THERE are different versions of what exactly was said in the exchange between the US Air Force man setting foot on the soil of an unknown land and the local farmer, but this is the one most people agree on.

Oil prices have been spiralling due to the “inexorable” rise in global demand rather than because of speculators, British MPs were told today.

Car rental group Avis Europe today warned it saw no strong near-term recovery in corporate business despite seeing trading recover from the impact of the Iraq war.