Cameron speech on economy

David Cameron rejects the call to i...

The British Prime Minister David Cameron has rejected the argument of the Treasury coming from the Business Secretary, Vince Cable regarding the l...

138005-53223-5

Every Citizen’s Right to Qual...

There has been an increasing rate of medical negligence in hospitals. This is considered a troubling case that Medical Centers are facing. When th...

Lloyds Banking Group

FSA fines Lloyds over PPI delays

The saga concerning mis-sold PPI may be drawing to a close next year (if talks to that effect are successful) but the story is by no means over. Th...

UK-Kate-News

The Duchess and the Duke’s right ...

The Duchess of Cambridge even before she was married to the Prince was already haunted by the media. Kate Middleton is a famous icon and most of the...

David Cameron rejects the call to increase borrowing

Mar. 07 Economy no comments

The British Prime Minister David Cameron has rejected the argument of the Treasury coming from the Business Secretary, Vince Cable regarding the low interest rates in funding projects and fund housing. Mr. Cameron gave his speech about the economy and said that borrowing extra amount of money would jeopardize the finances of the public. He dismissed the Business Secretary’s call in increasing the British government’s borrowing. He warned that Britain doesn’t have any magic money tree that would easily allow the government to spend an extra amount.

During the Prime Minister’s speech, he also mentioned the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher in dismissing the said call. Adding to his statement that tax cuts can pay for itself. The Prime Minister delivered his speech in Keighkey West Yorkshire. He made it clear in his speech that he wasn’t in favor of the increased borrowing and opposing to the idea of the call. He said that when this happens it can be risky for the family’s livelihood in the country.

Mr. Cameron also answered most of the critics who were saying that the government’s economic policy has failed and has downgraded the credit rating of Britain. He said that if the government did not deal with the country’s debt, there will be a tendency that the interest rated will be increasing, tax payer’s money will only be allotted in paying for the nation’s debt, and, more businesses will have problems. He said that if there was a percent increase in mortgage interest rate, it will already cost family extra debt payments for service in the amount of £1,000.

Every Citizen’s Right to Quality Medical Care

Feb. 28 Health no comments

There has been an increasing rate of medical negligence in hospitals. This is considered a troubling case that Medical Centers are facing. When this occurs, the only way a patient can have justice is through making a compensation claim for medical negligence. According to the Chief Executive if the Law Society of England and Wales, Desmond Huston, it is the only way the patient can get justice when he or she would be a victim of medical negligence.

In April last year the risk has already increased to £18 Million. The concerned officials say that this was caused by the “No win, No Fee” for the cases. On the contrary, there are others who said that it is because of the life expectancy which is already increasing and the modern machines that are capable of curing the sickness of patients. Every citizen in the United Kingdom is entitled to make his or her own claim if they have been affected. This right should be known to all the citizens. There might be others who are unaware about the claim or how to make a claim.

The medical board is the one responsible to check on the claim on medical negligence. It is also a huge responsibility for the board to make the patient feel better or be in better shape. They would make it possible to provide the necessary equipment and new technology that is said to be expensive. Government would not put the blame on the no win, no fee cases. Mr. Huston also stressed out that every citizen deserves to be compensated if ever they experience medical negligence.  To make your claim for any accident or injury that was not your fault, go to PerfectClaims.co.

FSA fines Lloyds over PPI delays

Feb. 25 Finance no comments

The saga concerning mis-sold PPI may be drawing to a close next year (if talks to that effect are successful) but the story is by no means over.

The latest twist in the tale involved Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) being fined £4.3 million for delays in PPI payments to claimants.

An investigation by the Financial Standards Agency (FSA) found that, amidst other faults, three LBG firms- Lloyds TSB Bank, Lloyds TSB Scotland and Bank of Scotland- failed to set in place an “adequate process” for processing PPI payments, staff had inadequate knowledge and experience in handling such payments, poor management, and that the “approach to risk management had been ineffective”.

