London Evening Standard (West End Final A)

7/30/2010: FRONT PAGE: THE DISPOSSESSED FUND WE'RE HALFWAY THERE IN 10 DAYS £500,000

THE Evening Standard's Dispossessed Fund has smashed through the £500,000 barrier thanks to Londoners' amazingly generous response to our appeal. The Fund, aimed at helping groups and charities working with the capital's most deprived people, now...

7/30/2010: FRONT PAGE: IT'S THE WHEEL THING

LONDONERS GET ON THEIR BORIS BIKE

7/30/2010: FRONT PAGE: KATY PERRY

PLUS THIS WEEK'S FILM RELEASES

7/30/2010: FRONT PAGE: Lady and the lace

Helena Christensen's love affair with lingerie PLUS Zara Phillips on horses, clothes and her worry for Harry in Afghanistan

7/30/2010: NEWS: Eye-catching for sure... but built for speed they ain't

IT was 6.10am, the sun was struggling to rise and a rack of nine “Borisbikes” awaited me, gleaming in their docking station a few yards off Kensington High Street. I slipped my electronic bike-release key in the slot, waited for the docking light to...

7/30/2010: NEWS: WAR OF THE PALUMBOS

A 25-year family feud is reignited, and why it's unlikely ever to end

7/30/2010: NEWS: Q&A

Can anyone hire a bike? Not yet. Only registered users who have signed up and received an electronic key. Casual users such as tourists will be able to hire bikes from the end of next month. How much will it cost? An access fee (£1 for one day, £5...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Radical welfare shake-up will cut 50 benefits down to one

IAIN DUNCAN SMITH today signalled deeper cuts in benefits as he sought the backing of the Chancellor for a radical shake-up of the welfare state. The Work and Pensions Secretary published his vision for a major simplification of the system, including...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Q&A

What is Iain Duncan Smith proposing today? A radical reform of the welfare system which reduces over 50 benefits and tax credits to one “universal credit”. People finding a job would see benefits gradually withdrawn as income rose. Another option is to...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Sir Derek's King Lear to go live worldwide

THE Donmar Warehouse is to broadcast its new production of King Lear live to 300 cinemas across the world. Sir Derek Jacobi will take the titular role. A performance next February will be filmed and beamed to audiences across the globe. Demand...

7/30/2010: NEWS: New protection for London's skyline

BORIS JOHNSON has strengthened planning laws to protect some of London's most famous landmarks and historic views. The Mayor's new planning guidance will ensure that the capital's skyline is not obscured or spoiled by development. Mr Johnson said: “It...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Venables in clear and present danger if new identity is revealed, says judge

JON VENABLES is in “clear and present danger” of being killed if his new name is made public, a High Court judge said today. There is “compelling evidence” that he would be attacked in revenge for murdering two-year-old James Bulger, said Mr Justice...

7/30/2010: NEWS: I want to work, says maitre d' aged 90

LONDON'S oldest maitre d' today told of her heartbreak at being sacked only weeks before the Government announced plans to make compulsory retirement illegal. Elena Salvoni, who was 90 in April, is affectionately known as the Queen of Soho after a...

7/30/2010: EVENING STANDARD CAMPAIGN: Readers ‘moved to tears'

GENEROUS Londoners today told how they were prompted to donate to the Dispossessed Fund after they were “moved to tears” by the Standard's campaign. They said the people featured in the campaign — such as Sandra Sanchez, the Treasury cleaner who lives...

7/30/2010: EVENING STANDARD CAMPAIGN: urge Londoners to donate to fund

therapist from Ladbroke Grove, volunteers his time one day a week to help at a counselling charity. He said: “I'm a Londoner and there are a lot of disadvantaged people in London. I think the Dispossessed is a really good initiative and it's good that...

7/30/2010: EVENING STANDARD CAMPAIGN: ‘WORKING WITH KIDS GAVE LIFE MEANING'

KYLE STEWART, 24, grew up in poverty on the Ferry Lane Estate in Tottenham. His father worked as a carpenter, while his mother looked after Kyle and his four brothers and sisters. Kyle, pictured, joined Spurs' The Kicks programme when he was 17. “I...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Prescott: Iraq intelligence was ‘tittle tattle'

FORMER deputy prime minister John Prescott was “nervous” about the notorious claim that Saddam Hussein could launch weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes, the inquiry into the Iraq war heard today. Lord Prescott revealed that he had doubts...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Brown ‘thinks Ed Miliband will be leader'

GORDON BROWN believes that Ed Miliband is the candidate best placed to win the L abour leadership, the Evening Standard has been told. A source close to the former Prime Minister has revealed that he considers the shadow climate change secretary is...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Expenses MPs told: You can't use privilege to escape trial

THREE former Labour MPs and a Tory peer today lost their attempt to avoid standing trial for fiddling their expenses. Three Appeal Court judges threw out a bid by David Chaytor, Elliot Morley, Jim Devine and Lord Hanningfield to hide behind...

