February 28: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.099 %
Standard deviation	1.068
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	6
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	7

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.416%	-0.055%	-0.01%	0.106%
Standard deviation % change	2.443	3.244	2.427	1.123
No. of times price has gone up	10	11	10	2
No. of times price has gone down	11	11	8	3

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
French Minister's Ouster Threatens EU Constitution Vote (Reuters)
Chinese Checkers (Investor's Business Daily)
London shares close in the black (AFP)
European stocks rise in early deals after Wall Street rally (AFP)
British Economy Grows in Final 2004 Quarter (AP)
British economy grows by 0.7 percent in fourth quarter (AFP)
European Stocks Rise (Reuters)
Shares slip on worries over oil, corporate earnings (AFP)
Dollar Rises as FOMC Suggests Rate Hikes (Reuters)
German Business Sentiment Gets Worse (AP)
Small economies and new members to drive EU growth in 2005: UN (AFP)

On this day
1983 Final TV episode of ""MASH"" aired on CBS in the US; a record 125 million watch.

BBC - On This Day
1975: Dozens killed in Moorgate Tube crash
A London Underground train crashes at Moorgate, killing the driver and at least 29 passengers.
2001: At least 10 die in Selby rail crash
Up to 13 are killed and more than 70 injured when a high speed train is hit by a car which careered off the motorway.
1991: Jubilation follows Gulf War ceasefire
US President George Bush announces a ceasefire in the Gulf after Iraq accepts all 12 UN resolutions.
1986: Swedish prime minister assassinated
Olof Palme, the prime minister of Sweden, is shot dead and his wife Lisbeth wounded in a street ambush in central Stockholm.
2000: Nuclear chief quits over safety scandal
British Nuclear Fuels confirms its chief executive, John Taylor, has resigned over a safety scandal.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 28

February 27: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.065 %
Standard deviation	0.595
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	7
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	8

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	0.739%	0.03%	0.288%	0.498%
Standard deviation % change	3.497	1.946	1.572	2.407
No. of times price has gone up	13	10	13	4
No. of times price has gone down	8	13	8	2

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
French Minister's Ouster Threatens EU Constitution Vote (Reuters)
Chinese Checkers (Investor's Business Daily)
London shares close in the black (AFP)
European stocks rise in early deals after Wall Street rally (AFP)
British Economy Grows in Final 2004 Quarter (AP)
British economy grows by 0.7 percent in fourth quarter (AFP)
European Stocks Rise (Reuters)
Shares slip on worries over oil, corporate earnings (AFP)
Dollar Rises as FOMC Suggests Rate Hikes (Reuters)
German Business Sentiment Gets Worse (AP)
Small economies and new members to drive EU growth in 2005: UN (AFP)

On this day
1998 Alliance & Leicester shares reach an all-time high of 964p, after floating just 10 months earlier at 542.5p.

BBC - On This Day
2002: Hindus die in train fire
A fire on a train in India results in the deaths of 57 Hindu pilgrims returning from the disputed holy site of Ayodhya.
1975: PC murder linked to IRA bomb factory
Scotland Yard says the man who shot dead a police officer in London yesterday had been staying in a flat used as a "bomb factory"by the IRA.
1963: Man charged over plot to kill de Gaulle
Antoine Argoud, President De Gaulle's arch enemy and a former colonel in the French Army, is charged with an assassination attempt.
1999: Nigerians vote to break with military
Voters flock to polling stations in Nigeria to elect a civilian president and end military rule that has lasted 15 years.
1953: Spelling bill passes second reading
A proposal to simplify English spelling has cleared its second hurdle in parliament.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 27

February 26: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.009 %
Standard deviation	0.664
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	8
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	8

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	0.045%	-0.802%	-0.072%	-0.157%
Standard deviation % change	0.967	2.234	1.546	0.848
No. of times price has gone up	10	8	9	3
No. of times price has gone down	10	16	12	3

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
Chinese Checkers (Investor's Business Daily)
London shares close in the black (AFP)
European stocks rise in early deals after Wall Street rally (AFP)
British Economy Grows in Final 2004 Quarter (AP)
British economy grows by 0.7 percent in fourth quarter (AFP)
European Stocks Rise (Reuters)
Shares slip on worries over oil, corporate earnings (AFP)
Dollar Rises as FOMC Suggests Rate Hikes (Reuters)
German Business Sentiment Gets Worse (AP)
Small economies and new members to drive EU growth in 2005: UN (AFP)
Ukraine cool to Russia-led economic zone (AFP)

On this day
1987 The first release of Beatles compact discs.

