Top Stories:
Telegraph – Gordon Brown has promised to speak to industry chiefs about their use of foreign labour after thousands of workers across Britain walked out in a series of protests. The Prime Minister “will be speaking to the industry in the next few days to ensure that they are doing all they can to support UK economy,” his official spokesman said. “We understand their concerns about jobs. We are doing everything we can.” However, he declined to say whether the protests should end, adding: “This is for workers to resolve with employers.” About 700 employees at the Ineos-owned Grangemouth plant on the Firth of Forth have begun an unofficial strike in solidarity with fellow energy workers at the Total Lindsey Oil Refinery on the North Lincolnshire coast. They have been joined by many hundreds more in Teeside, Cheshire, South Wales and other energy plants across Scotland.
Times – Exclusive video: Peers for cash investigation – new undercover footage. The Sunday Times has released secret video and audio in which Lord Truscott offers to help reporters ‘facilitate’ a bill amendment. The Sunday Times secretly filmed Lord Truscott, one of the four peers who the newspaper revealed were prepared to assist in changing legislation for cash, during a meeting with the undercover reporters in the St James’ Hotel and Club in London on Wednesday January 21, 2009. The recording shows Truscott telling the reporters, posing as lobbyists, that he will work with them to “facilitate” the amendment to the Business Rates Supplement Bill on behalf of their client. Discussing the strategy for their lobbying campaign, he says he will help identify the members to talk to so that he and the reporters can approach them. He offers to meet the “Lords people” on his own.
ITN – North Korea has said it is scrapping all accords with South Korea, claiming they are on the brink of war. The latest rise in tension has increased the chances of a military clash on the strongly defended border that has divided the two Koreas for more than half a century, analysts said. “There is neither way to improve (relations) nor hope to bring them on track,” the North’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said. “The confrontation between the North and the South in the political and military fields has been put to such extremes that the inter-Korean relations have reached the brink of a war.”
Independent – Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC agreed today to join a unity government with President Robert Mugabe, party leader Morgan Tsvangirai said. Tsvangirai made the announcement after a meeting of the Movement for Democratic Change’s decision-making National Council. “We are going into this government. That is what the council has decided,” Tsvangirai, set to become prime minister, told reporters. The decision should put into effect a long stalled power-sharing deal designed to rescue Zimbabwe from its deepening economic and humanitarian crisis. With the local currency almost worthless and the world’s highest inflation rate, the government announced yesterday it would let Zimbabweans use foreign currency, a sign of growing desperation.
Business:
Guardian – NEC and Hitachi, the Japanese electronics makers, will between them cut at least 27,000 jobs worldwide to try to counter falling demand and plummeting prices. NEC said today that its third-quarter losses had reached ¥130bn from ¥5.2bn for the same period last year. It also forecast losses for the full year. Hitachi, which makes everything from home appliances and TVs to IT systems and medical equipment, predicted it would post a huge net loss this fiscal year and said it would slash about 7,000 jobs as part of a global restructuring plan. NEC, a major producer of semiconductors, said about half of the job losses would affect full-time employees and that 40% would be in Japan. “We are aiming for 20,000 or more,” NEC’s president, Kaoru Yano, told a news conference. “It is regrettable that we have to announce such a big downgrade. We must cut waste.”
STV – Oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron posted higher-than-expected quarterly earnings on Friday as refining profits helped offset a steep decline in crude oil prices. Exxon, the world’s largest publicly traded company, said fourth-quarter earnings fell by a third, but full-year profit of $45.2 billion (31.4 billion pounds) set a new company and U.S. record.
Also In The News:
Sun – HOSPITAL managers have called in an exorcist after shaken workers complained they are being terrified by a GHOST. Spooked staff at Derby’s new Royal Hospital claimed a black-clad figure wearing a cloak was stalking wards and corridors. Now chiefs at the £334million NHS site are to summon a local priest to see off the “spirit”. Petrified staff were briefed on the spooky goings-on in an email from bosses. Senior manager Debbie Butler wrote: “I’m not sure how many of you are aware that some members of staff have reported seeing a ghost. “I’m taking it seriously as the last thing I want is staff feeling uneasy at work.”
Sky – Australian lifeguards have begun night beach patrols as residents unable to sleep during a stifling heatwave seek cooling late-night dips in the ocean. Extreme temperatures above 40C (104F) have baked southern Australia states for the past three days, disrupting power and transport and leaving medical services struggling. “People aren’t accessing the beach during the day because its so incredibly hot and the sand is burning people’s feet,” said Guy Britt, a spokesman for Lifesaving Victoria.
Star – Sheyla Hershey’s massive 38KKK breasts have been declared the world’s biggest boob job. The 28-year-old American housewife and model has undergone nine ops to get her amazing figure. And even though medics have warned that her breasts are in danger of exploding, she does not seem to care. Sheyla, from Houston, Texas, said: “To me, big is beautiful. I don’t think I have anything to worry about.”
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