7/30/2010: NEWS: MoD may sell carrier to fill huge hole in defence budget

BRITAIN may be forced to sell one of its flagship new aircraft carriers to plug a huge hole in its defence budget. Talks are taking place at the Ministry of Defence about finding a buyer for one of the ships being built at a cost of £5.2 billion for...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Treasury winning battle over Army cuts

ancient Navy destroyers, and, most bitterly contested of all, at least 15,000 from the Army's roll. The fighting is on the bureaucratic beaches of the new National Security Council. It is looking at some 22 main strategy proposals from the MoD and...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Fans flock to see London's most Wanted boy band

IT WAS a reception usually reserved for superstars like Take That — but these fans packed Westfield shopping centre to see a boy band who haven't even registered their first hit. Thousands converged on the mall in Shepherd's Bush to hear The Wanted, a...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Apple reveals plan for huge new store in Covent Garden

APPLE today revealed the first details of its giant new Covent Garden store. The plans have been shrouded in secrecy but Apple confirmed the store, in Covent Garden Plaza, will open on August 7. The new shop, which has been covered with wooden...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Mother killed our siblings but we still love her say daughters

THE two surviving daughters of French multiple-child killer Dominique Cottrez have paid tribute to their mother, calling her “the best there is”. Virginia and Emeline — both 22 and with young children of their own — said she was a “model mother who...

7/30/2010: NEWS: West End star plays a real hero as he saves residents from fire

A STAR from the West End show Chicago has been hailed a hero after rescuing three people from a blazing building where residents were asleep. Adam Stafford, 44, who plays Amos Hart in the musical, spotted smoke coming from the midterrace home and...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: McCain is in thrall to the monster he has created

SO HOW does the world look today from inside the head of John McCain, the Republican Arizona senator and former presidential candidate, the former maverick, the former man of principle, the man who gave us Sarah Palin? Is he quietly confident that the...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: Can Boris's bikes make this a cycling city?

THE launch today of the Mayor's new bike hire scheme is an important to step for cycling in the capital. Modelled on the Parisian Vélib' scheme, it encourages Londoners to use the chunky bikes for short hops around the centre of the capital. The goal...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: Giving for London

THE extraordinary public response to this paper's Dispossessed fund appeal is a testament both to Londoners' concern over poverty in our city, and to their generosity. In 10 days, the total has passed £500,000, a sum capable of making a real difference...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: Admiring the view

MAYOR Boris Johnson's new planning guidance to protect London's most famous views was urgently needed. Several magnificent vistas of St Paul's and other landmarks on the London skyline have come under threat from development in recent years. Protecting...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: Just admit it's grim up North, and let the BBC stay at home

MY HEART goes out to Peter Salmon, who is the direct or of BBC North but doesn't want to live there. He says he won't be relocating his family from leafy Twickenham to Manchester, the site of the corporation's new £877 million HQ, but will be merely...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: Leak that gave the Barracks site a brighter future

THE court case brought by developer Christian Candy against his former Qatari partners on the Chelsea Barracks site illuminates an all-toocommon incident of official arrogance on local planning issues. The case was ended last week after a multi-million...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: I'd rather ban boxing than bullfighting

THERE ARE few pleasures more enjoyable in life than sitting under a sombrero and watching a blood-curdling bullfight. So news that the Catalans have outlawed the practice fills me with sorrow. It is the most beautiful art form, whereby the matador...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: There's something rotten in the state of literary criticism

LITERARY academic Professor Gabriel Josipovici says English writers such as Salman Rushdie, Julian Barnes and Martin Amis are arrogant and self-satisfied. Do we really need an academic to tell us the bleedin' obvious? What author isn't arrogant and...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: First film now art: Hunt is in the firing line

AS the campaign against Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt's plan to abolish the UK Film Council attracts 30,832 members on Facebook and opposition mounts from luminaries such as Clint Eastwood and Lord Attenborough, news reaches the Londoner of another...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: Residents sing out their objections to Getty opera

THE natives are restless. Plans to relocate Garsington Opera from Garsington Manor, in Oxfordshire, to Wormsley Park, in Buckinghamshire, home of the Getty family, have the locals up in arms. Residents of Turville, near Henley, home of the late Sir...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: Sam's our man

