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Before we venture into the important stuff I just want to bask in the glory of my glorious headline, effortlessly summarising the news that Salesforce have acquired the company Jigsaw for a $142 million price tag. Other titles considered included 'Salesforce completes the jigsaw (acquisition)' and 'Saleforce find missing piece of the puzzle'... I thank you. Moving on from my pun related arrogance, yes, this is the news that the contact data provided by Jigsaw will now form part of Salesforce's ever increasing functionality. It is sure to be a popular acquisition with users, although sadly you no longer get paid for uploading contact details :( Spoil sports.Whilst it is certain to add another string to Saleforce's bow, as I've preached on here for a long while now, although the contact is useful, it is ultimately the reason for contact that helps along the sales process. Having a gem of insight that can be used as a reason for your call is what gets the attention. Knowing a number is one thing, bringing relevance to a call is another.
The Artesian Blog takes a look at the business headlines:BA set to face protesters at AGM - British Airways is to face protests by angry workers at its AGM, amid cost reduction plans including pay cuts.A Unite union letter to shareholders says the planned changes are "misguided" saying BA does not offer "cheap labour on short term contracts". (full story)Spending cuts on search ads to rise - Cuts in spending on search engine advertising are accelerating even as the rate of decline in overall marketing outlay slows, according to a report by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.The IPA’s Bellwether report for the second quarter of this year found that the scale of cuts in UK marketing budgets had eased for the second consecutive three-month period. But the survey of marketing executives, released on Monday, showed that budgets were still being severely cut, with marketing spending expected to hit a 15-year low in 2009. (full story)
Facebook gets $6.5 billion valuation with share sale - Facebook netted a $6.5 billion valuation for its common shares on Monday, further underscoring the fast-growing Internet social networking site's high rank among technology and media industry heavyweights.Russia's Digital Sky Technologies said it will pay $14.77 a share for Facebook common stock, boosting its stake to as much as 3.5 percent and valuing Facebook at about $6.5 billion. (full story)Canterbury sports calls in administrators - Canterbury, best known for its rugby shirts, has placed its European arm into administration with the loss of 72 jobs in the UK.Canterbury Europe, based in Stockport, sponsored rugby union and rugby league teams in including the Scottish national team, Leinster, Cardiff and London Wasps. It also sponsored Portsmouth Football Club, Lille and Yorkshire and Hampshire cricket clubs after expanding into others sports. (full story)
Microsoft in free software assault on Google - Microsoft on Monday escalated its battle with arch rival Google, reacting to an assault on one of its core businesses with the announcement of a free online version of its widely used Office software, to be launched next year.While likely to take only a small bite out of Office revenues in the short term, the move represents one of the most radical steps yet by Microsoft as it tries to refocus its software business around the internet, according to analysts. (full story)
The Artesian Blog takes a look at the morning headlines:Jaguar poised to shut for the summer - EXECUTIVES at Jaguar Land Rover, the Midlands carmaker, are drawing up plans for an extended shutdown of its UK plants and a new round of staff layoffs as it struggles to cope with the slump in the world car market.Preparation for the closures comes just days after the company released its new flagship, the latest version of the Jaguar XJ beloved by prime ministers and top British executives. (full story)Energy policy 'too wind focused' - The UK must invest more in nuclear and clean coal energy and put less emphasis on wind power if it wants a secure low-carbon future, business leaders say.The CBI says government energy policy is "disjointed" and it is urging a "more balanced" energy mix. (full story)
Monkey Moves Robot Using Mind Control - A monkey fitted with a hi-tech brain chip has learned to move a complex robotic arm using mind control.The animal can operate the robot with such dexterity that it can reach out to grab, and turn a handle. (full story)Swine flu reaches Downing Street - Swine flu has reached Downing Street, infecting Michael Jacobs, a senior adviser to Gordon Brown. Mr Jacobs, the Prime Minister's adviser on climate change, is thought to have contracted the disease during a visit to Mexico last month. (full story)
Kim Jong-il 'has life-threatening cancer' - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has life-threatening pancreatic cancer, South Korean broadcaster YTN said today, citing information gathered from Chinese and South Korean intelligence sources. (full story)
Won't stop till you've had enoughNow before the hate mail starts flooding in I would just like to state I am a Michael Jackson fan. Like many, I have spent many an evening nursing torn muscles after trying to impress with the famous moon walk and discovering rather quickly, that it does in fact take quite a lot of talent. His songs are timeless and as radio DJ's are currently proving, will continue filling airwaves for as long as airwaves can be filled. But I have to admit, I can't quite believe just how much his death appears to have affected the global community. The news was simply unavoidable. I was researching on an Insurance website and the top three stories related to Michael Jackson. To check this wasn't just coincidence I tried a variety of other sector specific websites to discover that, sure enough, Michael Jackson also had links to sport, travel and personal loans.The most interesting thing in my opinion was watching the news spread. My Facebook page was filled with status changes, without exception, talking about the tragic news. Twitter was so busy it continually crashed and Google thought it was genuinely under attack! This online bombardment is becoming increasingly frequent. The coverage of the recent troubles in Iran showed that news networks are actually using social media as a source for content, rather than the other way round, which is quite an odd concept when you think about it. Headlines now spread incredibly fast, and the morning papers are being forced to play catch up rather than story breaker. If you want to keep on the pulse, online is the place to be.
