SINGAPORE: Stocks rallied on Thursday as solid earnings and expectations of further US interest rate cuts outweighed worries about inflation even as oil hit a record high above $101 a barrel. Gold also hit a record above $945 an ounce, and silver touched a 27-year high, as funds poured into a wide range of commodities, betting they will outperform in an environment where growth is slowing and prices are rising.

Data on Wednesday showed a faster-than-expected rise in US consumer prices last month and further weakness in the housing market there.

"The US is entirely focused on the economic data that is coming out and we're getting revised forecasts for their economic growth in the downward trend," said Savanth Sebastian, equities economist at CommSec in Sydney.

Trading Technologies Launches Hosted Connectivity to Sydney Futures ...

CHICAGO, SINGAPORE and SYDNEY, Australia, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT) announced today that TT has expanded market access to the Australian Securities Exchange's (ASX's) Sydney Futures Exchange (SFE) market with a new connection through the TTNET(TM) hub in Singapore. TTNET, TT's fully managed hosting solution, has offered direct connectivity to SFE through its primary hub in Chicago for more than a year. The new Singapore connection provides TT's customers with another low-latency path to the exchange for high-performance order routing and execution.

TT first established connectivity to SFE in March 2006 and remains the only Independent Software Vendor (ISV) that provides a facilities-managed solution with a direct link to the exchange's trading network.

European Indexes Move Higher

Heineken and Carlsberg plan to offer 8.00/sh. 3i [+4.28%] said it is facing market conditions from a position of confidence. C&W [+1.66%] said it is well on its way to delivering EBITDA targets. RANK [+3.82%] is said to be in exclusive talks to sell its 700 million pension scheme to Goldman Sachs. BIFFA [-2.0%] sank after saying it is prepared to accept an offer at 3.50/sh. On the reporting front, SSL [+2.81%] said is confident of meeting operating profit growth of at least 10% this year. QINETIQ [-0.81%] reported robust third quarter trading. CARPHONE WAREHOUSE [-1.46%] fell on reports that Goldman is placing 12 million shares.

Cyclo-cross news & racing roundup for November 28

Verge MAC brings down the curtain on its 2007 campaign with a "classic" double-header of UCI racing on the first weekend of December. Mike Hebe's Carlisle Classic in central Pennsylvania kick-starts the racing weekend on Saturday, December 1 and the traditional season-ending Capital Cross Classic brings international cyclo-cross back to the Washington, DC suburb of Reston, Virginia the following day.

One thing that has changed dramatically for the Pennsylvania leg of the weekend is the new venue at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. After outgrowing its former home in nearby Lower Allen Township, race promoter Mike Hebe has relocated his race to the Carlisle Fairgrounds, site of the some of the world's largest auto shows. The new venue not only provides more infrastructure and a centralized location, it also offers the racers a different kind of challenge.

Mersey beat?

A couple of seasons ago we looked capable of winning it what with Garcia coming in off the wings to get goals, Cisse hitting 22 in that season and our defence solid(7 home goals conceded all season) we've already conceded more this season than then! Torres has been a bonus but he has come to late, with our team now, the worse since our champions league win in 2005. Other than Gerrard who is absolutely TOP draw, Torres who is a quality young lad who has even more to come and the reliability of Cara at the back, we really do lack quality which the rest of the top 3 have. I really rate Alonso and Agger who are the 2 players this season who have been missed most, Mascherano is useless and 17 million is an absolute discrace of a price when even 5 would be a joke in my opinion. I think we need a real shake up because right now the only way is down for this team!

Timber Industry 1991-2000

In May, Roslesprom began a fight with Herlitz for the Balakhna Pulp and Paper Combine. Miron Tatsyun sent a letter to GKI and the Security Council stating that in 1991, when the company's charter capital was being formed, equipment worth $145 million had not been included in the property assessment. Roslesprom requested that the government increase Volga's capital stock and transfer the second issue to state control, i.e., to Roslesprom. GKI rejected this proposal.

In May, there was a boom on the Russian stock market. The price of shares of major timber processing enterprises, including the Syktyvkar and Bratsk timber processing combines and the Archangelsk Pulp and Paper Combine, increased by 300-700% and were actively bought up.

At the end of May, the Russian Fund for Federal Property (RFFI) put up for sale the first large block of share of a major wood chemistry plant at Ust-Ilim.

Democrats make populist appeals before contests

As a African American I would hope that African Americans if looking for a African American candidate would look deeper into their roots of the past; those whose ancestry were slaves. As for African American support for the Socailist Clinton that is wrong also; we need to stop looking to the Democratic Party for a handout. We can make it by faith Hilliary is not the answer - she is not our savior and Bill is not the first African American President and Obama doesn´t represent African Americans everywhere. He is a smooth talking promise making empty man that will be defeated. America is ready for a change but we don´t need the either of these Democrats one a self agrandizing carpet bagger and the other a wet behind the ear slogan maker. Please America wake up before it´s too late.