Continual Solutions News

UK food prices show 8.3% increase
UK food prices have risen by 8.3% on average since January, with meat and fish up 23%, according to a study for the BBC.

Global economy woes shake markets
Worsening US job figures heighten fears of a global economic slowdown - undermining stock markets around the world.

US jobless rate near 5-year high
The US economy sheds 84,000 jobs last month, more than expected, raising the jobless rate to a near five-year high.

Properties 'on market for longer'
Most properties for sale in the UK have now been on the market for more than 90 days without finding a buyer.

Nokia expects market share loss
Nokia lowers its predicted market share for the third quarter, sending its shares plummeting.

Smoking ban hits JD Wetherspoon
The UK smoking ban and slow consumer spending knocks pub group JD Wetherspoon's full year pretax profits down 11%.

Easyjet's passenger numbers rise
Easyjet says the number of passengers it flew in August this year rose 24% on August 2007.

Informa shuns private equity bid
Publisher Informa's shares fall after it rebuffs a reduced takeover bid from private equity firms.

Slump hits Bentley car production
Four thousand staff at Crewe-based carmaker Bentley are going down to a three-day week as demand slumps.

Housing dip 'slows divorce rate'
Research suggests that couples are less likely to get divorced during a slowdown in the housing market.

Charity shops boosted as shoppers try to beat credit crunch
Charity shops beat the economic slowdown as shoppers look for value away from the traditional high street chains.

Party over?
Can organic farming survive rising food prices?

Google is 10
What is the secret behind Google's huge success?

Voices & Vision
The Winter of Discontent, 30 years on

Gloom or boom?
Is it make or short break for UK budget hotels?

Robert Peston
Why extra taxes on energy firms just won't happen

Taking a pounding
Sterling's decline hits key shares in the BBC Global 30

BHP stops ore output after deaths
BHP Billiton suspends all iron ore production in Western Australia after the deaths of two workers in the space of ten days.

US lifts some Belarus sanctions
Some sanctions imposed by the US on firms working with Belarussian companies are lifted, US officials announce.

Energy companies 'hike dividends'
The "big six" energy suppliers increased their dividends to shareholder by 19% last year, research shows.

One Laptop signs up with Amazon
Online retailer Amazon will help the One Laptop Per Child organisation with its plans to sell its XO laptop in the US.

Pakistan 'needs help' on economy
Pakistan needs a "substantial" injection of external funds if it is to stabilise its economy, an IMF official says.

HMV reports weaker sales growth
Entertainment retailer HMV sees sales growth fall off sharply in the last three months.

UN says wealthy failing the poor
The world's wealthiest countries are failing to deliver money promised to poor countries, a UN report says.

Chavez takes over fuel transport
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez approves a plan to take over the firms that distribute fuel to households and petrol stations.

Russian invasion spooks investors
Russia's stock market loses more than 30% of its value as foreign investors pull out after the country's intervention in Georgia.

Talks over Tata Nano car deadlock
Talks are held in the Indian city of Calcutta to try to end a row over the building of the world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano.

Bank keeps UK interest rate at 5%
The Bank of England holds interest rates at 5% for a fifth month as it balances a weak economy and high inflation.

Benn denies fuel bill cave-in
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn denies ministers "caved in" to energy firms over cash rebates for soaring fuel bills.

'Millions bullied' in workplaces
One in seven people have been bullied at work, with higher earners more likely to face problems, according to new research.

House prices in double-digit fall
UK house prices recorded an annual fall of 10.9% in August leaving the average home costing £174,178, says the Halifax.

New car sales 'hit by downturn'
New UK car registrations last month were at their lowest level for any August since 1966, figures show.

PM rules out one-off fuel payment
Gordon Brown confirms the government will not be giving consumers a one-off payment to help with rising fuel bills.

Mortgage rates 'continue to fall'
The Abbey is the latest lender to reduce interest rates on its mortgages during the longest period of cuts since the credit crunch began.

Pension scheme in £1 billion deal
The Cable & Wireless pension scheme has struck a deal with the Pru to guarantee the pension payments of its 5,000 pensioners.

Three insurance bosses are banned
Insurance customers could have been left without the cover they paid for after directors misused clients' money.

Slowdown 'to hit poor countries'
The global slowdown will take its toll on growth in developing countries, the UN agency Unctad says.

Job market jitters add to US woes
Downbeat US employment ad retail data adds to economic jitters despite more positive figures from the service sector.

UK work week among EU's longest
UK workers are among the hardest working people in Europe, with only Romanians and Bulgarians putting in longer hours, new research shows.

Eurozone rates on hold at 4.25%
The European Central Bank keeps eurozone interest rates at 4.25% after its latest meeting.

BP moves to settle Russia dispute
BP signs an agreement with its Russian partner aimed at solving a festering dispute at joint venture TNK-BP.

Premier Inn bolsters Whitbread
Sales at Whitbread rise, with its Premier Inn budget hotels doing well as the weak economy hits corporate travel budgets.

Sony recalls 440,000 Vaio laptops
Electronics firm Sony recalls 440,000 Vaio laptop computers worldwide because of wiring faults that may cause overheating.

Guidelines for financial journalists