SAMUEL Clark married Samantha Clarke, and, soon after, they opened their restaurant Moro in Clerkenwell in 1997, rightly renowned for its award-winning Moorish cuisine. How delightful to learn that Sam and Sam, pictured, have just had their third child...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: No messing with our Liam

OASIS rocker Liam Gallagher has put down his mic long enough to open his own pop-up shop, Pretty Green, in Carnaby Street, which will stock his own clothing range. At the launch party last night Gallagher's wife, former All Saints star Nicole Appleton,...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: The language of love and domestic bliss

OBSERVER associate editor Robert McCrum's book, Globish, about how English has become the world's language, has been given a going-over in a New York Times book review. Roy Blount Jr. writes: “It's easy to see how Globish benefits emerging go-getters...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: High fashion and fake tans

LORD March may want visitors to Glorious Goodwood to dress to impress but he wasn't convinced by Ladies Day yesterday. When asked what he thought of this year's fashion, he said: “I've been too busy to pay attention. We do make a fuss about it, because...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: Will Laws be a comeback kid?

NICK Robinson's documentary, Five Days That Changed Britain, featured a remarkably relaxed looking former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Laws. It is not known whether it was filmed before/after his resignation over his expenses scandal but...

7/30/2010: COMMENT: Spoofing it in a man's world

TAMZIN Lightwater, Spectator spoof diarist and self-styled Notting Hill Nobody, was outed by the Londoner as Melissa Kite of the Telegraph. Now Ms Kite has taken her flair for satirising David Cameron and co to GQ. Her new column is called Con-Dem...

7/30/2010: NEWS: My only regret is not doing it sooner, says mother jailed for murdering disabled son

THE mother jailed for life after killing her brain-damaged son to end hi s suffering today said she wished she had done it sooner. Frances Inglis injected 22-year-old Tom with an overdose of heroin after unsuccessfully trying to kill him on a previous...

7/30/2010: NEWS: ‘I coached gold medallist Idowu at 12 and it was clear he would jump to the top'

THE man who first spotted the “extraordinary talent” of European champion triple jumper Phillips Idowu today said he knew instantly the athlete was destined for glory. Retired PE teacher Humphrey Long — who introduced London-born and bred Idowu to the...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Councils seek to limit 2012 VIP lanes

RUSH-HOUR journey times could treble in London during the Olympics as VIP lanes squeeze regular road users into gridlock, it is feared. Plans by Mayor Boris Johnson and Olympic chiefs to halve capacity on some of the busiest routes were today met by...

7/30/2010: NEWS: ‘You go that way, I'll go this and we'll meet up outside'

CHERYL COLE landed in Los Angeles with her close friend, dancer Derek Hough today, but it was she who showed some fancy footwork. Immediately confronted by a pack of photographers Cole promptly changed direction, abandoning the man who has helped her...

7/30/2010: NEWS: TV news stalker set to quit after media attention

A MAN who lurked in the background of more than 50 television news reports is set to quit his unusual hobby after becoming the focus of the story. Paul Yarrow has appeared behind journalists on the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and Al Jazeera, earning him...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Carnival chiefs seek hundreds to be ‘eyes and ears' of police

HUNDREDS of extra volunteers are being sought to act as the “eyes and ears” of the police at this year's Notting Hill Carnival. It is one of a host of new measures aimed at ensuring this year's event is the safest yet — a test run for 2012 when...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Holocaust survivor has to prove he is Jewish

A HOLOCAUST survivor who lost half his family at the hands of the Nazis today told how he was forced to go to court to prove he is Jewish. Former film producer Joseph Marks, 81, from Shepperton, said he was “grilled” by rabbis as he tried to prove his...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Connaught cocktails are best bar none

A LONDON hotel bar is leading the world in the art of cocktail-making. The Connaught in Mayfair was named Best Hotel Bar, and its bartender Agostino Perrone, left, was crowned the world's best, at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in New...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Prepare to be amazed in Trafalgar Square

A POP-UP hedge maze is being set up in Trafalgar Square — with West End entertainment for those who manage to reach the centre. The West End Partnership venture runs from Monday to Friday next week and is designed to represent Theatreland's streets,...

7/30/2010: NEWS: Banjolele? You can't have a licence for that, says Tf L

SMALL, comical and associated with the light-hearted music of George Formby, the banjolele might seem innocent enough. But it doesn't amuse Transport for London, which has banned buskers from playing it on the Tube. TfL officials have branded it...

7/30/2010: NEWS: US Embassy flooded with dating scam calls

HUNDREDS of American women are bombarding the US Embassy in London with calls and emails claiming that loved ones have been stranded in the capital without financial help. In fact, the women are victims of a dating racket involving internet fraudsters...