FSA guidelines rule that PPI claims should be paid out promptly. For LBG that means within 28 days; however, between May 2011 and March 2012 140,209 claimants were paid after 28 days, a quarter of those who received decision letters concerning PPI payments. Furthermore, 56,000 received payment after 60 days.

Whilst apologising for the errors- which in 8,800 cases saw payment delayed by over six months- LBG stated that the problems were initiated by the banking industry not anticipating the sheer scale and volume of PPI claimants at first. Additionally, LBG citied “administrative errors” when the repayments program was set up two years ago. LBG stated that ”we acknowledge that this led to some customers not being compensated on time and we apologise to those customers whose payments were delayed”. LBG has subsequently reviewed and altered ins PPI payments process, and has been cooperative with the FSA in their investigation.

This latest investigation only shows just how vast the administrative scale of settling PPI claimants is for banks- not mentioning the financial cost. LBG has itself set aside £5.3 billion for PPI claims, with the banks involved setting aside a total of £13 billion. There is also the matter for both claimants and banks of legal time, effort and fees for bringing forward, and deciding on, PPI claims.

LBG’s fine comes after the Financial Ombudsman reported that there was an increasing backlog of unresolved and unpaid PPI claims, and urged banks to more to settle such claims more efficiently. Commenting after the settlement, Darren Carter of PPIClaimCo.com said “we’ve waited a long time for the FSA to take action against the big four banks on this matter, and we still don’t think they’ve gone far enough. The banks need to deal with the complaints effectively and efficiently and stop delaying the outcome by flooding the FOS with complaints that they could easily resolve themselves”

The Duchess and the Duke’s right to privacy

Feb. 14 Royal Family no comments

The Duchess of Cambridge even before she was married to the Prince was already haunted by the media. Kate Middleton is a famous icon and most of the time an article about her is published almost everywhere. Moreover, the paparazzi follows her every move. As member of the royal family, she was known worldwide and she has gained so many supporters from anywhere in the globe. Just like Princess Diana, Kate has become more and more loved by the people.

The Duchess was the center of attraction when a photo of her was published in an Italian magazine, the Italian Gossip. The Duchess in the picture was spending a holiday with her Prince while on her bikini. This photo was also circulated in the worldwide web. The said photo taken was something private and the couple is entitled to have their privacy. After the photo was publicize, St. Jame’s palace gave their comment that it was indeed a breach of the Duchess and the Duke’s right to privacy.

The Editor of the magazine spoke on behalf of the statement from the palace. The editor was defending the photo that was sent out to the public, they labeled that the shots were not scandalous. It would also not be a breach of their privacy because both Kate and William are considered public figures and they were in a public location at the time of their vacation. The editor explained that they only wanted their avid reader to see the Royal Couple relax in an island. They have confirmed that no agreement emerges between the British and the Italian press. The magazine that published the Duchess’ photo was out in the stores last Wednesday.

A Controversial Child Abuse Case

Feb. 07 Family no comments

The children and the youth are of primary importance in the society and should not be disregarded. It is very important to prioritize a case that involves child abuse for this type of case in not tolerable and people who are responsible for the abuse must answer and be punished. There are certain concerned organizations that are working with the government to promote the rights of children and make sure that they would have a peaceful environment to live.

The population is growing and there are just a few numbers of people who would care more for the general welfare of the children. In some cases, a lot of children are being neglected and sent to the care home or even the orphanage. There is no assurance that children sent to this type of facilities will experience the expected tender loving care from the people in charge of taking care of them.

Meanwhile, a controversial case occurred in the 1980’s at Elm Guest House which is now converted to a residential flat called Scotland Yard. The said case involved boys who were sexually abused by known politicians or political figures during that time. There were two men who were now aged 66 and 70 were arrested by the police because they were linked in the investigation of the case. Both accused men have connections in the said guest house. One was working in the guest house and the other one was a priest who was also going to that said guest house. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) gave their assistance and helped the police with the said investigation.

