Gloomy backdrop for Budget
Alistair Darling's first budget today will be overshadowed by growing fears for the economy after the world's central banks resorted to large-scale intervention in money markets yesterday, and new
warnings were issued that the world could be heading into its worst recession for decades. The chancellor is likely to reduce... [continued]
The Mole on the Budget 
Obama takes Mississippi win
Barack Obama convincingly beat Hillary Clinton in the Mississippi primary on Tuesday night by 61 per cent to 37, putting him back in the lead for the Democratic nomination. The win came soon after
Geraldine Ferraro, a close aide of Hillary Clinton, suggested that Barack Obama’s success is down to... [continued]
American Election 2008 latest
US military chief quits
Admiral William Fallon, the head of US Central Command, is stepping down days after a magazine reported he was trying to block US military action against Iran. His resignation has renewed speculation that President Bush might be considering taking military action against Iran before he leaves office next January.
Commons passes EU treaty
MPs voted by 346 votes to 206 to approve the EU (Amendment) Bill, after topic-by-topic debates over six weeks. William Hague accused ministers of "ramming through" the bill without a referendum. But Foreign Secretary David Miliband dismissed Conservative "scaremongering", insisting that the treaty was good for the UK.
Daniel Hannan: why don't we care about Europe?
UK police chief commits suicide
Michael Todd, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, has been found dead after throwing himself off a cliff in Snowdonia. He had written notes to members of his family which indicated an intent to commit suicide, sources said. The 50-year-old father of three is thought to have had a crisis... [continued]
Terror attacks hit Pakistan
Two suicide attacks killed at least 31 people and injured more than 200 in Lahore yesterday as suspected Islamist militants escalated their terror campaign in Pakistan's cities. A huge blast at the city centre headquarters of the federal investigations agency ripped the front from the seven-storey building, killing at least... [continued]
Nationalists reject allegiance oath
Plans to make school-leavers swear an oath of allegiance to Queen and country have been strongly criticised in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Nationalist politicans in Wales and Scotland
pledged to use their devolved powers to block the plan, and a nationalist politican in Northern Ireland called the proposal 'divisive... [continued]
Goldsmith's oath is meaningless and divisive
Private schools face closure
Independent schools that cannot prove their public benefit are likely to face closure. The Charity Commission has said that fee-paying private schools which do not qualify for charitable status, under a forthcoming review, will not be allowed to hold on to assets which may have been raised through donations.
Oil hits fresh heights
The oil price hit a new record for the fifth consecutive trading session, reaching almost $110 a barrel, as the International Energy Agency warned there was little prospect of energy costs falling far. It's predicted that the buoyant economies of China and the Middle East will offset weaker demand in... [continued]
Compromise on ‘Green’ Budget
Alistair Darling has bowed to growing worries over rising living costs before his first Budget today by delaying for six months the 2p rise in petrol duty due on April 1. Record oil prices and a determined last-ditch campaign by the motoring organisations have persuaded him to show consumers that... [continued]
