Revealed: The Best And Worst Banks In The UK
A Which? magazine survey asking 15,000 people how satisfied they are with their current account, savings, mortgage and credit card providers has thrown up a best and worst list.
The Best banks/lenders were internet bank Smile, First Direct and the Co-op, with another internet candidate Cahoot also scoring well.
The beastly boys were Abbey, Barclays and Halifax.
UK: House Up For Sale For GBP9,000
Got a grown-up son still living at home and can't get rid of him? Buy him a house in Middlesbrough!
A house in the scenic seaside resort town is up for grabs for just £9,000 - reputedly the cheapest habitable property in the country.
And he gets the luxury of a leading Premiership football team right on the doorstep (depending on who they are playing that is), PLUS a Gregg's Pie shop on every street corner, PLUS the company of some local ladies who don't set their sights too highly, if you know what I mean. Why 'aye man.
It's in the Currant Bun so it must be true: here
Iceland Appoint Gay PM - NWF Shares Slump
Shares in NWF Group plc fell after it was revealed that Iceland had appointed the world's first openly gay Prime Minister at the weekend.
Johanna Sigurdardottir, 66, was sworn in on Sunday, taking office less than a week after the Cabinet resigned amid fallout from Iceland's financial collapse.
Shares in NWF Group, 25% Icelandic-owned, were down 1.5% on the news.
Overnight Grain Markets
eCBOT grains are a little lower after some rain fell in Argentina over the weekend. Beans are around 8c lower, corn down 5c and wheat 1-2c easier.
US winter wheat in Texas is under threat from drought, as is wheat in China's Henan province.
Egypt bought 120,000mt French wheat and 60,000 US wheat in tenders Friday/Saturday, whilst Japan bought over 200,000mt US corn.
Rain in Argentina appears to have been scattered, rather than the widespread soaking many had hoped for. Latest estimates say 800,000 cattle have been lost on the Pampas.
There is some talk of a farmers strike in Argentina starting as soon as next week. That would certainly affect availability and probably push spot premiums higher.
The pound is sharply lower ahead of Thursdays anticipated half percent cut in rates from the BoE. It's nice to get back to normal with the pound isn't it? I feel a bit "weird" when it's going up!
LIFFE wheat has opened 50p easier, with MATIF around EUR1.50 lower.
Crude oil is around a dollar lower at $40.73/barrel as demand continues to fall.
And if you think unemployment is bad over here, a report out today suggests that 26 million migrant Chinese workers are now out of work as exports slump in the face of the global economic recession.
Police Fire Tear Gas At Greek Farmers
Riot police on the island of Crete fired tear gas at farmers on Sunday to prevent them from driving their tractors from the Greek port of Piraeus to the capital as part of a protest demanding government financial help. At least two people were injured in the clashes.
The farmers arrived in Piraeus on overnight ferry boats from Crete with dozens of tractors, pick-up trucks and other agricultural vehicles they intended to drive through Athens to the Agriculture Ministry. But Greek authorities had said they would only be allowed to carry out a demonstration on foot, not with vehicles that would snarl traffic in the capital.
A group of farmers, black flags fluttering from their tractors, attempted to break through the police lines inside the port, and riot police fired tear gas to push them back. A photographer said at least two people – a woman who was with the protesters and was struck by an agricultural vehicle, and one man - were injured.
The tense stand-off at the port is the latest twist in nearly two weeks of protests by Greek farmers, who had used their tractors to block border crossings and highways across the country. They are protesting low prices for their products and demanding financial help from the government.
General Business News (Incl Video)
Woolies is to be relaunched as an online retailer by new owners Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay (also the owners of the Telegraph). I'll have a fivers worth of pick 'n' mix please lads to give you a bit of a start like.
GlaxoSmithKline is the latest company expected to announce big job losses, around 6,000 will go according to several of the Sunday papers at the weekend.
India is tomorrow set to launch a laptop computer costing just £7 according to the Times. I can only assume that they are going to make their money by keeping you on hold three days whilst trying to get through to the helpline.
The FTSE is down nearly 2% in early trade with Barclays leading the way, 8.2% lower at 97.40 pence, still a darn sight better than a week or two ago.
Moody's cut its long-term ratings on Barclays by two notches to Aa3, citing expectations for "significant" further losses due to credit-related writedowns.
The pound is down sharply against the dollar at $1.42 ahead of another anticipated interest rate cut by the BoE Thursday.
Argy Weather Latest: The Hand of God?
There's been some scattered showers over the weekend in Argentina, but it seems like it's very far away from being a drought buster to me. Here's the forecast for the week ahead for Cordoba, being slap bang in the middle of the main soy & corn areas
Monday
Light Showers.
High: 31°C / 88°F.
Winds: NE 8-16 kph (5-10 mph)
Precipitation: 0.16 in
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Tuesday
Partly Cloudy With Showers Possible.
High: 30°C / 86°F.
Winds: Calm
Precipitation: 0.52 in
-----------------------------------------
Wednesday
Partly Cloudy With Showers Possible.
High: 30°C / 86°F.
Winds: E 8 kph (5 mph)
Precipitation: 0.35 in
-----------------------------------------
Thursday
Partly Cloudy With Showers Possible.
High: 31°C / 88°F.
Winds: E 8 kph (5 mph)
Precipitation: 0.35 in
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Now that does not look like a lot of rain to me, maybe an inch or a little more spread across the entire week during this critical period.
BBC weatherman and religious zealot Michal Fish issuing a fatwah on June 22nd 1986.