Go to www.artesiansolutions.com for more info.
The Artesian Blog takes a look at the morning headlines:DPP Keir Starmer orders review of phone-tapping investigation files - Prosecutors began an urgent review yesterday of case files relating to the tapping of telephones belonging to prominent politicians, sportsmen and celebrities.Keir Starmer, QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, ordered a renewed examination of the successful case against a News of the World journalist and a private investigator. (full story)Academics denounce maths A-level - Dozens of university academics have put their names to calls for a new maths A-level in England to be scrapped.Educators for Reform, a think tank offshoot, say "use of mathematics" is not of A-level standard. (full story)
AOL reviewing assets, but will likely keep Bebo - AOL, which is in the process of being spun off from Time Warner Inc, is reviewing assets it could sell or divest, but will likely keep its social networking site Bebo, CEO Tim Armstrong said.Armstrong told Reuters on Thursday that Bebo still has "great value" and that it will be moved to a Ventures unit of the online company so that work can be done to improve the site. (full story)Secret to a longer life lies on Easter Island - A drug originating on Easter Island, the mysterious South Pacific home of a lost statue-building people, may become the first substance to slow down human ageing, new research indicates.Rapamycin, a pharmacological product used to prevent rejection in organ transplants, has been found to extend the lifespan of mice by up to 38 per cent, raising the possibility that it may delay ageing in people. (full story)Asda slashes petrol AND diesel to 99.9p saying 'no justification for fuel over £1' - Supermarket chain Asda has sparked a pump-price war when it slashed its fuel prices to 99.9p per litre - with more cuts expected to follow.The retailer said there was 'little justification' to charge more than the £1 widely seen at the pumps at present. It is the first time petrol has cost less than £1 since the start of June, saving drivers about £2 to fill up a typical family car, and £2.50 for motorists with diesel vehicles.(full story)
The Artesian Blog takes a look at the morning headlines:
Summer of chaos feared as British Airways workers vote against job plans - British Airways passengers could have their summer holidays disrupted by industrial action after the airline’s plans to cut thousands of jobs, freeze pay and make other savings were rejected by workers. A strike by BA staff would cause chaos for hundreds of thousands of families planning to fly abroad during the school holidays, and the possibility of disruption moved a significant step closer yesterday after 2,000 cabin crew voted almost unanimously to reject the airline’s cost-cutting proposals. (full story)
National Express's east coast line is 'an accident waiting to happen' - A junior transport minister has warned of fears among National Express staff that a "major accident is just around the corner" on the east coast mainline, partly because of the pressure of staff cuts.The minister, the Gillingham MP Paul Clark, spelt out a series of concerns to National Express in a letter following a meeting with an employee of the company who lives in his constituency. (full story)
Sony to enter netbook PC market with new Vaio - Sony Corp said on Tuesday it plans to launch a new Vaio laptop that will sell for around 60,000 yen ($629) in Japan in August, making its entry into the fast-growing netbook market.Netbook PCs are smaller and cheaper than traditional notebook computers and optimized for simpler computing tasks such as Web browsing and email. (full story)
BBC to cut programme budget to fill £2bn black hole in pension fund - The BBC will be forced to cut millions of pounds from its programme budgets to plug an estimated £2 billion black hole in its pensions scheme.The public broadcaster has warned its pension scheme members that in April last year the fund was £470 million in the red. (full story)1,000 Danger Men on Loose - NEARLY 1,000 convicted criminals including murderers and rapists are roaming free, despite breaching terms of early release from jail.Ministry of Justice figures revealed yesterday that 954 offenders recalled to prison before March this year had not surrendered to custody by the end of last month. (full story)
"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail"In times of crisis people, at the very least, want to be reassured by confident, focused leadership. Like troops heading into a battle the spirit is always stronger when led by a commanding general who convinces of victory. But to me, it seems like our government can not even talk the talk and it can only be down to poor preparation.I've sat and watched time and time again as Gordon Brown delivers a speech which he appears to be making up on the spot, like a ten year old child who hasn't done his homework before a class presentation. Whilst some factors are simply beyond his control:
