| The Badlands of Baghdad
IT'S 2.30 in the morning, just before operational briefing. Some of the men from Charlie Company 1st Battalion 23rd Infantry, 3rd Stryker Brigade are watching Sean "P Diddy" Combs on the Conan O'Brien Show at their FOB (forward operationsbase),Camp Liberty. Company commander Issac Torres asks for the TV to be switched off and begins to brief his men on that night's "isolation operation" in western Baghdad's Iskan district. "We've got to shut it down," Torres tells his platoon leaders. "Make sure no runners get away, while A Company does the house-to-house." Twenty minutes later and we're out in the pitch black, clambering up the back ramp into the claustrophobic interior of a 20-tonne Stryker armoured vehicle. "What's the metal frame for?" I ask Staff Sergeant Michael Watkins, pointing to the steel slats that surround the vehicle.
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MEN'S CLUB SNOOKER: February 11 results Fred Martin Cup Match at home v LWMC: Neil Griffin 57 Gus Bayrum 21, Henry Woolmer 20 J Richardson 53, Peter Stewart 10 Paul Scorer 61 (31 break), Tony Deakin 38 Steve Whitebourne 59. Barcombe lost 1-3. STOOLBALL CLUB: The AGM is on Tuesday at 7.30pm in the fire station. New players always welcome, just turn up. For more information contact Kelly Thomas on 07762 287433. BISHOPSTONE SPRING SHOW: The Bishopstone Horticultural and Home Produce Spring Show will be held on Saturday March 29. Schedules, with full details of the various classes, and entry forms will be available at the beginning of March, but it might be safe to assume that daffodils will be on the menu. REMINDER: Don't forget to come out of hibernation for the Tea Dance, in aid of the parish hall roof repairs, on the afternoon of Wednesday March 12.
Simon Heffer's People of the World in 2008
The year ahead, however, may turn out even worse for Mr Brown than 2007. Many were taken in by his stewardship of the economy, believing the blatant propaganda that Britain was an economic success story. The truth, we now see, is somewhat at odds with that. House prices are in free-fall. Unemployment is rising. Growth is stalling. We are, most dangerously of all, awash with debt. We have had, for most of its 10½ years in power, a Government committed to living beyond its means. It borrowed recklessly during years of plenty when it should have been reducing its debt. Now we are entering years of famine in incredibly bad shape, with a people hooked on credit suddenly facing the bills coming in, and unable to pay. As I have written here before, it was not least Mr Brown's obsession, when Chancellor, to bloat the supply of money that allowed the banks to have all this easy credit.
Fuel prices produce gasps, fumes
BRIDGEPORT, CALIF -- . -- As Californians brace for ever-higher gasoline prices, they can glimpse what might be their future in this tiny Eastern Sierra town, where motorists pay more than $4 a gallon at the two gas stations.
The Shell station in Bridgeport, a tourist town of 850 residents during the summertime peak, is charging $4.09 a gallon for regular. The outlet posted prices above the $4 mark at least four other times this year.
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Fed Chair says 'sluggish' and the market listens
It was back to the daily grind lower on Wall Street. Following a few days of gains, sellers were back to the markets. Bernanke's comments weren't welcomed by investors. The Fed chair believes that economic growth will be “sluggish" but is expected to improve later in the year. Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't we already know this? Most of the media is blaming the stock market declines on these statements, but I argue that investors were actually more disappointed in the fact that Bernanke doesn't think that the economy is a complete disaster. Had that been the case, the odds of an immediate rate cut would have gone up and stocks would have likely followed. Also regurgitating information that we were already privy of, the Fed chair noted that the credit crisis and the slumping housing market have both weighed on the economy.
Markets Unlikely to Recover as Recession Fears Outweigh Optimism Over ...
The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a substantially lower opening on Tuesday, as the markets open after a days break on account of a public holiday on Monday. The futures have not responded significantly to an inter-meeting cut announced by the Federal Reserve.
The global averages are down for a second straight day, and the course of these markets question the decoupling theory propounded by economists. The recoiling by the global markets is an indication that a setback to the U.S. economy will hurt the other global economies as well. Most nations, especially the East Asian and European countries derive the bulk of their export earnings from the U.S.
Fed Accelerates Rescue Efforts
The global credit crisis that became public in July last year seems to have more legs to play out.
Fed slashes US rates in emergency action
The DOW gapped down sharply this morning, recovered, and is again falling; because the fundamentals continue to get worse, like SP4's native intellect. The discussion has moved from 'recession' to 'bear market', since there's now a complete lack of confidence in the paper that banks and other institutions hold, and banks do not even lend to each other. The Northern Rock deal in Britain is a saver for them, but the problems are far from over, with many foreclosures due for 2008, and buying power sapped by lower home values and upcoming mortgage rate increases. SP4, just shut up. You're tolerable as the daily jackass in normal times, but now you're just a leaky faucet - drip, drip, drip. Report this comment .
Rio buys three iron ore ships for $US315mn
MAJOR miner Rio Tinto has bought three iron ore vessels for $US315 million ($362.51 million), as the company looks to increase its annual production profile to 600 million tonnes. Rio Tinto said the 250,000 tonne vessels would transport iron ore from the company's mines in Western Australia to customers in China and elsewhere. "These very large ore carriers will assist us in continuing to provide our customers with better delivery options well into the future while locking in low, long term freight rates for the benefit of our shareholders,'' Rio Tinto chief executive of iron ore Sam Walsh said in a statement. The vessels will be built by Namura Shipyards in Japan and delivered to Rio Tinto from late 2012. The major miner has also reserved rights on another two vessels of similar size.
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