Jenson Button stormed to his second win of the season as he headed team-mate Lewis Hamilton to a McLaren one-two at the Chinese Grand Prix. Rain played havoc in China as Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg held off Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to finish third with Renault's Robert Kubica in fifth. Button's win means he leads the drivers' championship by 10 points. Despite starting at the front of the grid, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber finished sixth and eighth. Kubica's team-mate Vitaly Petrov completed an impressive day for Renault when he overtook Webber late on to take seventh position and earn his first points in Formula 1. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Red Bull Racing, RIVAL F1
A learner driver taking her second lesson managed to flip her instructor's car on to its roof in Oxford. The woman, in her mid-20s, hit a gatepost on Old Road in Headington, causing the Fiat 500 car owned by driving instruction firm BSM to flip. Paramedics treated the woman and the instructor for cuts to their hands and elbows at the scene of Sunday's crash. BSM described the crash as a "freak incident" and said it took health and safety very seriously. Communications manager Paul Shepherd said: "We have spoken to the learner driver who is fine and is already hoping to book her next lesson with us soon. Labels: BBC, News
Repairs to a supercar damaged when a test drive went wrong near Aberdeen are set to cost an insurance firm £300,000. The Pagani Zonda S, which would cost more than £500,000 to buy, was involved in a crash last September. The car has been sent for repair to Modena in Italy, where the vehicles are made. A spokesperson for insurers Aviva said: "This is the biggest insurance payout we have had for repairs to a private car in the UK." The spokesperson said: "This is out of the ordinary for an insurer." Although the vehicle was badly damaged, Aviva decided that the car may be repairable and set about making arrangements for the car to be shipped across to Modena, Italy, home of Pagani, the vehicle manufacturer. The insurance claim was lodged by the test driver, not the owner of the car.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, Insurance, News
Identity fraud is likely to accelerate in 2010 as organised criminals target the rich, according to a report. Some 72% of ID fraud in 2009 came in the 2nd half of the year with company directors and business owners the most at risk, Experian found. The credit reference agency said that the number of ID fraud victims rose by 20% in 2009 compared with 2008. London remained the UK's crime hotspot area but Salford, Manchester and Cardiff were also vulnerable, it said. Experian also noted a rise in the proportion of fraud cases when people manipulated their own information in order to access financial services such as credit. The company estimated that these numbers would increase owing to lower levels of lending and the potential for more unemployment in 2010. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Money, News
Insurers paid out £650m from 335,000 claims made as a result of damage caused by the wintry weather in the UK, figures show. The biggest chunk of the payout was to motorists who damaged vehicles on the slippery roads, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said. January was the eighth coldest on record and the UK's worst since 1987. The bad weather hit businesses and consumers with sectors including retail and the housing market suffering. The ABI said that the winter weather cost insurers £650m for claims made in the UK from 18 December to 13 January. Specifically, £395m has been paid out to motorists. Many of the 268,400 motor insurance claims were for accidental damage caused to vehicles. source: BBC Labels: ABI, BBC, Insurance, News
Honda has added 437,700 cars, mainly in North America, to its existing global safety recall over airbag inflation problems. It broadens a recall announced in late 2008 for less than 4,000 Accord and Civic sedans, then expanded in mid-2009 to cover another 510,000 vehicles. The latest announcement also covers Japan, Mexico, Taiwan and Australia. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Motor, News
Toyota has announced the recall of about 436,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide, including its latest Prius model, to fix brake problems. The total includes more than 200,000 Prius cars sold in Japan and 8,500 cars in the UK. "We have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority," the firm said. The company has already recalled eight million vehicles because of accelerator and floormat problems. Company president Akio Toyoda made the latest recall announcement at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, Motor, News
The recall of thousands of Toyotas with potentially faulty pedals raises a terrifying hypothetical scenario - what should you do if the accelerator on your car jams?
