Markets recover as Fed cuts rate
The Federal Reserve cut the US interest rate from three per cent to 2.25 per cent today in an effort to boost confidence in turbulent financial markets. Meanwhile, two leading Wall Street investment
banks - Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers - reported better than expected figures for the first quarter... [continued]
From Bear to worse: the outlook is gloomy 
39 dead in Iraq mosque attack
A female suicide bomber attacked a group of Shia worshippers near a mosque in the Iraqi city of Kerbala yesterday, killing at least 39 people and wounding 54, officials said. The attack took place in a coffee shop in the southern Iraqi city, about a kilometre from the Imam Hussein... [continued]
Labour support hits 24-year low
A poll commisioned by the Guardian shows support for the Labour Party to have fallen to 29% - its lowest since 1984. Meanwhile Conservative support has quadrupled, climbing five points to 42%,
a level that would give the party a clear parliamentary majority. The poll, carried out after Alistair Darling's... [continued]
The Mole: Brown’s closest adviser quits beleaguered Number 10
Dalai Lama blamed for violence
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has accused the Dalai Lama of masterminding recent violence in Tibet's main city, Lhasa. Speaking on the last day of parliament, Mr Wen said the exiled Tibetan leader's
claim of "cultural genocide" in Tibet was nothing but lies and that the protests were intended to "sabotage"... [continued]
Tibetans' Olympian struggle
Eyewitness: violence erupts in Tibet
Browne attempts to gag coroners
Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, has gone to the High Court in an attempt to prevent coroners criticising the Ministry of Defence at military inquests. He wants them to stop accusing the MoD of "serious failings" when recording verdicts on military deaths, but the move has brought a furious reaction... [continued]
Clinton warns of ‘100-year’ war
Iraq was back on the agenda for the race for the US presidency yesterday, as Hillary Clinton attacked the positions of Barack Obama, her rival for the Democratic nomination, and John McCain, the
Republican nominee-elect. She said that McCain wanted to extend President Bush’s “failed policy” and keep American troops... [continued]
US Election 2008 latest
Serb grenade attack on UN troops
Violence erupted in a flashpoint city in northern Kosovo yesterday when hundreds of Serb protesters forced the withdrawal of United Nations police, in the worst clashes since the province broke away from Serbia a month ago. There were injuries on both sides during a day of unrest, in which... [continued]
Will Lehman be next to fall?
US investment bank Lehman Brothers was yesterday anxiously trying to reassure customers about its financial stability, as its market value fell by a fifth on fears that it could follow Bear Stearns.
Stunned by the speed of Bear Stearns' demise and by the apparent size of its undisclosed liabilities, investors... [continued]
From Bear to worse: the outlook is gloomy
Fed expected to slash rates
The US central bank is expected to slash interest rates today to help boost confidence in the US economy. Economists are forecasting that the benchmark US interest rate will be cut by up to 1%.
Policy-makers are hoping to ease the credit crisis which caused the emergency sale of investment... [continued]
From Bear to worse: the outlook is gloomy
