds of the Anatara and the expansive infinity pool, it’s worth taking a day to [...]
Chelsea represents the peculiarly British love affair with horticulture May 17, 2009 ONLY in Britain could Alan Titchmarsh become a sex symbol. There is something in the psyche of the people on this small, rainy island that means that a short man in dungarees wielding a trowel sends ladies of a certain age all a-flutter. In some way, a gardener’s earthiness equates to sexual allure. Maybe it’s [...]
Chelsea represents the peculiarly British love affair with horticulture May 17, 2009 CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW WHAT TO SEEShow Gardens: Created by internationally renowned landscape architects and garden designers to inform and inspire. Highlight: The Quilted Velvet Garden. Based on a dream, the idea here is an arduous journey through the everyday world of work that arrives at a place of comfort and luxury. The foreground invites the [...]
Bitter Benitez delivers title snub to Fergie May 17, 2009 LIVERPOOL boss Rafael Benitez last night continued his bitter feud with Sir Alex Ferguson after declining to congratulate his Manchester United counterpart for their Premier League success. Benitez spoke after his side sealed the runners-up spot behind United with a 2-0 victory over West Brom – a result which confirmed the Baggies’ relegation to the [...]
Tevez says ‘I’m off’ in parting shot at ‘disrespectful’ United May 17, 2009 CARLOS TEVEZ has delivered a sensational parting shot at Manchester United, accusing the club of showing him a lack of respect. The Argentina international is unhappy at the amount of time he’s spent on the substitute’s bench this season and admits his days at Old Trafford look numbered following the end of his two-year loan [...]