It's a driver's worst nightmare. You try to slow down but find the accelerator pedal is stuck - you're in a runaway car. The world's largest carmaker Toyota has recalled millions of vehicles across Europe and the US due either to the risk of accelerator pedals becoming stuck on the floor mat or jamming on their own. Toyota insists the jamming problem is very rare and that it has only received 26 reports of any kind of problem in Europe. If the accelerator is stuck, you should first firmly depress the foot brake, he says. This will override the accelerator. It must be the footbrake and not the handbrake, which could cause the brake pads to burn out and potentially put the car into a spin. Next, the driver needs to depress the clutch, effectively stopping the engine from powering the car. The equivalent in an automatic car is to put the gearstick into neutral. Continue braking and keep an eye out, forward and back, for an "escape route" to the hard shoulder. Do not try to steer straight across in one quick swerve - this could be dangerous, and destabilise the vehicle at such a speed. In a short time - perhaps 10 seconds - you can bring the car to a halt, says Stephen Mead, assistant chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motoring.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, Motor, News
The UK could face power shortages in the years ahead, according to the energy regulator, Ofgem. The regulator also warns that a significant number of consumers may not be able to afford the higher energy prices they will have to face. Ofgem says there is "reasonable doubt" about whether the UK's energy market will be able to deliver sustainable supplies in the coming decade. The industry needs £200bn of investment, Ofgem said. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Money, News
Compensation culture is partly to blame for a record rise in car insurance premiums in the last year, the AA has said. Personal injury claims were becoming "increasingly embedded in British culture" often as a result of lawyers' adverts, it claimed. The typical annual comprehensive car insurance premium rose 18.7% in 2009 to above £1,000, the AA's figures show. That was the biggest jump since the index started in 1994. Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said that insurers had been struggling to deal with disappearing reserves at a time when settlement costs and personal injury claims had risen.
"Many people seem willing to pursue claims for even minor injuries, such as mild whiplash pain that in the past they would not have bothered claiming for," he said. "This is encouraged by personal injury claims lawyers whose marketing urges people to make claims and whose costs, as well as compensation for the claim, are met by the third party insurer. This is becoming increasingly embedded in British culture and, ultimately, feeds back to premiums." source: BBC Labels: BBC, Insurance, News
Ford has posted an annual profit for the first time in four years. The carmaker made $2.7bn (£1.7bn) in 2009, compared with a loss of almost $15bn in 2008, and said it expects to be profitable this year as well. For the final three months of last year, the company made $868m, a dramatic improvement on the $6bn loss it made a year earlier. Ford said its return to profitability was in part due to cutting costs and reducing debt levels. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Money, Motor, News
Toyota has announced the recall of vehicles in the US, Europe and China over concerns about accelerator pedals getting stuck on floor mats. The firm has announced plans to recall 1.1 million more cars in the US a day after saying it was suspending sales of eight popular US models. According to an application to China's quality control office, it wants to recall 75,552 RAV4 vehicles there. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Motor, News
Car maker Nissan is to create 400 jobs at its Sunderland plant to meet demand for the Qashqai model. The fixed-term manufacturing posts are needed for a night-shift production line due to begin in May. Up to 160 temporary staff will also be retained. Last year the company cut 1,200 of 4,300 jobs at the plant amid falling overall sales. Trevor Mann, senior vice president for manufacturing in Europe, said the Qashqai was bucking market trends. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Motor, News
The UK economy has come out of recession, after figures showed it had grown by a weaker-than-expected 0.1% in the last three months of 2009. The economy had previously contracted for six consecutive quarters - the longest period since quarterly figures were first recorded in 1955. There have been recent recovery signs - last week, UK unemployment fell for the first time in 18 months. The UK's had been the last major economy still in recession. Europe's two biggest economies - Germany and France - came out of recession last summer. Japan and the US also emerged from recession last year. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Money, News
The chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, David Smith, is to stand down, the carmaker has confirmed. The firm said his departure was not linked to the recent breakdown of talks with unions over pay and pensions. Jaguar Land Rover, part of India's Tata Motors, is seeking to reduce wages and pension provision for new staff. BBC business editor Robert Peston said Mr Smith's departure would "raise concerns about possible disagreements over strategy". source: BBC Labels: BBC, Motor, News
Toyota is recalling 2.3 million cars in the US to correct sticking accelerator pedals, just the latest in a string of recalls the firm has had to announce. Company spokesman Brian Lyons said the move was due to the vehicles' pedal mechanism becoming worn and, in some cases, getting stuck. It is not yet known if the recall will affect Toyota cars in other countries. Back in October, Toyota recalled 4.2 million cars in the US due to pedals getting lodged under floor mats. source: BBC
Labels: BBC, Motor, News
Scams, online theft, insurance cheats and tax fraud is costing the UK £30bn a year, according to an official estimate. The National Fraud Authority (NFA) has calculated the figure for the first time and said it equated to £621 per adult in the UK. Some 58% of fraud was in the public sector, at a cost of £17bn, it added. It said the losses were paid for through taxes and rising prices of products and services. The highest sector was losses from tax fraud - estimated at £15.2bn - although this was only 3% of tax liabilities, consumer scams were estimated at £3.5bn, insurance fraud at £2bn and some 31% of losses came in the private sector, with the financial services sector suffering the biggest hit.