BBC - On This Day
1984: US troops withdraw from Beirut
The last of the remaining American forces occupying Beirut have pulled out of the Lebanese capital.
1993: World Trade Center bomb terrorises New York
A suspected car bomb explodes underneath the World Trade Center in New York killing at least five people.
1968: Hospital blaze kills 21 patients
Twenty-one female patients die in a fire which sweeps through a wing of the Shelton Mental Hospital near Shrewsbury.
1987: Synod says 'yes' to women priests
The Church of England's General Synod votes by a huge majority in favour of the ordination of women priests.
2000: UK Government moves to gag ex-spy
Former British spy David Shayler is being sued by the government for breach of confidence and contract over information leaked to a newspaper.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 26

February 25: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.297 %
Standard deviation	1.105
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	5
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	10

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.232%	-0.023%	-0.505%	0.093%
Standard deviation % change	1.34	2.954	2.848	1.012
No. of times price has gone up	9	10	12	4
No. of times price has gone down	13	15	8	2

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
European Share Prices Flat (Reuters)
British economists predict interest rate rise as central bank reveals dissent (Canadian Press)
Shares slip on worries over oil, corporate earnings (AFP)
Dollar Rises as FOMC Suggests Rate Hikes (Reuters)
German Business Sentiment Gets Worse (AP)
European stocks drop after heavy Wall Street losses (AFP)
Small economies and new members to drive EU growth in 2005: UN (AFP)
Ukraine cool to Russia-led economic zone (AFP)
Drugs Brighten Weak European Stocks (Reuters)
Eurozone data to show business confidence returning (AFP)
Angered airlines predict EU compensation rules will hit fares, service (AFP)

On this day
1836 Samuel Colt patented the first revolving barrel multishot firearm.

BBC - On This Day
1964: Cassius Clay crowned world champion
Cassius Clay, 22, is crowned heavyweight boxing world champion after a shock win over Sonny Liston.
1994: Jewish settler kills 30 at holy site
A Jewish doctor opens fire on Palestinians praying at a mosque in Hebron, killing up to 30 people.
1956: Khrushchev lashes out at Stalin
In a sensational speech to the Communist Party, the Soviet President denounces Joseph Stalin as a brutal despot.
1972: Miners call off crippling coal strike
Miners vote overwhelmingly in favour of a pay settlement after a seven-week strike that has seriously affected power supply.
1991: Birmingham Six on verge of freedom
After 17 years in prison, the Birmingham Six may soon be released after government law officers say their convictions cannot be considered safe.
1982: Parents can stop school beatings
The European Court of Human Rights rules corporal punishment in Britain's schools is a violation of the Human Rights Convention.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 25

February 24: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	-0.08 %
Standard deviation	1.047
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	8
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	6

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.135%	-0.022%	0.116%	-0.198%
Standard deviation % change	0.599	1.056	1.102	2.656
No. of times price has gone up	8	13	10	4
No. of times price has gone down	13	11	10	2

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

---

Yahoo European Business
European Share Prices Flat (Reuters)
British economists predict interest rate rise as central bank reveals dissent (Canadian Press)
Shares slip on worries over oil, corporate earnings (AFP)
Dollar Rises as FOMC Suggests Rate Hikes (Reuters)
German Business Sentiment Gets Worse (AP)
European stocks drop after heavy Wall Street losses (AFP)
Small economies and new members to drive EU growth in 2005: UN (AFP)
Ukraine cool to Russia-led economic zone (AFP)
Drugs Brighten Weak European Stocks (Reuters)
Eurozone data to show business confidence returning (AFP)
Angered airlines predict EU compensation rules will hit fares, service (AFP)

On this day
1982 first trading day of the newly privatised Amersham
1979 Highest price ever paid for a pig, $42,500, in Stamford in Texas.

