USmortgage applications surge September 9, 2009 Mortgage applications in the US surged last week to their highest since late May as consumers sought to take advantage of the lowest interest rates in months. Mortgage Bankers Association data said rates on 30-year fixed-rate home loans fell to a three-month low, spurring a surge in demand for home refinancing loans. Applications to buy [...]
Aviva names USchief executive September 9, 2009 Insurance giant Aviva has named Christopher Littlefield as chief executive officer of its US business. Littlefield, who was chief operating officer, will lead the firm’s US life and annuity business. He will still report to Tom Godlansky, who runs the overall Aviva North America region. Littlefield joined AmerUs Group – which was later acquired by [...]
Double dose of defeat leaves hopes in tatters for suffering Scots and Irish September 9, 2009 SCOTLAND’S World Cup dreams were left shattered last night, as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat against the Netherlands at Hampden Park. George Burley’s men needed a win to have any realistic hope of snatching a play-off place but Dutch substitute Eljero Elia stepped off the bench to hit a late winner and break Scottish [...]
Diageo rejects plan to save jobs September 9, 2009 Drinks giant Diageo has dismissed as “unworkable” a plan to avoid job cuts at the firm that was submitted by Scottish ministers, as it presses ahead with plans to shut the Johnnie Walker bottling plant in Kilmarnock. The group said the plan, submitted by Scotland’s finance minister John Swinney, would cost more in the longer-term [...]
Fabio’s walking on water after finding right formula September 9, 2009 FABIO CAPELLO can seemingly do no wrong. Suddenly, not even two years into the job, the Italian has at his disposal a strong 23-man squad who can all but book their flight to South Africa next summer, and probably nine members of his starting line-up who can claim shirt numbers one to eleven. His biggest [...]
Mandelson China trip nets $500m September 9, 2009 UK Trade & Investment, the government body that fights for overseas trade, has said Lord Mandelson’s visit to China has netted $500m (£302m) worth of deals for British businesses. The body said the business secretary’s visit has made a slew of contracts and new investment deals possible, as the UK’s low carbon industry becomes increasingly [...]
Five-star England qualify in fine style September 9, 2009 ENGLAND (5) vs CROATIA (1) FABIO CAPELLO hailed the “best performance” of his reign as manager after his England side booked their ticket to the World Cup finals in South Africa next summer in emphatic style. Two goals apiece from midfield duo Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard and a fifth from Wayne Rooney put the [...]
Oil cause of UK’s wider trade deficit September 9, 2009 BRITAIN’S trade deficit widened in July to £2.44bn from £2.37bn in June, driven by a £100m increase in the deficit of oil, the Office for National Statistics said yesterday. The official data showed that the UK’s deficit on trade in goods in July is provisionally estimated at £6.5bn, unchanged compared with June, while the trade [...]
DJOKOVIC POWERS THROUGH September 9, 2009 NOVAK DJOKOVIC battled his way to a third straight US Open semi-final after overcoming a tough encounter with Fernando Verdasco, of Spain. Djokovic, seeded four, saved two set points in the first set before winning the opener on the tie-break. Verdasco stormed back to take the second set 6-1, but was eventually out-gunned out by [...]
SPORT IN BRIEF September 9, 2009 Durham close in on second titleCRICKET: Durham closed in on a second successive LV County Championship division one title yesterday after making a flying start in their crunch match with closest rivals Nottinghamshire. Durham need just 11 points to win the title with two matches to spare. Michael Di Venuto smashed a magnificent unbeaten 219 [...]