source: BBC
Labels: BBC, Money, News
European car sales rose by 16% in December, marking signs of recovery in the sector after another tough year. However, total sales for 2009 were down 1.6% on 2008, according to figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Some countries with scrappage schemes saw rises in sales in 2009, including France and Germany. Sales in the UK were down 6.4% for the year as a whole, though December sales were up 39% compared with a year ago. A total of 14.5 million cars were sold across 28 European countries in 2009. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Motor, News
Average-speed cameras are to be introduced on a major urban road for the first time, Transport for London (TfL) has announced. The 84 special cameras are to be installed on a 7.5 mile (12km) stretch of the A13 in east London, ready for use by next summer. They will operate between Canning Town and the Goresbrook interchange. However, the speed limit will be raised from 40mph to 50mph on a section of the route once the cameras are in place. Nearly 500 collisions, including three fatal and 34 serious accidents, were recorded on this stretch of road between 2006 and 2008. TfL said half of these incidents were caused by speeding.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, Motor, News
Around 900 jobs will be lost after the motor parts manufacturer Bosch said it is to close its south Wales plant. Management of the German-owned company spent Thursday informing the workforce, following three months of consultation. Plans being considered at the site in Miskin, near Cardiff, had included the option of 300 job cuts or complete closure. The firm said it had now decided to recommend closure to its board, transferring work to Hungary in 2011. In a statement, it said consultations are now being extended until February, as unions and staff attempt to thrash out redundancy terms. source: BBC
Labels: BBC, Motor, News
The biggest ever shake-up to the costs of taking cases through the civil courts is contained in proposals in a report by one of the most senior judges in England and Wales. The civil courts deal with personal injury claims, disputes over goods and services, and landlord and tenant actions, among others. Lord Justice Jackson's Review of Civil Litigation Costs is a result of a recognition that it is simply too expensive for many people and small companies to bring or defend civil cases. His proposals are radical. He has looked at the factors forcing costs up in civil actions, and in particular he has focussed on Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs), more commonly known as "no win, no fee" agreements. They have proved controversial in personal injury and defamation and privacy cases where the winning party can recover, in addition to damages, a hefty lawyer's "success" fee and "After the Event" (ATE) insurance premiums taken out by the claimant to protect against the costs of losing.
He proposes that success fees and ATE insurance premiums should cease to be recoverable from unsuccessful opponents in civil litigation. This will have particular significance for personal injury claims where no win no fee agreements are most common.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, Money, News
Efforts to ration salt supplies will be necessary for councils to cope with continuing cold weather, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has warned. He insisted that "all main transport networks are operational" during "the most prolonged spell of freezing conditions" in the UK since 1981. But shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers accused the government of making "inadequate preparations". Forecasters predict a "slow, erratic climb" out of the freeze. There has been a slight thaw in places but more snow in parts of central England. Roads managers say milder weather could improve safety, amid salt shortages. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News, Travel
A number of schools are to close on Monday as Northern Ireland remains in the grip of severe winter weather. Snow is continuing to affect parts of Northern Ireland on Monday, particularly on higher ground. A thaw has begun in some parts but icy weather in many areas is continuing to make driving treacherous. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News, Travel
People are battling with treacherous conditions after sub-zero temperatures followed days of heavy snow to leave icy roads and pavements across the UK. Thousands of schools remain shut and travel problems continue, while power cuts are affecting thousands of homes. UK-wide severe weather warnings of ice are in place amid freezing temperatures and "nightmare" side road conditions. The mercury fell to -18C overnight in places and temperatures were typically between -8C and 0C at lunchtime. The Arctic conditions are expected to continue for up to a week.