7/30/2010: INTERNATIONAL: PM's attack on Pakistan will fuel extremism, warns Imran Khan

CRICKET legend Imran Khan lambasted David Cameron today over his criticism of Pakistan, and warned that his remarks would radicalise more young Muslims against the West. Mr Khan, founder of the Movement for Justice party and former husband of Jemima...

7/30/2010: INTERNATIONAL: Top Mexican drugs boss shot dead in army raid

SOLDIERS killed the “No 3” of Mexico's most powerful drug cartel in a raid on his hideout in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel, one of the founders of the methamphetamine trade in Mexico, was shot while trying to escape. Mexican...

7/30/2010: INTERNATIONAL: Clothing workers riot over pay rise

THOUSANDS of clothing workers unhappy over a wage rise rioted in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, today, battling police who fought back with tear gas and batons. Several people were injured. After months of protests, the government yesterday raised...

7/30/2010: INTERNATIONAL: US destroys £1.7bn of marijuana plants

NEARLY 100 people have been arrested in a three-week crackdown on illegal marijuana growing in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. More than 432,000 plants, grown by Mexican drug cartels and worth more than $1.7 billion, were destroyed by federal...

7/30/2010: INTERNATIONAL: Hundreds killed in monsoon floods

THE death toll from Pakistan's monsoon floods reached 313 today, with an estimated 400,000 people stranded in remote areas. The north-west appeared worst hit, including the Peshawar area and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. Entire villages were submerged,...

7/30/2010: INTERNATIONAL: Chelsea prepares for £3m ‘wedding of the decade'

LAST-MINUTE preparations were being made today for what is being billed in the US as the “wedding of the decade”, between Chelsea Clinton and her boyfriend Marc Mezvinksy. The world's media will focus on the ceremony tomorrow. No expense has been...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Andrew O'Hagan

Cert 12A, 97 mins

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Crazy lady

Why Katy Perry's new CD smells of candyfloss

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: GUNS AN ND GRUNTS

IMAGINE being caught in the middle of a two-hour artillery display with four adrenaline-crazed US soldiers shouting in your face. That's what this retooling of the naff 1980s TV adventure series about on-the-run war veterans feels like. Joe Carnahan's...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: ALSO SHOWING

THE KARATE KID Cert PG, 140 mins THIS week's second updating of Eighties cultural tat pairs martial-arts legend Jackie Chan with 12-year-old Hollywood princeling Jaden Smith — the son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith — to no great effect. Smith is Dre,...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: WATCH THE MASTERS SWEEP ALL BEFORE THEM

SUPERLATIVES seem in short supply when it c o mes to describing the Bolshoi. The Russian visitors have been in London for barely a fortnight yet they've already performed seven ballets including two mixed bills this week alone, plus they're dancing the...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: WHAT ELSE IS NEW

OPERA LA FORZA DEL DESTINO Opera Holland Park, W8 BARRY MILLINGTON AN ACCIDENTAL and fatal discharge of a pistol in the first act of Verdi's La Forza del Destino sparks a tragic course of events culminating in the death of Leonora, loved by father,...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: YES, WE KNOW THE

POLITICAL correspondents are so thrilled by politics that they simply cannot understand that most people are less interested. Nick Robinson, the BBC's Larkin-lookalike political editor, simply loves being in the cut and thrust. Interpreting the events...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: CAPTURING THE FULL GLORY OF BEETHOVEN

PAUL Lewis continued his traversal of the Beethoven piano concertos with new partners: the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons. He could not have asked for more responsive or inspirational colleagues, for they matched his pinpoint...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: ENDING BUT THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED

underground”. These re-creations and the news footage were supplemented with new interviews with all the key players — Clegg, Cameron, Hague, Gus O'Donnell, Mandelson — save for Brown, who had evidently declined to co-operate, leaving him an open...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: DVD AND BLU-RAY RELEASES

HIERRO (Optimum, cert 15, Blu-ray/DVD) The hellishly attractive Elena Anaya gets us past the dull bits in this Spanish thriller about a mother searching a remote island for her son. A slow starter that eventually gets bubbling, with magic realism and...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: COMING SOON

NEXT WEEK CATS AND DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE Family movie sequel in which Bette Midler, Christina Applegate and Chris O'Donnell among others voice the pooches and pussies. Word on the street is that it's so bad it may immediately go to cult...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: David Smyth

to make up for declining CD sales. At the same time the CD itself is becoming just one element of a high-end physical package filled to bursting with special features. We can dismiss the meagre temptations of the dreaded “bonus tracks” — B-sides and...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: LESS IS MORE IN THE BURBS

a guitars and galloping beats, while Modern Man sounds like Springsteen with a sprinkling of self-doubt. Elsewhere, Rococo puts the seven-piece band through their paces with its rousing chorus of horns and strings; Month of May's hell-for-leather...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: &

When Disney decided belatedly to make a sequel to its sci-fi thriller Tron, it must have taken all of seven seconds to think of asking (below) to compose the soundtrack. The robotic Franch dance duo have revealed six tracks on the web prior to the...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: &

Musicians waffle on a lot about politics but the former Fugee is hinting strongly that he might be ready to do something concrete and run for president of his homeland, Haiti.