BBC - On This Day
1955: Britain's big freeze
Deep snow and freezing temperatures continue to cause havoc across much of Britain.
1968: South Vietnamese recapture Hue
The South Vietnamese celebrate the recapture of the country's third city, Hue, after a battle lasting three weeks.
1950: Labour wins slim majority
Clement Attlee returns as prime minister of Britain but with a single-figure majority.
1981: Prince Charles and Lady Di to marry
The Prince of Wales and the Lady Diana Spencer end months of speculation by announcing they are to wed this summer.
1999: Lawrence report blasts 'racist' police
A highly-critical report into the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence labels London's police force "institutionally racist".
1971: UK restricts Commonwealth migrants
Commonwealth citizens lose their automatic right to remain in the UK under the government's new Immigration Bill.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 24

February 23: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.025 %
Standard deviation	1.019
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	6
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	7

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.21%	-0.494%	-0.43%	-0.392%
Standard deviation % change	1.082	2.115	1.115	1.859
No. of times price has gone up	7	11	8	1
No. of times price has gone down	14	12	12	3

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

---

Yahoo European Business
Oil, Ifo Hit European Stocks (Reuters)
Stocks show no steel ahead of Wall Street reopening (AFP)
Dollar Sinks, SKorea Reserve Shift Weighs (Reuters)
Small economies and new members to drive EU growth in 2005: UN (AFP)
Ukraine cool to Russia-led economic zone (AFP)
Drugs Brighten Weak European Stocks (Reuters)
Eurozone data to show business confidence returning (AFP)
Angered airlines predict EU compensation rules will hit fares, service (AFP)
EU's Growth Gap (Investor's Business Daily)
France Economy Up 0.8 Percent in 4th Qtr. (AP)
EU Orders Greece to Stabilize Finances (AP)

On this day
1923 UK lowered import duty on German products from 26% to 5%.

BBC - On This Day
1945: US flag raised over Iwo Jima
The 28th Regiment of the 5th Marines take Mount Suribachi as the battle for control of Japanese-held Iwo Jima rages on.
1981: Rebel army seizes control in Spain
Soldiers and members of the Civil Guard storm the Spanish Parliament threatening the fledgling democracy, once ruled by dictator General Franco.
1959: Macmillan and Khrushchev talk peace
On his ten-day visit to the Soviet Union, the British Prime Minister forges cultural and trade links between East and West.
1972: Hostages freed by Lufthansa hijackers
A group of Palestinian hijackers who took over a Lufthansa jet in the skies over India two days ago has released the crew.
1963: Shocking wardens could be legal
Peter Hicks, a farmer who electrified his car to ward off traffic wardens in London's Covent Garden may be able to evade the law.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 23

February 22: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	-0.115 %
Standard deviation	0.693
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	7
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	6

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.166%	-0.245%	-0.515%	-0.388%
Standard deviation % change	1.303	0.886	1.272	1.141
No. of times price has gone up	11	8	6	0
No. of times price has gone down	9	14	14	3

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
Repsol Leads European Stocks Lower (Reuters)
Dollar Falls 1 Pct Against Euro and Yen (Reuters)
Small economies and new members to drive EU growth in 2005: UN (AFP)
Ukraine cool to Russia-led economic zone (AFP)
Drugs Brighten Weak European Stocks (Reuters)
European stocks supported by pharmaceuticals (AFP)
Eurozone data to show business confidence returning (AFP)
Angered airlines predict EU compensation rules will hit fares, service (AFP)
EU's Growth Gap (Investor's Business Daily)
France Economy Up 0.8 Percent in 4th Qtr. (AP)
EU Orders Greece to Stabilize Finances (AP)

On this day
1879 Frank Woolworth opened the Great 5 Cents Store in New York and started the retail revolution.
1947 Edwin H. Land, aged 37, President of the Polaroid Corporation demonstrates his new camera to the Optical Society of America.
2002 Colt Telecom shares joined the 99 Percent Club when they close at 37p (over 99 percent below their high in 2000).

BBC - On This Day
1972: IRA bomb kills six at Aldershot barracks
Five women and an army priest are killed in an IRA bomb attack on army premises in Surrey.
1997: Dolly the sheep is cloned
A sheep named Dolly is cloned by scientists in Edinburgh and is being hailed as one of the most significant breakthroughs of the decade.
1955: American tennis star 'Little Mo' to quit
Maureen Connolly, one of America's greatest tennis players, is to retire from the sport after a horse-riding accident.
1991: Bush threatens Iraq with land war
The US President, George Bush, gives Iraq until 1700 GMT tomorrow to pull out of Kuwait or face the full force of the allies.
1986: Filipino coup leaders tell Marcos to go
Two senior members of the government take refuge in the defence ministry building after demanding President Marcos step down following controversial elections.
1974: Hearst 'ransom' provokes violence
Fighting breaks out around food distribution points in California as newspaper tycoon Randolph Hearst pays a $2 million ransom for his kidnapped daughter Patty.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 22

