| Rogue trader held in French bank scandal
The possible motivations of the 31-year-old trader, Jerome Kerviel, remained a mystery, and the bank said it appeared that he made no personal gain from the unauthorized trades. Judicial officials said Kerviel was taken into custody earlier in the day _ two days after Societe Generale's announcement that he was responsible for one of history's biggest frauds. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. Under French law, Kerviel can be held up to 48 hours. The debacle further rattled an already nervous banking sector and has fueled a debate about risk management. "If we can make profits in a matter of hours, we can also have huge losses," President Nicolas Sarkozy said during a visit to India. "We must stop with this system that has gone haywire and that has lost track of its aim." He added: "It appears to be time to ...
Activists protest at subprime loan servicer's offices
Community activists with the ACORN group took another swing at subprime loan servicer Ocwen Financial Corp. on Thursday, holding protests in Orlando and elsewhere, accusing the company of shutting out distressed homeowners.
ACORN alleged that West Palm Beach-based Ocwen has forced many financially strapped people into foreclosure by ignoring or refusing their requests for home loan modifications that would save their homes.
More than two dozen people joined the ACORN rally on Thursday at Ocwen's customer service operation at the Central Florida Research Park. Protests also were planned in West Palm Beach, Dallas, Atlanta and Meridian, Idaho.
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King agrees Latics switch
MARLON KING completed his move away from Vicarage Road today, joining Wigan Athletic on a three-and-half-year contract. Wigan boss Steve Bruce tried to sign King in the summer when in charge of Birmingham, but he finally got his man this afternoon after Watford accepted a bid understood to be in the region of £4.5m. King would ideally have liked to have joined Fulham and remained in the south east of England, but his chances of remaining a Premiership player next season appear to have increased by joining the Latics. .
Havant take the glory but haves earn the prize
The afternoon had begun in routine enough fashion. More than 6,000 supporters from Hampshire crammed into the Anfield Road end unfashionably early to savour their team's day in the spotlight. As the teams were announced pre-game, the Liverpool supporters joined in the spirit of the occasion, offering a noisy, if slightly patronising, round of applause for the mention of every Havant & Waterlooville name. However, once the tie kicked off, events took a decidedly unpredictable turn. The opening minutes suggested little hope for Havant, a dangerous John Arne Riise cross headed clear by Tom Jordan - son of Joe - and Jermaine Pennant's cross squandered by Benayoun's weak header from six yards. But the merest hint of a Havant counter-attack seemed to send panic waves through the Liverpool defence, most notably the shaky forms of £6.5million centre-half Martin Skrtel and stand-in goalkeeper Charles Itandje.
UPDATE 3-Potash Corp profit jumps, CEO downplays recession
(Adds CEO comments from interview and from conference call with analysts. Adds closing share price. In U.S. dollars unless noted.) By Roberta Rampton WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Potash Corp of Saskatchewan (POT.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) reported a steep rise in fourth quarter profits on Thursday, and its stock jumped more than 6 percent on the healthy figure and a rosy 2008 forecast. The world's largest fertilizer producer said it expected bigger profits in the year ahead, and its chief executive shrugged off concerns about a downturn in the U.S. economy. Bill Doyle said the growing world appetite for protein-rich diets amid dangerously tight global grain stocks would continue to push record crop prices higher, spurring fertilizer use.
Running for the economic empathizer in chief
Clinton laid out a list of college loan assistance, mortgage relief, heating oil assistance and more. But people who said they would vote for her today focused less on the specifics than on a prospect of a return to the booming economy presided over by her husband in the 1990s.
Obama supporters embraced his message that real economic reform can occur only under the guidance of someone capable of breaking the partisan logjam in Washington.
Fighting for attention, trailing in the polls, Edwards hammered home his message of economic populism, which he has stuck to more than any of the others since the start of the race.
Bill Clinton, running for president in 1992 as a relatively obscure Southern governor, set himself apart with his ability to show empathy to working-class Americans locked in the throes of a recession.
Exercise calories: Don't top off the tank
Beware! Buff can turn into blub Before you refuel, make sure you really need it. Many of the products marketed to fitness fanatics can be a source of unneeded calories. Gatorade The standard-bearer for sports drinks, it carries a modest 50 calories per eight-ounce serving. But who drinks eight ounces of anything? Grab the standard 20-ounce bottle, and you're up to 125 calories, 35 grams of carbohydrates and 275 milligrams of sodium. Clif Bar These dense goodies are a great way to keep the carbs flowing, but beware. A single 68-gram Crunchy Peanut Butter bar carries 250 calories, six grams of fat and 42 grams of carbs. GU Energy Gel One of a number of quickly soluble sources of sugar, it has about 100 calories per ounce.
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