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: HUGH LAURIE

The actor joins Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins in releasing an album this year. Before you head for the panic room, he assures us: “I know the history of actors making music is a checquered one, but I promise no one will get hurt.”

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: TOM JONES

The Welsh belter's Johnny Cash makeover is paying off. He's about to overtake Bob Dylan to become the oldest male solo artist to have a number one album, with his mighty Praise & Blame.

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: GORILLAZ

Damon Albarn's cartoon cohorts bounced back from their Glastonbury disappointment this week by becoming the first British band to perform in Syria.

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: KINGS OF LEON

The Southern rockers were forced to abandon a gig in St Louis after being repeatedly pooed on by rock critic pigeons in the rafters.

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: &

FIELD DAY band Phoenix tonight, followed by newly Mercury-nominated Scots rockers Biffy Clyro tomorrow. The only man to be named the world's number-one DJ three years running in DJ magazine's influential annual poll of clubbers, Dutchman Tiësto, real...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: MUSICAL YOUTH'S DAY OUT

If you can remember Britpop you won't get into Field Day's snotty little brother, strictly for 14-to 18-year-olds. It's got a livelier line-up than its Saturday sibling, including Ellie Goulding (right), MIA and number one grime star Tinchy Stryder....

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Virgo August 22 Sept 21

The odds are good that you'll discover certain facts you've regarded as unarguable aren't true. Don't worry, you weren't mistaken. It's just that with so many changes taking place, it's taking a long while for information to filter through. And this...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Gemini May 20 June 20

You're already superb at dealing with the most challenging of differences, but now you must add a scrupulous adherence to the facts, even those that seem minor. At other times this might be the case. With so much in transition, however, those...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Aries March 20 April 18

There's a fine line between being exceedingly frank, which is vital, and heated discussions. Because the issues involved are both important to you and controversial, you could easily cross the line. Tempting as it is to say exactly what you feel, you'd...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Aquarius Jan 19 Feb 17

Looking at the planetary set-up at the moment for you, the phrase “agree to disagree” comes to mind. You've already talked things through with those concerned, and got nowhere. Time and space is what's needed. Then, gradually, you'll recognise where...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Libra Sept 22 Oct 22

When you make a decision, you stick to it, this is mostly because by the time you're actually sure what's right, you'll have gathered all the facts and discussed every option. Now, however, things are moving so swiftly that those facts are changing,...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Leo July 22 August 21

Now that the ideas planet Mercury has moved to accent practical and financial matters, you'll have ample opportunity to talk over both worrying situations and exciting opportunities. And with it positioned there until early October, you'll be able to...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Scorpio Oct 23 Nov 21

Little is more aggravating than last-minute changes. Now, not only is that what you're facing, with seismic changes in the circumstances you're dealing with, you'll need to take plans back to the drawing board. You'll soon realise this gives you a...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Pisces February 18 March 19

At one point certain plans made sense. However, both circumstances and your priorities are evolving. But you haven't admitted this to yourself, because you fear any changes will upset others. Discuss frankly and they'll say that it was you they feared...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Taurus April 19 May 19

Don't be shy about telling others what you need, want or think would be wise. You may regard this as obvious, but they won't necessarily have thought of it. Bear this in mind when you suggest it and you'll include details and practical reasons that...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Capricorn Dec 21 Jan 18

The encounter between the volatile Mars and your ruler Saturn may lead to a forthright confrontation. Or it could mean you finally confront yourself about issues you've been sidestepping. What you think, say and do could resolve numerous dilemmas, and...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Sagittarius Nov 22 Dec 20

It may be that your thinking was in error, or perhaps you did your sums wrong. Whatever the case, you're urged to pay close attention to the problems triggered by your ruler Jupiter's clash with Pluto. Tackle the developments at once and you'll conquer...

7/30/2010: FILM & MUSIC: Cancer June 21 July 21

The requirements of one particularly tricky situation are so obvious you assume others know what's required. Discuss this frankly, however, and you'll realise they don't. First, do some research, then be precise in expressing what circumstances demand.