The National Grid has issued its second gas alert in three days, with demand expected to hit a new record of 454 million cubic metres on Thursday. source: BBC News Labels: BBC, News, Travel
In many parts of the UK there are warnings not to drive unless it is absolutely necessary, but if you do have to get in the car, what is the best way to drive in snow? Karlene Pinnock, a BBC Newsbeat reporter, has some top tips from driving instructor Tim about how to make your journey safer. source: BBC Newsbeat Labels: BBC, Good Ideas, Travel
Winter weather is continuing to cause disruption across the UK with road, rail and air travel all affected. Channel Tunnel services remain badly affected and Gatwick airport's runway has been closed for essential "de-icing work" and will reopen when it is safe. Luton airport is currently closed because of snow. Warnings about driving conditions have been issued in Strathclyde, Stirling and Dumfries and Galloway as well as for parts of Northern Ireland. Hundreds of people were also stranded at Manchester Airport overnight after flights were suspended. The airport later reopened. A Met Office severe weather warning is in place for ice in many parts of the UK, where snow freezing on the ground is causing treacherous conditions. In Wales, 180 schools and nurseries had to close, while the M4 was shut after a crash. Heavy snow fell across north-west Scotland and the north of England as well as in north Somerset and south Wales. Forecasters said a band of rain, which could turn to snow, was expected to hit the southern counties of England on Monday afternoon.
The weather had its greatest impact on Channel Tunnel services, where Eurostar cancelled trains to mainland Europe for the third day, while Eurotunnel closed its shuttle car service to new arrivals. Eurostar said it hoped to resume a limited service on Tuesday. source: BBC News Labels: BBC, News, Travel
More drivers are using hand-held mobile phones than before tougher penalties were introduced two years ago, the Transport Research Laboratory has said. It found 2.6% of car drivers used hand-held phones in 2006 - when fines rose to £60 and three points could be added to licences - compared with 2.8% now. Phone-using drivers are four times more likely to crash. The TRL said drivers' "reaction time is likely to be slower". Its study in London involved almost 12,000 cars and taxis and 2,500 vans. The report's authors believe there is no reason to think the picture at the 30 sites studied in London is not the same right across the UK. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Train drivers at Southern Railway are to strike in a row over bank holiday pay, their union has said. Aslef said hundreds of its members at the firm would walk out on 28 December because the firm had refused to pay drivers extra on that day. Southern Railway said they were "extremely disappointed". The union warned of massive disruption to Southern's services which run between London, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Malware has been blamed for a problem with the Windows 7 operating system, dubbed the 'Black Screen of Death'. Some Windows users are confronted by a totally black screen after they log on to their system. Initially it was thought that Microsoft's own security update could have caused the problem but that has now been ruled out. The software firm that suggested the security update was the problem has apologised for its claims. Reports suggest the problem also affects Windows Vista and XP. In a blog posting on its security site, Microsoft said that it had investigated the claims and "found that our November Security Updates are not making changes to the system that these reports say are responsible for these issues".
source: BBC Labels: BBC, News, RIVAL Windows, Technology
India's Tata Group says it is planning to produce hybrid versions of its Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car. Ratan Tata, the chairman of both Tata Group and Tata Motors - the biggest vehicle producer in India - made the comments on a visit to South Korea. A hybrid vehicle typically uses two or more distinct power sources to move it, usually petrol or diesel and a battery. Mr Tata also said that low-priced goods would drive sales faster than high-end ones in India, and he predicted this so-called price revolution would also continue to spread across the world. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Road trains that link vehicles together using wireless sensors could soon be on European roads. An EU-financed research project is looking at inexpensive ways of getting vehicles to travel in a 'platoon' on Europe's motorways. Each road train could include up to eight separate vehicles - cars, buses and trucks will be mixed in each one. The EU hopes to cut fuel consumption, journey times and congestion by linking vehicles together. Early work on the idea suggests that fuel consumption could be cut by 20% among those cars and trucks travelling behind the lead vehicle.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, News, Technology
A £40 fine imposed on a motorist who collided with a train on a level crossing has been criticised by a group representing a railway. Eileen Lawrence, 72, drove onto the crossing in Fairbourne, Gwynedd, colliding with a train moving at 20mph. She later admitted careless driving. No-one was injured in the incident. Members at the Cambrian Coast railway conference in Porthmadog said the low fine issued was sending out the wrong message. Ms Lawrence admitted careless driving and was fined £40 with three penalty points, with £80 costs and £15 victim surcharge by magistrates in Dolgellau in September. source: BBC Wales Labels: BBC, News
A South Korean woman is celebrating after passing the written exam for a driving licence - on her 950th attempt.
