Earthquake

Shares in British banks were down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after Barclays reported a decline in pre-tax profit in the first quarter of the year.

Politicians, not least in the USA and Europe, are espousing greener energy and advocating massive reductions in carbon emissions in the relatively near future, whilst doing little to allay the fears of a generally ill-informed public on a practical means to bring this energy policy about. An obvious practical means but the one most prolific in doomsday scenarios, is the development, expansion and more intensive use of nuclear power.

Shares in Compass Group were up on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading after the company said it had a "good first half" year ended 31March.

Insurance company Lloyds of London said today that in 2010 it made a profit of £2.2 billion, despite the impact of "significant claims" resulting from natural disasters.

Prince William has praised the courage of rescue workers and given his condolences to those who lost loved ones as a result of the flooding that hit Queensland, Australia at the beginning of this year.

Shares in British banks were up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading as investors started to regain their confidence after a spate of global events triggered panic selling.

I sat down and started to reach for the mug of coffee that my wife had made for me. My outstretched hand did not make it to the mug because my eyes were fixed on a scene of horror about to unfold on the television.

Shares in British banks were broadly up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading following a positive note from JP Morgan.