Italians are losing taste for pasta as price rises begin to bite 2008-05-08 06:01 - The Mediterranean diet is under threat in the country that invented it as
rising prices for staples such as pasta, bread, fruit and vegetables alter
Italian eating habits. The Confedera-zione Italiana Agricoltori (CIA), the
Italian farmers’ confederation, said that Italians were eating “chicken
pieces instead of pasta, fried foods instead of vegetables and cheese
instead of fruit”. Even wine sales have fallen by nearly 5 per cent.
Rice prices hit records amid Burmese disaster 2008-05-08 06:01 - The cyclone that has devastated Burma is not only set to push world rice
prices higher but may have jeopardised the country’s long-term ability to
feed its own population, Asian food experts say.
Rift over taxes likely to send big firms to pastures green 2008-05-08 06:01 - The last thing that the Government needs is another huge row over taxation,
coming on the heels of a thrashing in the local elections and while the
nasty whiff of nondoms and capital gains tax (CGT) still hangs in the air.
Yet, as each day passes, the cauldron that is the Treasury’s proposals on
taxation of foreign income looks dangerously close to boiling over.
Vodafone’s rocky road to fame and fortune in India 2008-05-08 06:01 - I am probably going to get into trouble for this, but I do not immediately
associate India with advanced standards of animal welfare. There. I’ve said
it. But Vodafone is in trouble over a frequently aired advert, which, it is
claimed, involves cruelty to a dog. The pooch, Rocky by name, is seen
chasing after a bus to deliver a tie to its owner, and the Animal Welfare
Board of India told Vodafone to pull the ad, saying that the pug dog was
forced to run and threatening legal action.
SEC pushes US banks to hold capital protection 2008-05-08 05:25 - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is forcing American banks to
secure more capital for longer periods to protect themselves from even more
drastic events than the collapse of a US investment house.
Former UBS employee assists US in tax probe 2008-05-08 05:25 - American authorities are being assisted by a former employee of UBS as part of
their inquiry into whether the Swiss bank helped wealthy US clients evade US
tax.