February 21: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.081 %
Standard deviation	0.811
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	7
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	7

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	0.604%	0.298%	0.255%	0.448%
Standard deviation % change	1.848	2.388	1.006	2.419
No. of times price has gone up	13	11	13	3
No. of times price has gone down	8	12	7	2

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
Eurozone data to show business confidence returning (AFP)
Angered airlines predict EU compensation rules will hit fares, service (AFP)
EU's Growth Gap (Investor's Business Daily)
European stocks looking to end week on high note (AFP)
France Economy Up 0.8 Percent in 4th Qtr. (AP)
European Shares Trade Sideways (Reuters)
EU Orders Greece to Stabilize Finances (AP)
US, EU voice goal of "barrier-free"transatlantic market (AFP)
London shares end lower, hit by rate hike concerns (AFP)
Eurozone ministers divided on stability pact reform (AFP)
France pushes case to lift China arms embargo despite US fears: minister (AFP)

On this day
1947 Inventor Edwin Land demonstrated the Polaroid Land camera, which self-develops a black-and-white photo in 60 seconds.

BBC - On This Day
1972: Nixon makes historic visit to China
The American President Richard Nixon arrives in China at the start of a week-long summit aimed at ending 20 years of frosty relations between the two countries.
1965: Black nationalist leader shot dead
Controversial black leader Malcolm X, who once called for a "blacks-only"state in the US, has been assassinated.
1997: Bridgewater Three freed
Three men jailed 18 years ago for the murder of 13-year-old paper boy Carl Bridgewater are released after their convictions are ruled unsafe.
2001: Ban follows foot-and-mouth outbreak
The European Commission bans all British milk, meat and livestock exports following the UK's first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease for two decades.
1988: TV evangelist quits over sex scandal
Jimmy Swaggart, America's leading television evangelist, resigns from his ministry after revelations he had been consorting with a prostitute.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 21

February 20: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	-0.163 %
Standard deviation	0.892
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	8
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	6

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.001%	-0.295%	0.354%	-0.059%
Standard deviation % change	1.165	3.105	1.071	0.534
No. of times price has gone up	11	15	11	2
No. of times price has gone down	9	8	10	3

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
Eurozone data to show business confidence returning (AFP)
Angered airlines predict EU compensation rules will hit fares, service (AFP)
EU's Growth Gap (Investor's Business Daily)
European stocks looking to end week on high note (AFP)
France Economy Up 0.8 Percent in 4th Qtr. (AP)
European Shares Trade Sideways (Reuters)
EU Orders Greece to Stabilize Finances (AP)
US, EU voice goal of "barrier-free"transatlantic market (AFP)
London shares end lower, hit by rate hike concerns (AFP)
Eurozone ministers divided on stability pact reform (AFP)
France pushes case to lift China arms embargo despite US fears: minister (AFP)

BBC - On This Day
1993: Two boys charged with toddler's murder
Two 10-year-old boys are charged with the abduction and murder of two-year-old James Bulger in Liverpool.
1983: Hundreds die in Assam poll violence
Hundreds of people are reported to have died in Assam as fierce fighting rages in the run-up to Indian elections.
1989: IRA bombs Tern Hill barracks
Police are hunting two IRA bombers who attacked an army barracks at Tern Hill in Shropshire.
1962: American spaceman rounds the world
John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, lands safely in the Atlantic Ocean.
1958: Historic Sheerness docks to close
The government announces one the oldest naval dockyards in the UK will be shut down.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 20

February 19: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	-0.347 %
Standard deviation	0.829
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	11
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	5

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	0.241%	0.094%	0.015%	-0.055%
Standard deviation % change	1.012	1.504	1.115	0.727
No. of times price has gone up	13	10	10	1
No. of times price has gone down	7	13	10	6

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
EU's Growth Gap (Investor's Business Daily)
European stocks looking to end week on high note (AFP)
France Economy Up 0.8 Percent in 4th Qtr. (AP)
European Shares Trade Sideways (Reuters)
EU Orders Greece to Stabilize Finances (AP)
US, EU voice goal of "barrier-free"transatlantic market (AFP)
London shares end lower, hit by rate hike concerns (AFP)
EU ministers to put final touches on stability pact reform (AFP)
France pushes case to lift China arms embargo despite US fears: minister (AFP)
Iran Explosion Sets Off Fears of Attack (AP)
London shares close at fresh 32-month highs (AFP)

On this day
1981 first trading day of the newly privatised Bae Systems
1964 UK flew half a ton of Beatle wigs to US.

