Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Canary

Tuesday 30 March 1999 17:02 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Welcome to London: Tony Blair himself is expected to greet delegates to the annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which throws its annual bash in London next week. Doubtless he will be too polite to mention the bank's massive losses in Russia. The bank is refusing to disclose the condition of its loan book, describing the matter as "secret".

Sell the euro: In January, it seemed every analyst in town was telling us to fill our boots with euros. Since then it has been all one way in the wrong direction: German politicians demand interest rate cuts: sell the euro. War in the Balkans: sell the euro. Now the prospect of an interest rate cut in Euroland has provoked the standard reaction: sell the euro. Where are all the geniuses who were telling us in January to buy the euro? Crafting more drivel, no doubt.

Life is a cabaret: Paris rocked as JP Morgan threw a splendid party at the Musee des Arts Forains to honour those attending the Inter-American Development Bank annual meeting. There were expensive cigars, clowns and even a carousel. Could this be a sign that the party's back on for emerging markets? One cynic wasn't so sure: "It's hard to tell which are the clowns and which are the bankers," he said.

Online bankers: The introduction of e-mail at Coutts allows customers to send provocative messages to their managers. One customer, infuriated by reports that the bank had extended a pounds 4m overdraft to the Queen Mother (right), received his comeuppance, however, when an e-mail whistled back insisting that there was "no truth at all" to the recent stories.

Licence to print money: Whoever said it was impossible to make money on the Internet? British physicist Laurence Godfrey has so far filed info highway libel actions against companies and individuals in the Australia, Canada, the United States, and New Zealand and his winnings are mounting. Now he has managed to persuade Mr Justice Morland to allow him to proceed against Demon Internet, which carried an allegedly libellous posting on an obscure Internet news group, falsely purporting to be from Godfrey himself. Upstanding though Godfrey certainly is, the decision opens the possibility for potential litigants to anonymously libel themselves, and then to turn around and sue every Internet service provider within reach of a writ.

canary@excite.co.uk

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in