After four years of trying, 68-year-old Cha Sa-soon finally managed to secure the 60 out of 100 points needed to pass the test. The grandmother has spent more than 5m won ($4,200, £2,600) on application fees for the test.
Now Mrs Cha, who lives in Jeonju, 130 miles (210km) south of Seoul, must pass the practical test to get on the road.
source: BBC News Labels: BBC, News
General Motors (GM) has cancelled plans to sell a majority stake in its European car business Opel, including its UK brand Vauxhall. The US giant said in a statement that its board had made the decision because of "an improving business environment for GM over the past few months". GM had agreed to sell Opel and Vauxhall to Canadian car parts firm Magna. It said it would now be seeking aid for Opel from the German government and other European states. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Toyota has confirmed that it is pulling out of Formula 1 racing after posting its worst ever financial loss. The world's largest car manufacturer is leaving the sport to concentrate on its core business and to cut costs. Toyota president Akio Toyoda said the Japanese team had no option but to pull out citing "the current severe economic realities" affecting the world. Toyota did not win a race after making its F1 debut in 2002 but was fifth in the 2009 constructors' championship. The company revealed its worst set of figures for the financial year to March 2009, and is expecting further losses to continue when it posts its results to September 2009 on Thursday. Toyota's withdrawal leaves the sport with no Japanese team after Honda left F1 at the start of the 2009 season. Honda was replaced by Brawn, who went on to win this year's drivers' championship with Jenson Button and the constructors' championship.
source: BBC Sport Labels: BBC, News, RIVAL F1
Watch the last race of the 2009 F1 season from Abu Dhabi in just 90 seconds on the BBC Sport website. source: BBC Sport and is available to UK users only Labels: BBC, RIVAL F1
Oil giant BP has reported third-quarter profits well ahead of expectations, sending its share price up nearly 4%. Its replacement cost profit between July and September was $4.98bn (£3bn). Experts said the figure had "obliterated" market forecasts. BP's results were boosted after it made bigger-than-expected cost cuts. source: BBC News Labels: BBC, Money, News
Barclays has announced that it is buying Standard Life Bank, the offshoot of Edinburgh-based life insurance company Standard Life, for £226m. Barclays is one of the biggest banks in the world, with millions of customers, whereas Standard Life Bank is a relative minnow. It has just 287,000 savings accounts and 78,000 mortgage accounts. Standard Life Bank has been operating only since 1998, and the insurer said the sale was in its best interests.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, Insurance, Money, News
Talks between Royal Mail and union leaders aimed at ending the row over pay, conditions and modernisation have ended for the day without agreement. The sides will reconvene on Tuesday but if no deal is reached, postal workers are planning three more walkouts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
The nationwide postal workers' strikes have delayed about 30 million letters, some 40% of a typical day's post, Royal Mail has said.
A second day of strikes is under way, with delivery and collection workers walking out, following Thursday's 24-hour strike by mail centre staff. Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are protesting about pay, conditions and modernisation. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Jean Todt will succeed Max Mosley as the new head of motorsport's world governing body, the FIA, after winning the presidential election in Paris. The former Ferrari team boss claimed 135 votes compared to 49 cast for his rival Ari Vatanen with 12 abstentions. Todt, 63, was the favourite to win the vote after being backed by Mosley, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. The vote brings an end to Mosley's controversial 16-year reign. "Jean Todt has been elected president of the FIA for a four-year term by the FIA General Assembly at its annual meeting in Paris," an FIA statement said. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News, RIVAL F1
The prime minister has called on Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) to "get round the table" to bring an end to industrial action. "This strike will be self-defeating if all it means is that less people use the Royal Mail," Gordon Brown said.
He was speaking after the start of the first nationwide postal strike in two years, which began at 0400 BST. Meanwhile, the BBC has learned that three strike days will be announced for next week. The CWU declined to comment. The CWU has said it may make an announcement on further developments later, but had previously said that it would be announcing plans for further strike action.
The news came as about 42,000 mail centre staff and drivers staged a 24-hour strike. On Friday, about 78,000 delivery and collection workers are expected to walk out. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Microsoft is hoping that its newly-launched operating system will be one that "doesn't let you down". Early sales figures indicate that consumers do not feel let down at all. More than 500 people queued outside PC World in central London to be the first to get a copy when the store opened at midnight on October 21. A spokesperson for the store said Windows 7 packages were selling at a rate of three per minute between midnight and 0100BST.