BBC - On This Day
2001: Foot-and-mouth scare at UK abbatoir
A five-mile exclusion zone is placed around an abbatoir in Essex after a suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease is detected.
1997: China's reformist Deng Xiaoping dies
China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping has died at the age of 92 after suffering from failing health for several years.
1961: Lumumba rally clashes with UK police
Police battle with supporters of the murdered Congolese premier outside the Belgian embassy in London.
1968: Damages for thalidomide children
The High Court awards compensation to 62 children born with thalidomide-induced deformities.
1978: Egyptian forces die in Cyprus gunfight
At least ten Egyptian commandos are killed in a gun battle with Greek Cypriot soldiers at Larnaca airport.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 19

February 18: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.031 %
Standard deviation	0.753
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	8
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	7

---

Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.179%	-0.613%	-0.803%	0.051%
Standard deviation % change	0.654	1.778	2.2	1.126
No. of times price has gone up	9	10	10	3
No. of times price has gone down	12	14	11	4

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

---

Yahoo European Business
European Shares Trade Sideways (Reuters)
EU Orders Greece to Stabilize Finances (AP)
Stocks climb amid positive company news (AFP)
US, EU voice goal of "barrier-free"transatlantic market (AFP)
London shares end lower, hit by rate hike concerns (AFP)
Eurozone ministers divided on stability pact reform (AFP)
France pushes case to lift China arms embargo despite US fears: minister (AFP)
Iran Explosion Sets Off Fears of Attack (AP)
London shares close at fresh 32-month highs (AFP)
Euro-zone economic growth slows in final quarter 2004 (Canadian Press)
German economy shows unexpected dip in fourth quarter of 2004 (Canadian Press)

On this day
2004 The US Dollar hit an all-time low of $1.28 against the Euro.

BBC - On This Day
1996: Bomb blast destroys London bus
Three people are feared dead after a bomb explodes on a London bus, nine days after the IRA ended its ceasefire.
1978: Belfast bomb suspects rounded up
Police in Northern Ireland arrest at least 20 people in connection with the La Mon restaurant bomb.
1954: McCarthy hunts 'army Communists'
The Secretary of the US army orders two generals subpoenaed by anti-Communist senator Joseph McCarthy to ignore the summons.
1981: Thatcher gives in to miners
Mrs Thatcher's Conservative Government withdraws plans to close 23 pits in its first major U-turn since coming to power two years ago.
1969: Lulu ties knot with Bee Gee
Hundreds of people clamour to see the marriage of popstars Lulu and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees in a Buckinghamshire church.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 18

February 17: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.607 %
Standard deviation	0.751
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	4
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	10

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	0.016%	0.106%	0.44%	0.084%
Standard deviation % change	0.736	1.515	1.535	2.483
No. of times price has gone up	8	15	12	1
No. of times price has gone down	11	9	9	5

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

---

Yahoo European Business
Total, CS Lead European Stocks Higher (Reuters)
US, EU voice goal of "barrier-free"transatlantic market (AFP)
London shares end lower, hit by rate hike concerns (AFP)
Eurozone ministers divided on stability pact reform (AFP)
European stock lower with eyes on Greenspan (AFP)
France pushes case to lift China arms embargo despite US fears: minister (AFP)
Iran Explosion Sets Off Fears of Attack (AP)
London shares close at fresh 32-month highs (AFP)
Euro-zone economic growth slows in final quarter 2004 (Canadian Press)
German economy shows unexpected dip in fourth quarter of 2004 (Canadian Press)
Eurozone posts growth of 2.0 percent in 2004 (AFP)

On this day
2000 Shares in Durlacher reach their all-time high giving it a market cap of over £2 billion and making it a contender for the FTSE100. In the following 3 months the shares fell 90% and by mid 2003 its market cap was under £20 million.

