MPs jump on Brown’s fuel rebate plans August 11, 2008 Gordon Brown’s plans for a fuel rebate for all families on child benefit were rubbished yesterday for being “indiscriminate”, with the payment set to help the rich as well as the poor. It emerged yesterday that the Prime Minister is mulling proposals to give £150 to the 7m families who receive child benefit, to help [...]
We were too optimistic, CBI admits August 11, 2008 Inflation is set to reach 5 per cent this year, the employers’ group warns its members Business should brace itself for a prolonged rocky ride as the economy deteriorates faster than expected, CBI director-general Richard Lambert has warned. In a letter to members of the UK’s largest business group, Lambert said forecasters, including the CBI, [...]
Water bills face rise August 11, 2008 Britain’s water companies are planning to increase household water bills to fund their investment plans for the 2010-2015 period, piling further pressure on hard-pressed consumers already coping with rising living costs. Southern Water, Thames Water and United Utilities, which submitted their five-year investment programmes to industry regulator Ofwat yesterday, revealed the highest increases above inflation. [...]
Olympics mean it’s time for a punt August 11, 2008 Innovative bets can add interest to the Olympic Games and the football season, says Chris Shillington So, the Olympics have finally begun, and there’s plenty to keep spread betters interested. If there’s one thing that everybody is sure of at the Games, it’s that China ought to improve on the 32 medals that it won [...]
Georgia pulls forces out of rebel region August 11, 2008 Georgian forces pulled out of the breakaway South Ossetia region yesterday after three days of fighting, with Russia saying its troops controlled most of the separatist capital Tskhinvali. A Georgian convoy of troops and artillery left South Ossetia through Ergneti, a village just inside Georgian held territory south of Tskhinvali. “They have been withdrawn, completely,” [...]
Could now be the moment to enter the dragon? August 8, 2008 As the Olympics begin, China has never been more intriguing, says Samantha Downes It was once a region where only the least risk-averse would fear to tread, but China has emerged as a magnet for investors’ cash. In the last decade the communist-run country has emerged as the world’s second largest economy. Its willingness to [...]
Rivals move to impeach Musharraf August 8, 2008 Pakistan’s ruling coalition will move to impeach President Pervez Musharraf on charges of plunging the country into a political and economic crisis, party leaders said yesterday. They also warned Musharraf, a former general who first came to power in a 1999 military coup, against any attempt to dismiss the government. The move is likely to [...]
Informant says Maddy stolen to order August 8, 2008 An informant told police in London that Madeleine McCann was stolen to order by an international paedophile ring, according to newly released documents. The unnamed source said a spotter took photographs of her while she was on holiday with her family in Portugal and sent them to the group in Belgium. The ring then ordered [...]
Setanta shows ITV the way to succeed in commercial TV August 8, 2008 By now there is little more to be said about ITV. The expected bloodbath duly arrived on cue this week and advertising revenue may not recover for 18 months. How different for ITV’s rival Setanta which is broadcasting the FA Cup and England internationals. The Irish pay TV sports broadcaster goes into the new football [...]
Results beat expectations at MF Global August 8, 2008 Shares in MF Global, the global futures and options broker, gained as much as 12 per cent on Wall Street after its first-quarter results came in better than-expected, despite profits plummeting 80 per cent on last year. For the three months ending 30 June, the company posted profits of $14.4m (£7.2m), compared to $72.9m a [...]