Radio Show Prank Caused Nurse’s Suicide

Jan. 31 Royal Family no comments

There are cases where pranks don’t turn out the way you want it to. A radio show made a prank that is for the Duchess of Cambridge when she was in the hospital last December. An Australian radio show known by the public as the Hot30 Countdown was repsonsible of the said prank that caused a nursing staff from a royal hospital ward where the Duchess was admitted due to morning sickness.

Two of the shows Disc Jockey’s were doing a prank and have pretended to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles and called the hospital ward to ask about the Duchess of Cambriddge’s condition. A nurse named Jacintha Saldanha was the person to answer the DJ’s prank call and out of her knowledge that it was just a prank, the nurse routed the call to the royal ward where the Duchess was staying.

The show was live on air and a lot of listeners were tuning in to the shows Royal pranks. After the nurse knew that she made a mistake of transferring the call because it was just a radio prank. It was then found out later, that she already committed suicide following the incident. The Royal family was deeply saddened to hear about the said suicide and have expressed its condolences to the family of the nurse who was a victim of a prank that was meant to entertain the radio listeners but has turned out to be the unexpected situation. The DJ’s of the said radio station were already suspended and the show was also taken out on the radio program.

British Grandmother Sentenced to Death

Jan. 22 Family no comments

Lindsay Sandiford, the 56-year-old British grandmother from Gloucestershire, broke down in tears today and cried ‘no, no, no’ as she was sentenced to death for trying to smuggle almost 5kg of cocaine into Bali in her suitcase. She originally from Redcar on Teesside, married and moved to London, and later lived in Gloucestershire before moving to India several years ago. She is one of 12 Britons currently facing the death penalty abroad; there are 40 British citizens on death row around the world, according to the Foreign Office.

She was arrested in May last year as she entered Indonesia on a flight from Thai capital Bangkok with £1.6million worth of the Class A drug stuffed in her luggage. The State prosecutors had called for her to be jailed for 15 years but there was a gasp in the Bali courtroom today when she was told she would be killed for her crime.

Mrs. Sandiford was stunned as the judges announced the shock sentence which, if carried out, will see her led to a jungle clearing on a small island known as ‘Indonesia’s Alcatraz‘, where she will be blindfolded, tied to a pole and executed by firing squad. She hoped that she would be spared execution. She had claimed that she was coerced into the crime because her children were threatened.

A judge panel headed by Amser Simanjuntak, concluded that Sandiford has damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government’s fight against drugs. ‘We found no reason to lighten her sentence,’ he added.
The spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “We can confirm that a British national is facing the death penalty in Indonesia.We remain in close contact with that national and continue to provide consular assistance.The UK remains strongly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances.”

She was in real anguish after the sentence was passed. On her way back to her prison cell, she wept and declined to be interviewed by the reporters.

Hot Selling Christmas Gifts

Dec. 10 leisure no comments


The hottest selling products in the lead up to Christmas are no surprise: tablet computers are this year’s must-have gadget and they are simply flying out of the shops. The much-imitated Apple iPad is the model that most want, but it is rapidly coming under attack from a number of cheaper and, seemingly, equally capable devices. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab series, for instance, is gaining in popularity and with many users finding that a 7” tablet does the job with added convenience there is plenty of choice for the consumer.

The iPad, in its latest guise, is a superb device without a doubt, but its price is off-putting for many people. With Android devices such as the aforementioned Samsung coming into the market, and the likes of the latest Kindle Fire and Nook devices offering excellent performance it is difficult to justify the expenditure needed to capture an iPad. Some lesser known names are also entering the market with budget-priced seven and 10” models that are perfectly usable.