BBC - On This Day
1979: China invades Vietnam
China sends hundreds of troops into Vietnam after weeks of tension and a military build-up along the border.
1987: Tamils strip off at Heathrow
A group of Tamils seeking asylum in Britain protest at Heathrow airport by removing their clothes as they are about to be deported.
1992: Cannibal killer jailed for life
Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is jailed for life in the US for murdering and dismembering 15 young men and boys.
1959: Turkish leader involved in fatal crash
Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes survives an air crash near London that killed 12 people.
1965: Countdown to Gambian independence
The Duke and Duchess of Kent celebrate the end of 300 years of colonial rule in Gambia with 35 chiefs.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 17

February 16: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.167 %
Standard deviation	1.12
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	7
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	6

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.038%	-0.111%	-0.071%	0.012%
Standard deviation % change	0.432	0.855	0.766	0.231
No. of times price has gone up	9	9	9	1
No. of times price has gone down	9	12	12	2

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

---

Yahoo European Business
European Shares Open Lower (Reuters)
France pushes case to lift China arms embargo despite US fears: minister (AFP)
Iran: U.S. Spy Drones Fly Over Nuke Sites (AP)
London shares close at fresh 32-month highs (AFP)
Euro-zone economic growth slows in final quarter 2004 (Canadian Press)
German economy shows unexpected dip in fourth quarter of 2004 (Canadian Press)
Eurozone posts growth of 2.0 percent in 2004 (AFP)
French Treasury Penalizes Citigroup (AP)
Dollar Dips Against Euro After Rally (AP)
London starts week flat despite bid rumours (FT.com)
'Big Brother'producer Endemol looks to float on British bourse: report (AFP)

On this day
1937 DuPont Corp patented nylon, developed by employee Wallace H Carothers.

BBC - On This Day
1959: Castro sworn in as Cuban PM
Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro becomes the country's youngest ever premier.
2001: Serbs killed in Kosovo pilgrimage
At least seven Serbs are killed in a bomb attack on a bus making its way to a religious ceremony in Kosovo.
1985: Falklands' row civil servant resigns
Ministry of Defence assistant secretary Clive Ponting resigns from his post over the Belgrano affair.
1972: Miners' strike turns off the lights
Many homes and businesses will be without electricity for up to nine hours a day from today, the Central Electricity Generating Board has announced.
1965: Beeching plans for 'bloated' railways
A second report from British Railways Board chairman Dr Richard Beeching outlines transport needs for the next 25 years.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 16

February 15: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.177 %
Standard deviation	0.641
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	4
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	9

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	0.054%	0.714%	0.581%	0.266%
Standard deviation % change	0.91	1.7	1.122	1.886
No. of times price has gone up	11	18	14	1
No. of times price has gone down	9	4	5	3

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
London shares close in red (AFP)
European Shares Open Steady (Reuters)
French Treasury Penalizes Citigroup (AP)
Dollar Dips Against Euro After Rally (AP)
London starts week flat despite bid rumours (FT.com)
'Big Brother'producer Endemol looks to float on British bourse: report (AFP)
Share Prices Up 0.9 Percent in London (AP)
French Economy Posts Upbeat Growths (AP)
Shares close higher as FTSE 100 hits 5,000 mark (AFP)
Bank of England leaves interest rates at 4.75 percent (AFP)
FTSE 100 closes lower as oil prices bounce back (AFP)

On this day
1971 The British Government launches a new decimal currency across the country.

BBC - On This Day
1952: British monarch laid to rest
King George VI is buried at St George's Chapel on his Windsor Castle estate.
1942: Singapore forced to surrender
British forces in Singapore surrender to the Japanese - seven days after enemy troops first stormed the island.
1974: No hope of survivors from missing Gaul trawler
The hunt in the Arctic Ocean for the missing British trawler and its 36-man crew is called off after a week.
1989: Soviet troops in Afghanistan pull-out
Soviet troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan, nine years after they invaded the country.
1986: Printers and police clash in Wapping
Eight police officers are injured in the worst outbreak of violence yet outside the News International printing plant in Wapping, east London.
1961: Belgian jet crashes seconds before landing
At least 73 people are killed when a Boeing 707 jet airliner crashes at Berg, near Brussels airport.
1971: D-Day delivers new UK currency
The British Government launches a new decimal currency across the country.
1996: Arms-to-Iraq report published
The long-awaited report into the sale of arms-to-Iraq in the 1980s is published and contains strong criticisms of the ministers involved.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 15

February 14: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.048 %
Standard deviation	0.81
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	6
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	8

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	0.23%	-0.142%	0.102%	0.18%
Standard deviation % change	2.211	1.161	1.164	1.052
No. of times price has gone up	12	11	11	4
No. of times price has gone down	9	13	9	1