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Rentokil's bonus-chasing bosses get a profit boost

RATCATCHER Rentokil today took a step closer to the business turnaround that will see its three bosses picking up £90 million-worth of bonuses. The parcel-moving, lavatory-cleaning, flower-delivering firm posted a 39% jump in pre-tax profit to £76.5...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Manganese Bronze sees sales dive as cabbies stay cautious

LONDON black cabs maker Manganese Bronze had a challenging first half as taxi drivers held on to their fares and tips rather than splash out on a new vehicle. “It was a half very much of two quarters,” said chief executive John Russell. “In the first...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: JLT benefits from pension work

INSURANCE broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson today said more companies asking it to organise staff pensions helped it post a 14% jump in pre-tax profit to £70 million for the six months to July. JLT said revenue at its “employee benefit” division rose 50%...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Bradford & Bingley back in the black

BRADFORD & Bingley, the former building society whose mortgage operations were nationalised at the height of the banking crisis, moved back into the black in the first half of this year. It made a headline profit of £79.4 million against a loss of £160...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: World Cup cheers Britain's beer sales

FOOTBALL'S World Cup gave a boost to Britain's beer sales, industry figures show. The equivalent of more than 2.2 billion pints was sold between April and June — up 2.9% on last year, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said. This meant...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Boards need to listen to secretaries

SOME of the shrewdest observations on corporate governance come from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries. This is perhaps not surprising because their members are flies on the wall at the nation's board meetings — silent, observing how boards behave...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: …but Virgin Atlantic cashes in with business-class boost

VIRGIN Atlantic said passengers were flocking back to its Upper Class cabin after the airline plunged to a record £132 million loss last year. Sir Richard Branson's long-haul carrier claimed that the British Airways strike had given Virgin's...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Savills survey sheds light on the price of the suburbs Henson building would even please his grumpy Muppets

DISCOVERING just how much housing land is selling for in the London suburbs is not easy. A government quango called the Valuation Office Agency produces generic prices in four boroughs. So, thank you to Savills, who have come up with specific details...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Fat cats are thin on the ground, says watchdog

THE truth about City pay is out: fewer than 3000 people get paid more than £1 million. Figures from the Financial Services Authority reveal that very few of the 350,000 workers in the Square Mile and Canary Wharf can truly be classed as fat cats. The...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: WESTFIELD MAKING MONEY WITHIN TENT

SPACE seekers from around the globe are in London this summer seeking spots to hold receptions during the Olympics. Those looking include global sports bodies, national organising bodies, individual teams from each sport as well as official sponsors,...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Retail recruiting drive leads the way in new jobs

BRITAIN'S shops generated more jobs proportionately than any other part of the economy during the recession, according to industry figures published today. The sector now employs 2.9 million people, after more than 22,000 jobs were created in the past...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Athos Group and Carlyle buy college site

THE former site of the Chelsea College of Arts near King's Road was today snapped up by private equity giant Carlyle and residential developer Athos Group for £40 million. The 50-50 joint venture, which marks Carlyle's debut entry into the UK's...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Utilities all the rage after EDF's lucrative sell-off

UTILITY stocks were in demand today after EDF's sale of its UK electricity net works arm sparked hopes of renewed appetite for British assets. The better-than-anticipated £5.8 billion price, paid by a consortium headed by Asia's wealthiest businessman...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: Dinner for Conrad

MUCH talk about whether Conrad Black will be welcomed back into London society. Journalist Quentin Letts, a former columnist for the Daily Telegraph during Black's ownership, is no cheerleader for his old boss. But in an article for Forbes magazine,...

7/30/2010: BUSINESS: He's on the Hunt to oust Labour's allies

ARE the Tories really keen to ease impartiality rules on TV news, which might see a Fox News-style partisanship on UK screens? Apparently not. Paul Farrelly, Labour backbencher and former Observer business editor, asked this question of Culture...

7/30/2010: TELEVISION RADIO: &

6.00pm Scott Mills' Friday Floor Fillers 7.00 Annie Mac 9.00 Pete Tong 11.00 Judge Jules 1.00am Kutski 3.00 Radio 1's Essential Mix 5.00pm Liza Tarbuck 7.00 Desmond Carrington 8.00 Friday Night Is Music Night 10.00 The Arts Show Midnight Mark Lamarr...

7/30/2010: TELEVISION RADIO: More4

Relocation, Relocation Deal or No Deal: Hall of Fame (R,S). Noel Edmonds hosts the game show. Grand Designs (R,S). An architect designs an unusual home, in which everything is white and open-plan, using materials and systems more commonly seen in...