Blackberry Fights Back

One of the more interesting models is the Blackberry Playbook, a 7” tablet introduced by the former kings of the smartphone to tackle the market head-on. Blackberry has not had the best of years, but this has been a well-received device and one that has many admirable attributes. Google has also made a push into the market with its Android powered Nexus, the internet giant being perfectly placed to take advantage of its position and offer a wide range of options and attractive features.

According to industry commentators there is hot competition in the tablet market right now, with the iPad Mini, a smaller version of the market leader, being ranked as the best tablet on offer at the moment. Asus’ Transformer Pad also features in the top ten, as does the Microsoft effort, the Surface, from which much was expected. Still, for those for whom only Apple will do the iPad 4 is the one to have, even if it does mean paying twice as much as similar models without securing twice the power or capability provided.

Wii U Hits UK Market

Dec. 03 leisure no comments


The Christmas period is a favourite for launching new leisure products and the arrival of the innovative Wii U, the new console from Nintendo, has set the UK market alight. Having been on sale for just 48 hours reports indicate that sales have topped 40,000, but more are expected to sell in the weeks to come. The problem the company may face is that there are limited supplies this year, and when the current batch is sold there are expected to be no more in the country until the New Year.

No Mark on the Top Ten

What is interesting is that, despite the string start to sales, Wii U specific software was nowhere to be seen in the UK top ten lists. This may be because, although reports insist it has a current ‘attachment rate’ of 2:1, many people are happy with their existing consoles. The home console market is one of the most hotly fought of all, and it remains difficult to convince consumers to upgrade when they are already enjoying a device that is perfectly capable and not effectively outdated. Reports and reviews about the Wii U are on the whole favourable, but there is a feeling that there is not enough that is new to convince buyers.

Games Market Thriving

Despite the concerns about consoles the UK software market is thriving, and now is the time when manufacturers strive to capitalise on the popularity of gaming. The recent release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has been a massive success, and the game is the runaway number one on the UK charts. In fact, it seems there is little to challenge it in terms of popularity. The highest-placed Nintendo Wii U game was Nintendo Land, which appeared at number 11 on the list.

Coca-Cola looks at Sponsorship Deals

Nov. 26 Business no comments


One indication of changes in the world economy is to keep an eye out for major companies that are willing to move into sports sponsorship. It is telling that, during a recession, sports such as motor racing and football – among the most watched across the world – lose sponsors, and with the success of the London 2012 Olympic Games and the number of sponsorship deals involved there it may be prudent to assume there is little money left to go around.

Formula One looking for Money

There is no doubt that one of the most sponsorship-reliant sports is Formula One motor racing, and the success of Red Bull – the energy drink manufacturer and successful team owner – has led to other companies wanting to use the platform for exposure. Coca-Cola is a much sought-after company when it comes to teams seeking sponsors, and the Lotus F1 team has been successful in luring the company back into the fold. The brand featured will be ‘burn’, an energy drink that is currently sold in 80 countries, yet is not one that is widely known in some countries. That will surely change with this new deal.

Category Leader

Energy drinks, as typified by Red Bull, are big business at the moment, and Coca-Cola clearly believes it has a winner on its hands. In the press release announcing the tie-up they described the brand thus:

“Burn is a category leader in the global energy drink explosion. The red formula is a symbol of active fire, that provides Guetta & Guetta and other drinkers the energy needed to leave their original vision on the world. Dismantling category norms, consumers embody a live-out-loud mentality, without fear of boundaries created by society. Burn is a brand of The Coca-Cola Company. Burn is available in over 80 countries worldwide.”

More Deals on the Horizon

Another sign that F1 is coming back into favour with sponsors and investors is the strong rumour that Mastercard, the major worldwide credit card provider, is about to ink a deal to provide trackside sponsorship across the world. Such a deal is worth a great amount to both the sport and the brand, and represents a major investment and a brave step. Formula One reaches countries such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Malaysia, India and China, as well as the traditional European venues, and the recent race in Austin, Texas, was an unqualified success.