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
London starts week flat despite bid rumours (FT.com)
'Big Brother'producer Endemol looks to float on British bourse: report (AFP)
Share Prices Up 0.9 Percent in London (AP)
French Economy Posts Upbeat Growths (AP)
European Stocks Track NY Gain (Reuters)
Shares close higher as FTSE 100 hits 5,000 mark (AFP)
Bank of England leaves interest rates at 4.75 percent (AFP)
FTSE 100 closes lower as oil prices bounce back (AFP)
London FTSE 100 breaks through 5,000 points barrier (AFP)
Bank of England expected to hold interest rates (AFP)
European stocks steady in early trading (AFP)

On this day
1983 first trading day of the newly privatised Assd Brit Ports

BBC - On This Day
1945: Thousands of bombs shower Dresden
British and US bombers pound the ancient German city of Dresden with high explosives and incendiaries.
1993: Missing two-year-old found dead
Police confirm a body found on a railway embankment in Merseyside is that of missing toddler James Bulger.
1984: British ice couple score Olympic gold
British figure skating couple Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean skate off with a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo after dancing to Ravel's Bolero.
1989: Ayatollah sentences author to death
Iranian Muslim leader Ayatollah Khomeini issues a death threat against British author Salman Rushdie and his publishers over the book Satanic Verses.
1997: Lawrence 'killed by racists'
Jurors at the inquest into the death of Stephen Lawrence have decided the black teenager was unlawfully killed "in a completely unprovoked racist attack by five white youths".
1974: Russian author charged with treason
Soviet authorities formally charge Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn with treason a day after forcing him to leave the USSR.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 14

February 13: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.169 %
Standard deviation	0.573
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	5
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	10

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	0.009%	0.951%	0.038%	0.282%
Standard deviation % change	1.115	3.518	1.278	1.107
No. of times price has gone up	5	15	10	4
No. of times price has gone down	13	9	11	2

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
Share Prices Up 0.9 Percent in London (AP)
French Economy Posts Upbeat Growths (AP)
European Stocks Track NY Gain (Reuters)
Shares close higher as FTSE 100 hits 5,000 mark (AFP)
Bank of England leaves interest rates at 4.75 percent (AFP)
FTSE 100 closes lower as oil prices bounce back (AFP)
London FTSE 100 breaks through 5,000 points barrier (AFP)
Bank of England expected to hold interest rates (AFP)
European stocks steady in early trading (AFP)
U.S. Dollar Gains on Euro (AP)
Commentary: The Downside Of Higher Productivity (BusinessWeek Online)

On this day
1990 Drexel Burnham Lambert filed for bankruptcy.
2004 Pizza Express swooped on rival restaurant chain Ask Central with an agreed £213m bid, beating a rival takeover offer from Caffe Uno owners The Restaurant Group.

BBC - On This Day
1991: US bombers strike civilians in Baghdad
Hundreds of Iraqi civilians are killed and wounded in Baghdad by American bombers.
1961: Ex-Congo PM declared dead
Officials in the Congolese province of Katanga declare former Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba dead.
2001: Landmark Aids case begins in Scotland
A man goes on trial in Glasgow for knowingly infecting a woman with the HIV virus in a case believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland.
1978: Ford makes her ITN debut
Tomorrow's World presenter Anna Ford has been officially announced as ITN's first female newsreader.
1975: Miners set for 35 per cent pay rises
British mineworkers' leaders agree to accept the coal board's latest pay offer of up to 35%.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 13

February 12: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	-0.268 %
Standard deviation	0.907
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	9
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	6

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.084%	0.112%	0.062%	-3.707%
Standard deviation % change	0.894	2.276	1.202	19.274
No. of times price has gone up	13	9	12	5
No. of times price has gone down	7	14	9	2

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
Share Prices Up 0.9 Percent in London (AP)
French Economy Posts Upbeat Growths (AP)
European Stocks Track NY Gain (Reuters)
Shares close higher as FTSE 100 hits 5,000 mark (AFP)
Bank of England leaves interest rates at 4.75 percent (AFP)
FTSE 100 closes lower as oil prices bounce back (AFP)
London FTSE 100 breaks through 5,000 points barrier (AFP)
Bank of England expected to hold interest rates (AFP)
European stocks steady in early trading (AFP)
U.S. Dollar Gains on Euro (AP)
Commentary: The Downside Of Higher Productivity (BusinessWeek Online)

On this day
2002 Body Shop shares fell 10% on the announcement that its founder and co-chairman, Anita Roddick, was to step down, and that it was pulling out of takeover talks.