7/30/2010: GAMES&PUZZLES: KILLER SUDOKU

KILLER SUDOKU: Normal rules of Sudoku. In addition, the digits in each cage (marked by dots) must add up to the number in the top corner. Cages must not contain duplicates. See the solution on standardgames.co.uk TARGET: 40 mins.

7/30/2010: GAMES&PUZZLES: DIFFICULT SUDOKU

How to play Sudoku: Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 block contains the numbers 1 to 9.

7/30/2010: GAMES&PUZZLES: A FERRARI DRIVING EXPERIENCE

Courtesy of Buyagift.com, one of the UK's leading gift sites, discover the amazing combination of power, style and finesse with this fantastic Ferrari driving experience. These stunning supercars are renowned for their gracious handling and incredible...

7/30/2010: LETTERS: Sky won't save British comedy

SO Rupert Murdoch is now stepping in to save British TV comedy ... by commissioning new shows for Sky from Catherine Tate and Dawn French alongside US imports? After the axing of the UK Film Council and threats to a slew of arts companies, savage cuts...

7/30/2010: LETTERS: Get the Tube running properly

IN the 60 years I've used the Tube, it has only got worse. We all know it but dare not say it: the whole Underground must be fully shut down and rebuilt, line by line, using a one-way reconstruction system with staff and equipment coming in via one...

7/30/2010: LETTERS: Britain must not turn on Pakistan

DAVID Cameron's outburst against Pakistan for “exporting terror” on the first leg of his Indian tour in Bangalore was understandably a foreign policy gimmick to please his hosts — but at what cost? Almost every day I have been in London this summer, it...

7/30/2010: LETTERS: First impressions of Boris's bike scheme

THIS morning I tested out the new cycle hire scheme on my journey to work. I am lucky to be able to walk to work, but morning is usually a mad rush, as I drop the kids off to nursery first. By using the new bikes I was able to reduce my journey time,...

7/30/2010: MOTORING: POWER AND GLORY

IN a stunt that would have impressed even Evel Knievel, an Australian lunatic jumped across Tower Bridge — after it opened some 25 ft wide — on a motorcycle a year ago. Some said he was just showing off when, halfway over, Robbie Maddison also...

7/30/2010: MOTORING: MERIVA HITS THE ROAD FULLY LOADED

WHEN Vauxhall introduced its compact MPV, the Meriva, in 2003, it went on to sell 112,000 cars. But as a driver's car it was pretty mediocre — acceptable but hardly exciting. Now there's a new version, and not only has it grown in size — it will now...

7/30/2010: MOTORING: Taking the bull by its horns

After hearing that I'd dusted off my own 25-year-old bike licence, the guys at Red Bull asked me to have a go on one of their bikes — so I showed them a few tricks of my own. The pros do it in the air where, frankly, it's comparatively easy as there's...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Fergie hopes to score with flying youngster

SIR ALEX FERGUSON may be busy with Manchester United's pre - season pro - gramme but he'll still have one eye on the final day at Glorious Goodwood tomorrow, writes Geoff Lester. That's because the manager (right) is set to unleash exciting...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Murray finds it a struggle in bid to resume normal service

ANDY MURRAY admitted he was stretched on his return to action as he beat qualifier Tim Smyczek 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 in the second round of the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles last night. The match was the world No4's first since his straight sets defeat to...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Rumford capitalises in Howell's early howler

IT was quickly all change at the top when the Irish Open resumed in Killarney today — overnight leader David Howell double-bogeyed the first hole and 2004 winner Brett Rumford birdied the first two to take over. Howell, the former Ryder Cup ace who...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Aussie driver is not concerned about spat with team-mate because he is thinking further ahead in life. By

which curtailed his chances in Germany last weekend are a thing of the past and he is once more looking forward to doing battle with team-mate Sebastian Vettel — who was fastest in first practice this morning, finishing 0.130sec ahead of the Aussie —...

7/30/2010: SPORT: You cannot blame Ferrari for looking after their interests but F1 fans want to see a clean fight

IT HAS been a strange week to be the presenter of Formula One. I was unable to push a trolley around the supermarket or jump on the Tube without someone mentioning last Sunday's Ferrari furore. If you missed the German Grand Prix, let me recap. Lap 48...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Diego's home comforts

DIEGO MARADONA may have been the best player of his generation but he failed to reach similar heights as a manager. It was hardly a shock to see him being given the boot as Argentina coach after the way they were eliminated from the World Cup by...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Don't miss Massa at 15-2

WHAT a story it would be if Felipe Massa could secure a podium finish at the Hungaroring this weekend after his horror crash at the track 12 months ago. The Brazilian suffered a fractured skull during qualifying for last year's Hungarian Grand Prix...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Harry right to be keen on keeping Robbie

ROBBIE KEANE can look forward to some Premier League action after his impressive pre-season displays in America but he might not be playing for Tottenham. The striker, who has been linked with a move away from White Hart Lane, scored twice in two...