"Across the group, within the first hour of trading this morning we were up 180% on sales," said Anina Castle from DSGi group - an electrical retailer which includes Dixons, Currys and PC World. The figure was set against a standard day of Vista sales.
For the full story from the BBC click here... source: BBC Labels: BBC, News, Technology
A 24-year-old man has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after admitting his part in a £1.6m "crash for cash" conspiracy in Greater Manchester.
Mohammed Patel deliberately caused at least 93 car crashes in three years, each costing insurers about £17,000. Patel, of Nottingham Drive, Bolton, admitted a number of charges at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
He charged £500 a time to stage accidents, which enabled car owners to claim for bogus damages from insurers. Patel forced a number of low speed crashes by braking suddenly, often at roundabouts, so the driver behind would crash into the back of him. Claimants - who owned the cars Patel was driving - demanded compensation for personal injury, courtesy cars and legal fees at the expense of the other party's insurers. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Insurance, News
Jenson Button sealed the drivers' championship with a sublime recovery drive at a dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix won by Red Bull's Mark Webber. Brawn's English driver started from 14th but executed a series of spectacular early overtaking moves before finishing the race fifth. He was already set to clinch the crown when a late puncture dropped main title threat Rubens Barrichello to eighth. Brawn still took the constructors' championship in their debut season. Barrichello, who badly wanted to win on a circuit he was born in the shadow of, was running third before his unlucky puncture smoothed team-mate Button's path to the title he seemed destined for since his explosive start to the season. BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica was second ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton while six drivers retired at Interlagos. Red Bull's German Sebastian Vettel, who started just behind Button, finished fourth while Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi was a season-best seventh. Button's maiden world title overshadowed the grand prix, but the race certainly delivered a fitting scene for a deserved success. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Red Bull Racing, RIVAL F1
The union representing Royal Mail workers says national postal strikes could begin on Thursday 22 October. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) urged Royal Mail to agree to a "peace plan", but said if this failed, they would have "no option" but to strike. Royal Mail said it was "very disappointed" with the move and argued the union was tabling "fresh demands" rather than proposing an agreement.
For the full story from the BBC click here... source: BBC
Labels: BBC, News
The number of new cars registered in Northern Ireland in September rose by almost 20% compared to the same month last year. However, the overall number of cars registered so far this year is still down on the number sold in the first nine months of last year. The most popular model registered in NI last month was the Ford Fiesta. Three hundred and ninety two vehicles were registered, 30% more than the next most popular model, the Nissan Qashqai.
For the full story from the BBC click here...
source: BBCLabels: BBC, News
One of the big issues for ambitious small firms looking to grow is how to attract new customers.
You know you have a great product, or offer a good service, but how do you best make yourself known to would-be buyers? On the BBC website Ganesh Selvarajah, an advisor at Business Link, the government-funded business support service, looks at how to best target your advertising or marketing spend. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Good Ideas, Money, News
Jaguar Land Rover has secured further funding worth £175m in the form of a loan from the State Bank of India, the carmaker has said. The firm is struggling against falling sales during the downturn and has been looking at a number of refinancing packages in recent months. The UK government had offered support but the Indian owner of Jaguar, Tata, said the terms were too "onerous". The carmaker has now secured £500m of new funding this year. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Sales of new cars rose 11.4% in September compared with the same month last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The new "59" registration plates were available from 1 September and 367,929 of them were sold in the month. The SMMT said that conditions remained "challenging" but the market was being supported by the scrappage scheme.
Last week, the government announced it was extending the trade-in scheme from £300m to £400m. "The extension of the scheme will help to sustain demand through the latter part of this year and into 2010," said Paul Everitt, chief executive of the SMMT.
For the full story from BBC News click here...
source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) convincingly won the Japanese Grand Prix to keep his slim title hopes alive but championship leader Jenson Button (Brawn GP) stayed in control.
Button pounced on an early tangle up ahead to finish in eighth, although a late safety car denied his Brawn team being crowned constructors' champions.
Jenson Button now leads the title race from team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who came seventh in Japan, by 14 points.
For the full story from the BBC click here...
source: BBC Labels: BBC, Red Bull Racing, RIVAL F1
The UK's car scrappage scheme is to be extended, Lord Mandelson has announced.
He said the scheme, which started in May and gives consumers £2,000 off a new car if they trade in one at least 10 years old, was running out of money.