BBC - On This Day
1989: Belfast lawyer Finucane murdered
Leading solicitor Pat Finucane is shot dead at his home in north Belfast in front of his wife and children.
1964: Deaths follow Cyprus truce breach
Fighting between ethnic Turks and Greeks in the disputed island of Cyprus has left at least 16 people dead.
1994: Art thieves snatch Scream
One of the world's best-known paintings, The Scream by Edvard Munch, is stolen from a museum in Norway.
1954: New authority for atomic energy
A new body is established to control the production and development of atomic energy in the UK.
1999: Scientists highlight hazards of GM food
A group of international scientists reinforces warnings genetically modified food may be damaging to health.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 12

February 11: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.439 %
Standard deviation	1.024
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	7
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	8

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	-0.372%	0.175%	-0.133%	-0.003%
Standard deviation % change	1.024	2.253	1.096	0.572
No. of times price has gone up	6	9	8	3
No. of times price has gone down	14	13	11	3

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
European Stocks Track NY Gain (Reuters)
Shares close higher as FTSE 100 hits 5,000 mark (AFP)
Share Prices Hit 5,000 Mark in London (AP)
Bank of England leaves interest rates at 4.75 percent (AFP)
FTSE 100 closes lower as oil prices bounce back (AFP)
London FTSE 100 breaks through 5,000 points barrier (AFP)
Bank of England expected to hold interest rates (AFP)
Ex-divs to pull London lower (FT.com)
French Outline Latest Economic Program (AP)
European stocks steady in early trading (AFP)
U.S. Dollar Gains on Euro (AP)

On this day
1974 Petrol prices in the UK rose 8p per gallon to 50p-52p.

BBC - On This Day
1990: Freedom for Nelson Mandela
Leading anti-apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela has been freed from prison in South Africa after 27 years.
1956: 'Cambridge spies' surface in Moscow
Two British diplomats, Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, who vanished in mysterious circumstances five years ago re-appear in the Soviet Union.
1979: Victory for Khomeini as army steps aside
Supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini appear to be in control of the Iranian capital, Tehran tonight.
1975: Tories choose first woman leader
The British Conservative Party chooses Margaret Thatcher as its new leader.
1987: Mrs Payne is no brothel Madam
Party planner Cynthia Payne is acquitted of nine charges of controlling prostitutes at her home in south-west London.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 11

February 10: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	-0.206 %
Standard deviation	0.779
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	8
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	5

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)
Avg. % change	0.085%	0.079%	0.188%	0.229%
Standard deviation % change	0.639	1.366	1.156	1.121
No. of times price has gone up	13	12	10	4
No. of times price has gone down	8	12	11	2

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
FTSE 100 closes lower as oil prices bounce back (AFP)
London FTSE 100 breaks through 5,000 points barrier (AFP)
Hewlett Sends European Stocks Higher (Reuters)
Bank of England expected to hold interest rates (AFP)
Ex-divs to pull London lower (FT.com)
Bank of England expected to hold interest rates: analysts (AFP)
Shares close up on positive Wall St, rally in hotels, tobaccos (AFP)
Share Prices Rise 0.3 Percent in London (AP)
French Outline Latest Economic Program (AP)
European stocks steady in early trading (AFP)
U.S. Dollar Gains on Euro (AP)

On this day
1987 first trading day of the newly privatised British Airways
2004 Coca Cola launched in the UK a new bottled water called Dasani. When it was revealed that this was just tap water, the launch became a fiasco. Just five weeks later more news emerged of contamination, and Coke pulled the plug.

BBC - On This Day
1996: Docklands bomb ends IRA ceasefire
The IRA admit planting the bomb that exploded in the Docklands area of London last night.
1983: British police on trail of mass murderer
Police launch a mass murder investigation in London after discovering human remains in drains.
1962: Russia frees US spy plane pilot
American spy plane pilot Captain Francis "Gary"Powers has been freed from prison in the Soviet Union in exchange for a Russian spy jailed in the US.
1952: India passes first test of democracy
Independent India's first general elections pass off peacefully, and return Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to power.
1955: US evacuates Pacific islands
The American Navy has moved thousands of people from the Chinese Nationalist Tachen Islands.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for February 10