7/30/2010: SPORT: What a glorious feeling for Bernard as gamble pays off with bronze

MARTYN BERNARD had already defied the odds by making it to the European Athletics Championships, so the Briton wasn't afraid to gamble when it came to the crunch last night. And his bravery paid off as he clinched a bronze in the high jump, thanks to...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Arsenal back on radar with plenty of obstacles

AFTER a couple of post-World Cup weeks in which Premier League clubs embark upon a now annual globetrotting charm offensive, tomorrow marks Arsenal's first real opportunity to embrace this pre-season hullabaloo. It is with substantial irony that clubs...

7/30/2010: SPORT: EMIRATES CUP

The matches . . . Tomorrow Celtic v Lyon (2pm, live on Sky Sports 3) Arsenal v AC Milan (4.20pm, live on SS3) Sunday AC Milan v Lyon (2pm, live on SS3) Arsenal v Celtic (4.20pm, live on SS3) AC Milan Manager: Massimiliano Allegri League position:...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Robinho's anxious to stay out of City

ROBINHO does not want to return to England and is desperate for Santos to buy him from Manchester City. The Brazil forward failed to live up to his £32.5million price tag at City but has thrived at Santos, where his loan spell has just...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Hodgson salutes Euro hero Ngog

ROY HODGSON hailed the performance of David Ngog after the Frenchman's double got the new Liverpool manager's reign off to a winning start last night. Ngog struck twice as the Reds beat FK Rabotnicki 2-0 in their Europa League qualifier in...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Fayed: Hughes can take Fulham forward

FULHAM chairman Mohamed Fayed believes the club will grow with Mark Hughes in charge. Hughes agreed to take over from Roy Hodgson last night and Fayed said: “He understands my vision for the club and believes in what we want to achieve. “We have...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Chelsea's young cup kings taught lesson

CHELSEA, fielding seven of the side who won the FA Youth Cup, crashed 5-1 at League Two Wycombe last night. They were undone by substitute Jon-Paul Pittman, who hit a hat-trick in just four minutes. Chelsea's reserve-team Steve Holland boss said:...

7/30/2010: SPORT: WEEKEND FIXTURES

(3pm unless stated) Tonight: Cheltenham v Wolves (7.45), Brentford v Crystal Palace (8.0). Tomorrow: Accrington Stanley v Blackburn XI (7.30), Aston Villa v Feyenoord (9.15), Burnley v Stoke, Cambridge Utd v Leyton Orient, Derby v Birmingham,...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Harris' decade of service is one worth celebrating

TO MANY, the concept of a testimonial is no more than a self-indulgent anachronism that is typical of the greed in today's game. But there is no doubt that the one granted by Millwall to Neil Harris is thoroughly deserved. “The tough times make...

7/30/2010: SPORT: England suffer

Cricket brought to you in association with PAUL COLLINGWOOD missed out on his 11th Test match hundred today as Pakistan also picked up the wicket of centurion Eoin Morgan . Collingwood had added only one to his overnight score of 81 when he was given...

7/30/2010: SPORT: If selectors want a recipe for success in the Ashes, then add some ginger

THERE'S no team that you couldn't improve by the addition of a short, pugnacious ginger bloke. Okay, maybe not in basketball. But still. Think about it. What have sides containing Billy Bremner, Martyn Williams, Paul Scholes, Alan Ball, Shaun Pollock*,...

7/30/2010: SPORT: KP is under pressure to deliver after his latest fall from grace, says Vaughan

KEVIN PIETERSEN'S right to be regarded as England's No1 batsman still just about holds up statistically. But these are worrying times for a player who suddenly does not know where his next century is coming from. After 63 Tests, Pietersen's average r...

7/30/2010: SPORT: Cricket today

LV County Ch'ship, Div 1 — Rose Bowl: Lancs 262-8 v Hants. Canterbury: Kent 360-6 v Essex. Taunton: Somerset 423-6 v Notts. Div 2 — Grace Road: Leics 204, Sussex 128-4. Lord's: Surrey 167, Middx 179-2. New Road: Worcs 287, Northants 3-1. Cheltenham:...

7/30/2010: SPORT: PROTECTION for BUSINESS

have relished the opportunity of bowling at Australia in the five one-day internationals earlier in the summer. The decision to ease the load on Broad is perhaps more justifiable. The 24-year-old is important to this team in all three forms of the...