Infozone Breaking World News

Informational leaflets about swine flu have started to be sent out to all UK households today as a countrywide campaign begins to help prevent the spread of the virus after the number of confirmed cases reached 27. The leaflets will provide people with information about the virus and recommend good hygiene practises to prevent the spread of swine flu.

The leaflet will also give details on setting up a network of friends, family or neighbours who can pick up medication and essential supplies in case someone has to stay at home due to the flu.

In a statement, the chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said that, “It reinforces the basic hygiene principles that can play a very important part in halting the spread and reducing the risk to individuals,”

He also added that the last time a mass leaflet was sent out to UK households, was during an outbreak of the HIV virus in the 1980’s.

With the current economic downturn, coupled with consumers cutting costs, Marks and Spencer has announced today that its sales were down for the fourth consecutive quarter and that the outlook remains unsteady.

Marks and Spencer’s announced the latest figures, which do not take into account store openings and closures, shows a 4.2% fall in like-for-like sales in the UK for the first 13 weeks of the year. Sir Stuart Rose, M&S’s executive chairman said that he believed the company was undertaking, “the right things for our customers”.

The latest figures come after Marks and Spencer’s announced in January, that it would be closing 25 of its Simply Food outlets and two of its regular stores, with 1,200 job losses.

The fall in sales was not as much as previously expected, and better than the 7.1% fall in the fourth quarter of 2008. Food sales were down 3.7%, with general merchandise seeing a 4.2% fall, but overall sales were 1.9% up, with a significant increase in international and online sales.

Official figures released by the Office of National Statistics, shows that UK unemployment rose to above 2 million for the first time in 12 years. The rate of unemployment was up 165,000 from November to January taking the total figure to 2.03 million.

The number of individuals claiming jobseekers allowance also shot up by a record 138,000 taking it to 1.39 million. This news comes after the TUC (Trades Union Congress) stated that there are now 10 people chasing every vacancy in UK jobcentres.

The ONS also said that the unemployment rate jumped to 6.5% in the three months to January, with many analysts suggesting that the figure could reach over 3 million by next year.

On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund predicted that the recession in the UK would last longer than any of the other major economies, warning that the economy would continue to contract into 2010.

Online retail research group IMRG, has released figures that show that online shopping has seen a 13% annual sales rise in February, compared to the same time last year; bucking the downward trend on the High Street. But despite the annual sales increase, online shopping in February fell by 11% from January, although this is due to extended January sales.

Head of consulting for retail at IMRG, Mike Petevinos said: “These results show that the strong post-Christmas sales push and a toughening retail market have indeed led to a drop in spending from January to February”.

The figures also see the online sale of alcohol including beer, wine and spirits up 30% on January. There was also an increase in sales before Valentine’s Day on the 14th of February, with gifts and lingerie sales up, but electrical, clothing and health and beauty products all showed a drop in sales.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC), which represents 58 trade unions in the UK, has warned that for every job vacancy there is an average of 10 jobseekers wanting the position. The TUC’s research indicates that the problem is hitting the South East of England hardest, with up to 60 people chasing each job.

The most recent data shows that the unemployment figures hit 1.97 million during Q3 of 2008, and figures due to be published on Wednesday by the Office of National Statistics is set to top the 2 million mark.

General Secretary for the TUC, Brendan Barber told the press that the figures were shocking, stating that they “blow out of the water the government’s claim that there are plenty of jobs available for people who are prepared to look”.

The news comes after the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) estimated that the level of UK unemployment would reach 3.2 million (around 10% of the workforce) by the middle of 2010.

The National Health Service has released figures that show that the number of people being admitted to accident and emergency rooms in England suffering from knife related injures has dropped by 8%. The figures also show that the number of teenagers admitted with knife injuries has also dropped by 14%.

The latest NHS figures were compiled using admissions to accident and emergency rooms due to assault by sharp objects; this includes knifes. In areas that the government have been targeting knife crime, there has been a 10% decrease in knife related injuries, compared with a 5% drop in other areas.

In separate figures, the Ministry of Justice states that more people are being sent to jail for knife possession; 21% of offences now result in immediate custody, compared to 17% in 2007.

The NHS figures also showed that admissions with gunshot wounds were also down 10.2%, but the rate of admissions due to poisoning by drugs (including illegal drugs), has risen by 10.7% from 2006/7.

The Bank of England has lowered interest rates to an all time low of just 0.5%, and also stated that it would be boosting the money supply to help the UK’s economy. The newest rate cut has been widely expected and is the sixth time that interest rates have been cut since October last year.

The bank will also boost the money supply in the UK by up to £75 billion in a bid to increase bank lending. This process is called quantitative easing, where a central bank creates more money to boost an economy by buying hard to sell assets from companies and banks; this in turn helps commercial banks lend money.

Sceptics have been attacking recent rate cuts, saying that it has not encouraged the commercial banks to lend more, with many of them saying that rate cuts are becoming ineffective in stimulating the economy.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced that the governments rescue plan for the UK biggest banks could push national debt up by as much as £1.5 trillion. The ONS also said that because the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Lloyds Banking Group are partly controlled by the state, they should be treated as public companies.

The statistics office said it would take time to analyse the damage done to public sector debt, but estimated that in the current climate it could be between £1 trillion and £1.5 trillion, comparable to around 100% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Office for National Statistics figures also show that public sector net debt reached a record 47.8% of GDP. These figures also showed that the government’s finances worsened in January; typically a strong month when bonuses and corporation tax receipts boost government finances.

BMW has announced that it will be cutting 850 jobs at the Mini factory in Oxford. The giant car manufacturer also confirmed that weekend working has been stopped, with all agency workers that did weekend shifts losing their jobs.

The 850 job losses will affect the Cowley Plant in Oxford, but BMW have also said that it will be cutting 150 jobs at their Mini plant in Swindon. The Cowley Plant will be shut this week, as the demand for cars drops during the recession; the plant will reopen on the 23rd of February, with the new shift changes and job losses taking effect on the 2nd of March.

A statement released by BMW said: “Mini plant Oxford will be bringing in a new shift pattern in response to continuing volatile market conditions,”

And went on to say that, “As of Monday 2 March, the plant will go from a three-shift to a two-shift pattern, operating five days per week instead of the current seven.”

The economic downturn has affected the majority of car manufacturers, with BMW seeing a fall in sales of 4.3% in 2008. BMW is the latest car manufacturer to announce redundancies and factory closures; last month Honda announced in would be closing its Swindon plant for 4 months between February and May.

A classic Bugatti, which had been locked away in a rundown garage for over 48 years, has sold at auction for a staggering €3.4 million (just under £3 million). The Bugatti Type57S Atalante was found by relatives of Newcastle doctor Harold Carr, after he died.

The car was originally built in 1937 and was one of only 17 made. Dr Harold Carr bought the car in 1955 for the hefty sum of £895 and stored it in his garage after the tax disc ran out in 1960, only to be found be relatives in 2007 after he died.

The Bugatti was originally owned by Earl Howe, the first president of the British Racing Drivers Club, before changing hands a couple of time, before Dr Harold Car purchased it.

The auction held by Bonhams Retromobile in Paris, eventually sold the Bugatti, which only had 26,000 miles on the clock for €3.4 million; it is not known who bought it.