his speeches are a chance to really lay down his intentions and you have to wonder just how often he is left really winging it. If you spent sufficient time preparing to address the nation would you ever come out with these corkers: 1. "I did maths for a year at university. I don't think I was very good at it. And some people would say it shows."2. "We spend more on cows than the poor."3. "Each year India and China produce four million graduates compared with just over 250,000 in Britain."4. "Our financial discipline has made extra resources available."5. "I take full responsibility for what happened. That's why the person who was responsible went immediately."These lines come from someone who is under prepared, unclear and not on the ball. The only way to avoid these kind of blunders is to be completely up to speed with everything that can be thrown at you... Oh, and not picking your nose in prime view helps to. (view video of the famous Gordon Brown nose pick). Of course everyone makes mistakes, but they can be limited. "By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail."To keep up to date in your sector visit www.artesiansolutions.com
The Artesian blog takes a look at the morning headlines:Yemen jet crashes in Indian Ocean
- A Yemeni airliner with 153 people on board has crashed in the Indian Ocean near the Comoros archipelago.Some bodies have been spotted, a Yemeni aviation official said, and wreckage of the plane located. It is not clear whether there were survivors. (full story)Queen will run out of money in Diamond Jubilee year without more funds - The Queen will run out funds by 2012 in her Diamond Jubilee year unless the government increases the Civil List for the first time in 20 years. The total cost of keeping the monarchy increased by £1.5 million to £41.5 million during the last financial year, up three pence per persona year, to 69 pence. (full story)
Giant ladybird could threaten 1,000 British species - A giant ladybird is threatening to wipe out more than 1,000 native insect and plant species in Britain, scientists have warned. The harlequin ladybird, originally from Asia, was first spotted in the South East in 2004 after being blown across the Channel. (full story)Schools accused of wasting £1bn every year - Billions of pounds pumped into schools by Labour have remained unspent or been wasted on expensive contracts, according to the spending watchdog which accuses ministers of failing to hold headteachers to account for their expenditure.The Audit Commission report, published tomorrow, concludes schools are wasting nearly £1bn of public money every year by "hoarding" it in bank accounts and failing to shop around for the best deals on meals, equipment and cleaning. (full story)
Obama junks ‘global war on terror’ label - The Obama administration has junked the term “global war on terror” because it does not describe properly the nature of the terrorist threat to the US, according to Janet Napolitano, secretary for homeland security.“One of the reasons the nomenclature is not used is that ‘war’ carries with it a relationship to nation states in conflict with each other and of course terrorism is not necessarily derived from the nation state relationship,” she told the Financial Times. “In some respects ‘war’ is too limiting.” (full story)
"I'll be hacked"As someone who studied the Cold War era, it's been fascinating reading the developments of the new 'cyber war' facing the British government. An article last week made close parallels between the two circumstances and the sheer pettiness of current events seems to match up with previous antics rather nicely (recently British officials asked politely if China and Russia wouldn't mind cutting out the 'coordinated cyber attacks' if at all possible... I'm sure the request was noted.)Whilst online security has always been a talking point, a virtual Cold War is hard to imagine but you can see how some things could play out. Take the Cuban Missile Crisis for example:- Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev adds Fidel Castro as an associate on Linkedin and the pair exchange business cards.- After talking on Skype they decide they can rather help each other out with a strategic placement of Nuclear weapons. Khrushchev pays for some Cuban land via paypal to speed up the transaction and get moving.- Khrushchev changes his Facebook status to 'Nikita is constructing nuclear weapons in Cuba' and top friend Fiedel Castro indicates that he 'likes this'.- American President John F. Kennedy checks Google maps to see that, surely enough, ground work is being laid down for such a plan. He asks Jeeves what to do but with no luck decides to Twitter his naval defences and get them to form a blockade around Cuba.- A war seems imminent until Khrushchev sends Kennedy an e-card apologising for his actions before setting up a direct messenger account with the American Chief to stop any future misunderstandings. A few days later the pair post pictures on Flickr highlighting their new found friendship and Castro is forced to sell the construction leftovers on Ebay.Whilst this may not necessarily be how things progress this time around, it will indeed be absorbing to see how things transpire. What's certain, is that the battle to reign the online field is further proof of just how important a weapon the Internet really is.To keep track online visit www.artesiansolutions.com
