Dangers in the dark NYSE Euronext’s Octopus trading platform and the LSE’s dark pool Baikal is set to shake up the exchange industry. Angelique Ruzicka finds out how this impacts the new competitors entering the market

City super-mum RBC Dexia’s Joanna Meager built a reputation as a firefighter. Bob Campion finds out how she juggles work and family life, and why she’s not afraid to change

Charming the investorsss The debate rages on about whether there can ever be a truly Shari’a compliant hedge fund strategy that everyone accepts. Yet Shari’a compliant hedge funds exist and their managers are convinced they are genuine, but not everyone is charmed. Angelique Ruzicka investigates

Editor's Picks Australia joins ban on short-selling The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has joined other global regulators by imposing a ban on naked and covered short selling. Networking site for C-suite execs launches Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Bebo, Xing, Twitter, MyFace, SpaceCase - the list of social networking sites is getting ludicrously long and above all confusing! But a new site targeting C-Suite executives in the banking and asset management industry has just launched with 20,000 members. Carne opens office in Switzerland to tap into new business Carne Global Financial Services (Carne) has launched an office in Geneva, Switzerland to capitalise on the growing wealth management and hedge fund business in the area. Australia 'to become leading financial centre' The Federal Government of Australia has just created a Financial Centre Forum that will be responsible for further developing Australia as an international financial services centre.

Mandates and Key movers Ex-Mellon team spearheads Thames River in Dubai Thames River Capital, one of the most successful London-based hedge fund boutiques to have emerged over the last decade, has revealed plans to expand in the Middle East. Northern Trust lands $1bn Auda Hedge mandate Northern Trust has just won a $1bn asset servicing mandate from Auda Hedge LLC. New institutional head of HSBC rethinks strategy HSBC Investments (UK) has promoted Kathleen Currie to the position of Managing Director, Institutional, less than one year after she joined the company as head of LDI. Tributes paid to SWIP CEO Chris Phillips Senior members of the fund management industry paid tribute yesterday to former SWIP CEO Chris Phillips, who died tragically during a walking holiday in Spain.