Informations
Media, Internet
Business
Sport
Tworzenie stron wwwBritain's housebuilders are building fewer homes in the face of tighter mortgage lending and an uncertain price outlook, but slashing volumes and costs may not be enough to lure back investors to the battered sector. Britain's major builders completed fewer homes last year - about 76,000, down around 10 per cent on 2006 - as higher interest rates and the global credit crunch drove away buyers. And things are set to get worse, with analysts predicting 10-16 per cent fewer new homes this year, a price fall of around three to five per cent and a drop of some 20 per cent in transactions. Such worries have pushed shares of major house builders including Barratt and Taylor Wimpey down more than 50 per cent in the past six months. The stocks have recouped some of the losses since mid-January, as value investors entered the market, but analysts warn of tougher times ahead and prolonged volatility, as data so far sends mixed signals on the market conditions. "Tighter credit is the major constraint, and this is unlikely to change for a while. So no one is expecting that a short, sharp shock will be followed by a swift, V-shaped recovery," Charles Stanley analyst Tom Gidley-Kitchin said. Citigroup and KBC analysts agree the sector is cheap, but they caution that any revaluation is unlikely until late next month and May when more solid data on the spring selling season is available. 1. What's so bad about Slough? data: 27.03.08 "Slough," which rhymes with "cow" and means "muddy quagmire," is not the only cross the English town has to bear now that a book has appeared, picking on it for being a grim, cheerless wasteland. 2. Hard times fall in the valleys of Andorra data: 27.03.08 With no income tax and few or no taxes on purchases, Andorra has sacrificed charm for commerce. But lately, things have slowed down. 3. 'Ed Balls is witch hunting faith schools' data: 10.04.08 New evidence has emerged to undermine Government claims that faith schools are effectively barring children from poorer backgrounds by illicitly charging parents for admission. 4. Poll finds a broad desire to cooperate with Russia data: 07.04.08 Sentiment is widespread in NATO's largest nations that the U.S. should cooperate with Russia over missile defenses in Eastern Europe. 5. Tributes paid to Anthony Minghella, dead at 54 data: 19.03.08 Tributes are flowing in to Anthony Minghella, the Oscar-winning British film director who has died from a haemorrhage after undergoing routine surgery last week: 6. Life in the 'open prison' of Gaza data: 19.03.08 The BBC's Aleem Maqbool, in Gaza, asks whether pressure aimed at weakening Hamas will actually have the opposite effect. 7. Serbia's neighbours accept Kosovo data: 19.03.08 Three of Serbia's neighbours - Bulgaria, Croatia and Hungary - have announced they will recognise Kosovo. 8. Gordon Brown to use Tony Blair election slogan to woo voters data: 07.04.08 Gordon Brown will borrow one of Tony Blair's election slogans as he tries to win back disaffected voters in southern England. 9. Britain's financial regulator to hire more supervisors data: 27.03.08 The Financial Services Authority issued a report that found its supervision of Northern Rock was inadequate. 10. Google faces loss of talent data: 07.04.08 For some early hires, the internet company has lost two vital ingredients: the anything-goes approach of a start-up environment and the chance to strike it rich 11. How did Doctor Who's TV comeback do in the ratings? data: 07.04.08 Doctor Who's comeback attracts 8.4 million viewers, despite fears an earlier timeslot would harm the serial. 12. Paul Routledge: Class snobs taint hunt for Shannon data: 19.03.08 Mystery surrounds the fate of Shannon Matthews, the nine-year-old girl missing in Dewsbury for more than three weeks. 13. For bargain-basement America, foreign investment no panacea data: 07.04.08 Americans often have an ambivalent relationship with the global economy, which has been coming into focus amid a surge of European and Asian acquisitions of U.S. companies 14. Udo Voigt, leader of German far-right party, charged with defamation data: 27.03.08 Voigt, head of the National Democratic Part, was charged Tuesday with incitement and defamation for allegedly publishing a pamphlet before the 2006 soccer World Cup that prosecutors said called into question whether nonwhite players should be on the national team. 15. BBC and ISPs clash over iPlayer data: 10.04.08 A row breaks out about who should pay for the extra network costs incurred by the BBC's on-demand TV service. 16. Afghans 'seize Taleban leader' data: 07.04.08 Afghan officials say they have arrested a senior Taleban commander in the southern city of Kandahar. 17. Argentina's beef with its farmers data: 07.04.08 The revolt by Argentina's farmers has reopened old divisions in Argentina, says Daniel Schweimler. 18. Soaring price of food 'leads to riots' data: 07.04.08 Rising food prices threaten economic stability and could trigger riots, Gordon Brown has been warned. 19. Richard Hammond: Why I'm on a short fuse data: 19.03.08 Short men are, according to a report published this week, more prone to jealousy, anger and insecurity than tall blokes. 20. U.S. to cut staff at its embassy in Belarus data: 27.03.08 The United States will cut staff levels at its embassy in Minsk by almost half, bowing to demands from Belarus amid worsening relations between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. 21. Garry Newlove's widow joins crime summit data: 10.04.08 The widow of Garry Newlove, the father of three who was murdered by a gang of drunken youths in front of his family, has agreed to help David Cameron draw up policies to strengthen families and tackle anti-social behaviour. 22. Greece gripped by pensions strike data: 19.03.08 Greece's civil servants hold a general strike against pension reforms, paralysing transport and closing public offices. 23. Sarkozy asks China to talk with Dalai Lama data: 27.03.08 The French president urged China to conduct a "true dialogue" with the spiritual leader of Tibet. 24. Bank rates 'will fall by a point' data: 07.04.08 Interest rates will be cut by a full percentage point by the end of the year as the credit crisis continues to cause turmoil in the mortgage markets and the wider economy, financial experts predicted yesterday. 25. Heather Mills and Paul McCartney divorce: A divorce lawyer's opinion data: 19.03.08 Mr Justice Bennett's judgment will make hard reading for Miss Mills. She was described as a "less than impressive witness" while her account of her contributions to the marriage was, on one occasion, depicted as "devoid of reality". 26. Asian stocks rise on strength of commodities data: 07.04.08 But concerns about the impact of the credit crisis on the financial system lingered, driving banking shares lower. 27. Top Stories: Liquid Bombs Trial: Court shown videos of hate made by fanatics data: 07.04.08 Hate-filled martyrdom videos threatening slaughter and urging fellow British Muslims to wage holy war were made by six fanatics plotting to blow up transatlantic planes, it was claimed yesterday. 28. Kevin Maguire: Dunce's cap fits like glove data: 10.04.08 Full marks to Education Minister Jim Knight for calmly exposing another headline-grabbing Tory initiative as an examination failure. 29. Alexander steps down at The Economist Group data: 10.04.08 Helen Alexander, chief executive, is leaving after a tenure of more than a decade in which the group's flagship magazine has doubled in circulation 30. Thousand demonstrate in Belarussian capital data: 27.03.08 Thousands of opposition protesters defied a government ban to stage a demonstration honoring a banned Belarussian holiday Tuesday. Many of them clashed with the riot police and dozens were detained. |