Category: Other
Dollar gains despite rejection of bailout plan
NEW YORK, September 29, 2008 (AFP) – The euro and the pound slid against the dollar Monday after the rescue of several European banks deepened worries about the global financial system. The currency market showed little reaction off US lawmakers’ rejection of a 700-billion-dollar financial rescue plan touted by President George W.Bush’s administration as vital […]
Asian stocks dive as panic sweeps global markets
TOKYO, September 30, 2008 (AFP) – Stocks plunged in Asia Tuesday as fears of escalating financial turmoil triggered panic selling on world markets after Washington policymakers unexpectedly shot down a US financial rescue plan. In Tokyo and Hong Kong stocks were some five percent in the red despite calls from policymakers for markets to keep […]
World awaits action after US rejects bailout
WASHINGTON, September 30, 2008 (AFP) – Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson warned US lawmakers they had to act fast after the House rejected his 700-billion-dollar bank bailout, triggering panic selling as the global financial crisis deepened. Stock markets around the world plunged after US House members, wary an angry public will punish them on Election Day […]
Europe scrambles to save banks from meltdown
PARIS, September 30, 2008 (AFP) – As the shockwave from the US financial meltdown battered Europe on Tuesday, governments scrambled to shore up fragile banks and restore confidence to flighty stock markets. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 In Paris, President Nicolas Sarkozy held a […]
Legal Action
Sept 30, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s lawyers are to protest in front of the main court complex in the capital Colombo while condemnation poured in, after an attack on the residence of a top anti-corruption activist and fellow attorney. “We fear that we cannot ignore this situation any further and allow it to escalate […]
Markets dive after US lawmakers reject financial bailout
NEW YORK, September 29, 2008 (AFP) – Global markets panicked Monday after US lawmakers rejected a 700-billion-dollar rescue of the financial system, raising the prospect of deeper financial turmoil. Wall Street blue-chip stocks suffered their worst single-day point decline after the US House of Representatives defeated the measure billed by President George W. Bush’s administration […]
Spanish bank to buy Bradford & Bingley savings as nationalisation looms
LONDON, September 28, 2008 (AFP) – Spanish banking giant Santander said Monday it will take over the retail deposits and branches of Bradford & Bingley ahead of the expected nationalisation of the British bank. A spokesman for Santander, which owns British bank Abbey and is in the process of buying Alliance and Liecester, said: “The […]
Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands partially nationalise Fortis
BRUSSELS, September 28, 2008 (AFP) – The Belgian, Dutch and Luxembourg governments agreed Sunday to partially nationalise Fortis in a 11.2 billion euro bailout to keep it from becoming the latest victim of the US-born financial crisis. Top officials from the three countries and the European Central Bank hastily hammered out a rescue over the […]
US lawmakers put hastily agreed bailout bill on Internet
WASHINGTON, September 29, 2008 (AFP) – US lawmakers Sunday posted on the Internet their hastily-crafted draft legislation to rescue the country’s troubled financial sector, saying the unusual step was taken in the spirit of openness. The full text of the bill, more than 100 pages, is available at the websites of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi […]
Russia acts to secure Indian defence market
NEW DELHI, September 29, 2008 (AFP) – Russia on Monday offered its Cold War ally India the chance to jointly develop weapon systems in a bid to remain New Delhi’s main provider of weapons.With India increasingly looking elsewhere for its armament needs, visiting Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov presented a deal in which India would […]
Berlin helps bank rescue lifeline for property lender
BERLIN, September 29, 2008 (AFP) – Berlin has joined a consortium of banks to rescue a stricken property lender, the government said on Monday, in the latest state-sponsored European rescue of a casualty of the US financial crisis. Berlin has agreed to guarantee a 35-billion-euro (50-billion-dollar) credit line being provided to Hypo Real Estate by […]
Citigroup to take over Wachovia banking assets, gives US stake
WASHINGTON, September 29, 2008 (AFP) – US authorities said Monday they had facilitated a takeover of Wachovia’s banking operations by Citigroup Inc.in a deal that gives the government a stake in one of the nation’s biggest banks. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.made the announcement that further reshapes the troubled US banking sector saddled with heavy […]