The business secretary broke the news, called for by the car industry, in his speech to the Labour Party conference.
He said "we cannot do everything but that does not mean doing nothing" and said the scheme would be extended to cover 100,000 more cars and vans. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Good Ideas, Money, News
The rate of contraction of the UK economy in the three months from April to June has been reduced again. Gross domestic product (GDP) has been revised to a fall of 0.6% compared with the last quarter, up from the previous estimate of 0.7%. The figures were revised upwards last month, from a 0.8% decline, according to the Office for National Statistics.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Brawn's Jenson Button declares himself "very happy" after giving himself the chance to win the 2009 drivers' championship in Japan next Sunday with fifth at the Singapore GP. source: BBC Labels: BBC, RIVAL F1
Social networking website Twitter has confirmed that it has closed a "significant round of funding". Co-founder Evan Williams said in a blog post that the site had secured money from five investment firms. Industry watchers have pointed out that the firm still has no way of making money. However, earlier this month the site revised its terms and conditions to allow advertising on its service.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, Money, News, Technology
The number of new cars made in the UK fell 31.5% in August from the same month a year earlier, industry figures have shown. But the number of cars built for the UK market reached a near five-year high as the car scrappage scheme boosted sales. The SMMT called for the scheme, which was introduced in May, to be extended, saying recovery was still fragile. The drop in production was bigger than the 17.9% fall seen in July, but many car plants have extended shutdowns in August.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Parts of England with the largest number of uninsured drivers have been revealed in new research. The worst offenders were in Greater London, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, with 13%, 12% and 10% of vehicles uninsured, the research found. The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), which compensates people in accidents with uninsured drivers, estimates over 1.7m people drove without cover in 2008. Philip Gomm, of the RAC Foundation, said the situation seemed to be out of hand and had been for a long time. "That might be linked to economic factors. We know that during a downturn a lot of people are finding financial pressure, they are suffering financial hardship and they think that some of their motoring costs are those that they can drive down, but insurance is not an option. You have to have it if you take a vehicle on to the road" he said. Meanwhile, research carried out by moneysupermarket.com found that 62% of the 1,800 people questioned think motorists caught driving without insurance should face heftier penalties. For the full story from the BBC click here...
source: BBC
Labels: BBC, Insurance, News
Jaguar Land Rover has said it will close one of its West Midlands plants by the middle of the next decade.
The firm is considering the closure of either its Castle Bromwich plant in Birmingham or its factory in Solihull.
About 800 new jobs will be created at its Halewood plant on Merseyside, which will start building a new Range Rover.
The company, which is owned by Indian giant Tata, said there would be no net job losses, but unions said they would oppose the plans.
"We are now in a meeting with the company to hear details of their plans," said Bert Hill, regional officer at the GMB union. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Russia's largest carmaker, Avtovaz, is to cut up to 27,600 jobs as it tries to cope with the global slump in demand.
The job cuts are more than a quarter of the 102,000-strong workforce at Avtovaz, which makes Lada cars.
Reports had suggested that 36,000 job losses were considered, but the company said that it managed to "significantly lower the initial figure".
Russia had the fastest growing car market in Europe until the financial crisis hit demand. Of the workers being eliminated, Avtovaz said 13,000 employees would retire with pensions while another 5,500 would be forced to take early retirement.
The remaining 9,100 employees would leave the firm, but Avtovaz said 6,000 of those would have the option to work at the carmaker again in 2012. source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
Lotus are to return to Formula 1 next season for the first time since 1994.
They have been awarded the final grid spot and join Campos GP, Manor and US F1 as one of four new teams for 2010. source: BBC Labels: BBC, RIVAL F1
Rubens Barrichello headed Jenson Button for a Brawn one-two in a tense Italian Grand Prix as the Englishman scored his first podium finish in six races. Button has had his championship lead cut by two points to 14 from second-placed Barrichello, while Vettel sits 12 points behind the Brazilian with Webber 2.5 points behind his team-mate in fourth. source: BBC Labels: BBC, Red Bull Racing, RIVAL F1
Lord Mandelson has called for the businessmen who ran MG Rover prior to its 2005 collapse to apologise for taking so much money out of the firm. A report found the men pocketed an "unreasonable" £42m in pay and perks. The Phoenix Four blame Labour for Rover's collapse but Lord Mandelson said ministers had been "faultless".