The Artesian Blog takes a look at the morning headlines:Detained British Embassy Staff In Iran Freed - Five out of nine detained local staff at the British embassy in Tehran have reportedly been released.Iranian media said on Sunday that several were being held for their alleged involvement in mass street protests. (full story)Skier saved from death plunge by Blackberry - A skier who slipped into a crevasse in the Swiss Alps was saved from falling 700ft to his death by his Blackberry mobile phone. David Fitzherbert's half-inch wide handset in his breast pocket caused him to get wedged in a crack of ice, stopping him from falling further. (full story)Vodafone eyes T-Mobile UK bid - Vodafone is considering an offer to buy T-Mobile UK in an audacious move that would have huge repercussions for the British mobile phone market.The world’s largest mobile operator by revenue is looking at the case for acquiring T-Mobile UK, which has an estimated enterprise value of €3bn-€4bn ($4.2bn-$5.6bn) – even though any transaction runs the risk of being blocked by regulators. (full story)
Prosecutors press for action against BNP leaflets - Senior prosecutors are calling for the laws on race hate crimes to be strengthened to counter the threat posed by the British National party.The threshold for securing a conviction is so high that far-right activists are able to evade prosecution for material that many people would consider to be threatening and racist, according to sources at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). (full story)Mix-up at Royal Mint creates dateless 20p pieces worth £50 - A technical error at the Royal Mint led to up to 200,000 coins entering circulation without a date for what is thought to be the first time in more than 300 years. The new 20 pence pieces are now considered to be collectors' items, with one dealer offering £50 a coin to anyone who finds one among their spare change. (full story)
The Artesian Blog takes a look at the morning headlines:Michael Jackson, King of Pop, dies in hospital aged 50 - Michael Jackson, singer, songwriter, performer and perhaps the most famous pop star of modern times, died last night less than a fortnight before he was due to start a record-breaking 50-concert tour in Britain.Jackson was rushed to hospital in Los Angeles from his home in the Bel Air district while paramedics tried to restart his heart after a suspected cardiac arrest. (full story)
Hackers recruited to fight new cold war - Britain is to build new defences against a "cyber cold war" being launched from China and Russia amid fears that hackers could gain the technology to shut down the computer systems that control Britain's power stations, water companies, air traffic, government and financial markets. (full story)Solar plane to make public debut - Swiss adventurer Bertrand Picard is set to unveil a prototype of the solar-powered plane he hopes eventually to fly around the world.The initial version, spanning 61m but weighing just 1,500kg, will undergo trials to prove it can fly at night. (full story)Auto-ban: German town goes car-free - Vauban hopes to forge a model community without that great staple of modern life – the car. Now the sound of birdsong has replaced the roar of traffic and children can play in the street (full story)Hundreds Of BA Staff To Work For Nothing - British Airways says 7,000 of its staff have opted to take pay cuts while 800 will work for nothing.The company had asked its 40,000 workforce this month to work for free for one month of the year as part of a cost-cutting measure. (full story)Want more information on business news for your sector? GO
Taking advantage of what's there Whilst researching on a project earlier this week I couldn't help but laugh when I stumbled upon a website devoted to 'breaking sugar news'. Further more, once my mind had long since drifted from the task at hand, I found myself typing 'sugar news' into Google which happily provided a whole host of other competing sugar sites hoping to quench my sugar update thirst.In fact, with some further investigation I discovered that you can also get regular headlines about Salt, Pepper, Vinegar and for the complete table set, ketchup... Ketchup news! (with top story 'ex-schools trustee gets probation in Ketchup Theft'...shocking stuff I'm sure you'll agree.)Now joking aside here this really did hit home just how big a source (no pun intended, honestly I swear) the Internet really is. Because, when you think about it, there are probably thousands of businesses who need to keep track of sugar updates every single day and with I dare say, probably not too many other ways of doing it successfully. Bear in mind that this was one simple search, which basically means it's the tip of an enormous iceberg of sugar information which would probably swamp anyone trying to digest it.So the question is, if you're a business not exploiting the Internet to gain intelligence, why not? Research by Experian this week once again points to the fact that more and more consumers are heading online adding to last week's report indicating an increase in online business ventures. All of this will simply mean more web activity available to track, no matter what you've a sweet tooth for. (find out more here)
The Artesian blog takes a look at the morning headlines:
Credit crunch takes toll on super-rich - The ranks of the world’s super-rich have been shredded by the credit crunch, undermining the theory that the wealthy are better at holding on to their money.The global population of “ultra high net worth individuals” – defined as those with at least $30m (€22m) to invest – shrank by nearly 25 per cent in 2008 to 78,000, according to the latest World Wealth Report produced by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini. The collective net wealth of these super-rich slumped by 24 per cent after a year of bank crises, government bail-outs and stock market routs. (full story)BBC fails to account for hidden expenses - The BBC is poised to provoke a fresh row over expenses by refusing to disclose how much its executives spend on entertainment for their stars.Days after MPs caused public outrage by blacking out details of their expenses, the BBC is refusing to reveal how much is spent on hospitality and gifts for its best-paid celebrities. (full story)
Woolworths reborn online - Woolworths, the 100-year-old sweets-to-DVD retailer that collapsed earlier this year, will on Thursday be revived as an online business by the country's biggest home shopping retailer, Shop Direct, which bought the brand name in February.Woolworths.co.uk will feature a main shop selling children's toys and clothing, an entertainment store, which sells video games, DVDs and CDs, as well as a party goods outlet selling fancy dress costumes, games and the iconic "pic n'mix" sweets, now known as "click n' mix." (full story)Salads 'rival Big Macs for fat' - Pre-packed salads are often not the healthier option, with some supermarket items higher in calories and fat than a Big Mac and fries, a report warns.Researchers from Which? magazine looked at 20 salads from the major outlets and found many contained a large proportion of the recommended daily intake of fat. (full story)
Does Saturn moon hide watery caverns - and life? - Saturn's icy moon Enceladus could contain watery underground caverns, forming a potential home for alien life, say scientists.German researchers have found salt - a signature chemical for seawater - in ice grains from vapour jets streaming out of surface cracks, providing the strongest evidence yet of a liquid water reservoir beneath the moon's frozen crust. (full story)
Rural areas need fast broadband - Action needs to be taken to ensure that those living in rural areas of the UK are not left in the broadband slow lane, a report has warned.The report, from the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC), makes a series of recommendations to ensure that rural homes can keep pace with urban areas. (full story)
Barack Obama strikes out as Tehran tightens its 'iron fist' - President Obama condemned Iran’s “iron fist” last night after the regime flooded Tehran with armed security to quash street demonstrations.In his strongest language yet on the post-election crackdown, Mr Obama said that America had been “appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings and imprisonments” of recent days. (full story)Terrified tourists boycott Thomas Cook flight home after being told to sit at back 'to help balance the jet' - When holidaymakers were asked to sit at the back of the plane to balance heavy luggage in the front of the hold, many thought it was a bad joke.But it was a serious request. One of the doors to the hold was jammed, meaning bags could be loaded only at one end, making the plane nose-heavy. (full story)Police chiefs plan cybercrime squads - Police forces plan to set up regional “cybercrime” squads similar to those that deal with anti-terror operations, as senior officers seek to counter criticism they are not doing enough to combat the 3m annual cases of online crime.The plans – “actively pursued” by the Association of Chief Police Officers – emphasise fears the police are being left behind by sophisticated gangs of online criminals with access to the latest technology and large sums of money. UK figures on cybercrime are patchy, but officials estimate online fraud is worth more than £50bn a year worldwide. (full story)
Iran football players 'banned' after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad protest - The Iranian football players who wore green wristbands to protest against the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have reportedly been banned from the team for life. A pro-government newspaper reported they had been "retired" from the national team after several members wore green tape on their wrists in a World Cup qualifier against South Korea in Seoul. (full story)
Military ships 'detect signal' from Air France Airbus black boxes - French military ships have reportedly detected signals from the black boxes of the doomed Air France flight which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean last month.The French newspaper Le Monde this morning reported that a research mini-submarine, the Nautile, had dived to search for the flight recorders based on a "very weak signal". (full story)John Bercow elected new Commons Speaker - John Bercow, the Conservative MP who was backed by many Labour Cabinet ministers but enjoys limited popularity within his own party, has been elected Speaker.Mr Bercow won a third-round run-off with fellow Tory backbencher Sir George Young after early favourite Margaret Beckett withdrew following the second round. (full story)