For the full story on the BBC website click here... source: BBC
Labels: BBC, News
Samoa has become the first country since the 1970's to change the side of the road on which cars are driven. At 0600 local time (1700 GMT) yesterday, sirens sounded and drivers were told to move from the right side to the left. Police said that no accidents had been reported in the first hours after the switch in the island nation despite predictions of chaos from critics.
For the full story on the BBC website click here... source: BBC
Labels: BBC, News
Vodafone and O2 have both tabled bids of about £3.5bn to buy T-Mobile from owner Deutsche Telecom, the Sunday Times has reported.
The report says a decision was likely to be made within weeks. Vodafone and O2, which is owned by Spain's Telefonica, declined to comment on the report.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, News, Technology
Two new models of the Mini are to be built at BMW's plant in Oxfordshire creating up to 1,000 jobs, sources suggest. Two concept cars, one a coupe, will be unveiled on 15 September 2009 and will be produced at the company's factory in Cowley, near Oxford.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
A two pence rise in fuel duty has come into effect, the third such increase in nine months.
Stephen Glaister, director of road users' pressure group RAC Foundation, told the BBC the government's latest rise "will hit everybody hard".
When VAT is included, the increase will actually total 2.3p. The average price of petrol across the UK is about 105p per litre.
The government says the extra duty is needed to help fund public investment.
source: BBC Labels: BBC, News
After finishing second at Spa to score Force India's first points in F1, Giancarlo Fisichella says he was faster than Kimi Raikkonen but couldn't overtake the Kers-powered Ferrari. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel finishing third, says he was happy with his race pace but starting eighth on the grid hampered his chance of winning, while team-mate Mark Webber feels picking up a drive-through penalty for an 'unsafe release' from his pit stop "wrecked his race". Labels: BBC, Red Bull Racing, RIVAL F1
Motorists setting off on breaks over the bank holiday weekend have suffered congestion and delays following a series of incidents on major roads.
The M5 near Bristol had 20-mile tailbacks, while the M25 in Surrey and the M58 in Lancashire were also hit.
The AA predicted congestion would be up by a third compared with a normal weekend, with 14m drivers expected on the roads.
Labels: BBC, News
Brawn's Rubens Barrichello beat McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to win the European Grand Prix after the world champion suffered a pit-lane mix-up. Red Bull's Mark Webber slipped to third in the championship 20.5 points behind Button, after finishing only ninth. His team-mate Sebastian Vettel, lying fourth, failed to finish following an engine failure. “A bitterly disappointing day. A fuel rig failure on Sebastian’s car, followed by an engine failure, which is the second of the weekend, was costly. Unfortunately with Mark, we just weren’t quick enough today. He held Jenson behind him for a long time, but Jenson was too quick and jumped us with a very quick out-lap,unfortunately Mark was not quick enough to hold him behind.” said Christian Horner, Team Principal.
Visit the BBC Sport pages for the full story...
Labels: BBC, Red Bull Racing, RIVAL F1
A complete overhaul of the way in which people navigate the internet has been given the go-ahead in Paris.
The net's regulator, Icann, voted unanimously to relax the strict rules on so-called "top-level" domain names, such as .com or .uk. The decision means that companies could turn brands into web addresses, while individuals could use their names.
A second proposal, to introduce domain names written in Asian, Arabic or other scripts, was also approved.
Labels: BBC, Good Ideas, Technology
Almost 155,000 new cars have been ordered through the government's scrappage scheme since it was launched in May, official figures show. This means that more than half of the money set aside to fund the scheme has been spent. Almost one-fifth of the orders were made in the South East of England.
Analysts say the scheme contributed to the rise in UK car sales in July, which was the first increase in monthly sales since April last year. Announcing the news, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said the scheme was "a great deal for manufacturers and dealers, not to mention customers" and added "it had contributed to a 13.5% jump in car manufacturing."
UK car sales rose 2.4%, to 157,149, in July compared with the same month last year, the latest industry figures showed last week, but sales so far this year are still down 22.8% on the same period last year.
See the full story on the BBC website...Labels: BBC, News
Felipe Massa hopes to recover quickly from the serious injuries he suffered in a qualifying crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix so he can return to racing.
"We'll see how long this will take - but I hope it will be very quick." While the Ferrari driver was expressing his determination and desire to get back to racing following the serious accident, he has also stressed that he will not return too soon.
Visit the BBC Sport pages for the full story...Labels: BBC, RIVAL F1
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