Iran's Revolutionary Guards threaten crackdown - TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian police broke up a protest in Tehran and the hardline Revolutionary Guards said they would help crush what they called rioters opposing the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to report, film or take pictures in Tehran. (full story)US train crash toll rises to nine - At least nine people have been killed and 70 injured during a subway train collision in Washington DC.Carriages of one train came to rest on top of the other after the collision near a station, officials said. (full story)ESPN wins rights to Premier League games - ESPN, the sports television channel controlled by Walt Disney, on Monday night broke into the lucrative market to show live English Premier League football.In a move that will pitch it against Rupert Murdoch’s British Sky Broadcasting, ESPN was awarded the rights to show football matches previously held by Setanta, the Irish broadcaster on the brink of administration. (full story)
Apple boss 'had liver transplant' - Apple boss Steve Jobs received a liver transplant about two months ago and is expected to return to work later this month, a US newspaper has reported.The Wall Street Journal said the Apple chief executive would be returning to his job on schedule, but may initially work part-time. (full story)
Brown in row over secret bid to install Beckett as Speaker - Gordon Brown was embroiled in a damaging row over the election of a new Commons speaker after MPs claimed that Labour whips were secretly attempting to swing the contest in favour of his Government’s preferred candidate, Margaret Beckett. Senior Labour MPs said they were being put under pressure to endorse Mrs Beckett, the former foreign secretary, in today’s secret ballot to chose a successor to Michael Martin. (full story) Andy Murray hopes mean most eagerly anticipated tournament for a generation - Record crowds are expected at a generally sunny Wimbledon this week amid hopes that Andy Murray could become the first British player to lift the men's title for more than 70 years. Applications for the annual ticket ballot have surged by 20 per cent on last year, defying the economic downturn, and hundreds of fans from as far as the US, Switzerland and Australia began queueing on Sunday. (full story)"Big Bang" collider set for autumn restart: CERN - The giant sub-atomic particle collider built to reproduce "Big Bang" conditions is set to restart this autumn, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) said on Friday.Scientists believe they have figured out how to prevent a repeat of the problems that caused the 10 billion Swiss franc ($9.2 billion) Large Hadron Collider to be shut down just nine days after it was switched on last September, CERN expert Steve Myers said in a statement. (full story)£50m plan to increase train punctuality - Passengers on a main London to Scotland rail route are still suffering from the poorest train punctuality in the country despite the completion of a £9 billion upgrade project, it was revealed today.The number of trains running on time on the West Coast Main Line run by the Virgin Rail company did improve last month - rising from 80.8 per cent in May 2008 to 84.6 per cent in May 2009. (full story)
Personal data exposed on website - Personal data including the signatures of recipients has been exposed to those tracking deliveries on the Parcelforce website, the BBC has discovered.A failure in the system allowed people using the mail tracing service access to the name, postcode and signature of various addressees. (full story)Taxpayers foot MPs’ £235,000 bill with Labour campaign firm - Labour MPs have channelled £235,000 of taxpayers’ money to a computing consultancy that operates from the party’s headquarters, The Times has learnt.An analysis of MPs’ expenses published yesterday shows that Alistair Darling, Yvette Cooper and her husband Ed Balls are among a number of ministers who have used their Commons allowances to pay Computing for Labour (CfL) to manage communications in their constituency offices over the past four years. (full story)
F1 faces split as eight teams break away - Formula One was plunged into its worst crisis in its 60-year history on Friday after eight teams announced they would set up a rival championship, saying Max Mosley, the head of motorsport’s regulator, had ignored their demands over his controversial budget cap plans and had tried to drive a wedge between them.The dramatic decision, announced in a lengthy statement from the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) came on the eve of practice for Sunday’s British Grand Prix and a deadline for entries for next year’s championship. (full story)
Iran's supreme leader to address nation after protests - Iran's supreme leader is addressing the nation today in his first public comments since opposition supporters flooded Tehran's streets in an unprecedented challenge to the country's ruling clerics.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has already approved the June 12 election results that gave hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a landslide victory, but he has not been able to ignore the powerful defiance of the opposition, which has called the vote rigged, of his authority. (full story)
