The Evening Standard (London, England) back issues from December 2008:
Sacked at last: the chief who failed Baby P ; (1) [pounds]100,000 boss who refused to accept blame is forced out (2) Two councillors quit over 'devastating' report into death .. (3) Minister says Haringey should not give her a penny(4) Now every NHS trust must review policies
Dec 01, 2008; ... THE social services chief who refused to quit over Baby P lastmonth was sacked this afternoon by Children's Minister Ed Balls. Sharon Shoesmith was stripped of her [pounds]100,000-a-year postafter a "devastating" report found she had failed in her statutoryduty to protect ...
Officers at heart of case both bidding to be Met chief
Dec 01, 2008; ... THE two senior Scotland Yard officers at the centre of the DamianGreen inquiry are vying against each other to be the next MetCommissioner. Deputy Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson, who took temporarycharge of the force today, and anti- terrorism chief Bob Quick, whoauthorised the ...
Repeated failures that put children in danger
Dec 01, 2008; ... A "CATALOGUE of failings" by individuals and public bodies letdown Baby P. Today's devastating report found the very system charged withkeeping children safe was riddled with faults and errors. "This inspection has identified a number of serious concerns inrelation to ...
Arrogance of not saying sorry sealed Shoesmith's fate
Dec 01, 2008; ... BRANDED "arrogant" and accused of "abysmal indifference", SharonShoesmith has earned herself over the past few weeks the unenviabletitle of Britain's most detested public official. The fate of Mrs Shoesmith, who earned about [pounds]100,000 ayear as head of Haringey's social ...
Mortgage bills will drop as 1% interest rate cut predicted
Dec 01, 2008; ... MORTGAGE bills for hundreds of thousands of London homeowners areset to be slashed again this week. Most City economists are convinced the Bank of England will cutits official base rate by another full percentage point to a record-equalling two per cent on Thursday. It ...
Man, 30, is fatally stabbed in Islington ; NEWS IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... A MURDER investigation has been launched after a man was stabbedfatally in north London. The 30-yearold victim was attacked inHavelock Street, Islington, on Friday at about ...
Police name man shot at cathedral ; NEWS IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... THE MAN shot dead by police outside a Surrey cathedral was namedtoday as David Sycamore. Mr Sycamore, 39, of Southway, was shot at 3pm at ...
Bidders take a look at Land of Leather ; RETAIL
Dec 01, 2008; ... STRUGGLING furniture stores chain Land of Leather today confirmedit has received early takeover interest, but also warned thattrading has recently become even worse. Shares in the group rose 2 3/4p to 9 1/4p, valuing it at about[pounds]3 million. Less than two years ago, the shares ...
Moss Bros heads for red after sales sag ; RETAIL
Dec 01, 2008; ... MOSS Bros today admitted sales have collapsed, and it will plungedeeply into the red this year just days after rag trade billionaireSir Philip Green turned a [pounds]1 million profit trading shares inthe company. A profit warning from the struggling suits seller and ...
Miller still waiting for answers
Dec 01, 2008; ... ENGLAND selector Geoff Miller is hoping "as many as possible"members of Kevin Pietersen's squad will want to return to India thisweek, writes David Lloyd. The selection panel face the task of picking replacements if theTest tour goes ahead because some players may refuse to travel ...
Delon's keen to solve dilemma
Dec 01, 2008; ... HAVING confirmed his arrival as England's new full-back, DelonArmitage must now convince London Irish to let him play in thatposition to keep his place in the national squad. Under rules governing the 32-strong elite squad chosen by teammanager Martin Johnson, a player could lose ...
Lipman cited for 'stamping'
Dec 01, 2008 ... MICHAEL LIPMAN has been ordered to appear before a disciplinarypanel having been cited by the TV match official for stamping on aNew Zealand opponent. The Bath captain played 58 minutes of the 32-6 defeat by the AllBlacks and will have his hearing this week. England chiefs ...
Nicholls turns to Fergie as doubts over Thomas grow
Dec 01, 2008; ... PAUL NICHOLLS is set to call on Sir Alex Ferguson for advice onhow to restore the confidence of stable jockey Sam Thomas. Ferguson has horses in training with Nicholls and the Ditcheathandler will sound out the Manchester United boss after a series ofsetbacks hit Thomas since he ...
Gunners star admits goal was 'a bit offside'
Dec 01, 2008; ... ARSENAL hero Robin van Persie has admitted his controversialequaliser that put the Gunners on track for a shock victory atStamford Bridge was "a little bit offside" but claims it was justicefor a goal against Chelsea that was ruled out three years ago. Blues coach Luiz Felipe ...
World markets take new pummelling ; NEWS IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... SHARES worldwide today suffered some of their sharpest falls fora week. Poor manufacturing figures in the UK and the US added to thegrowing conviction that the recession could be ...
Banks set to seize control as New Star shares crash ; FUND MANAGEMENT
Dec 01, 2008; ... SHARES in debt-ridden New Star Asset Management crashed as muchas 70% today amid crisis talks that could see its banks seizecontrol. John Duffield's struggling group said it was in "advanced andconstructive discussions" over its crippling [pounds]230 millionmountain of ...
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Dec 01, 2008 ... 'We do want to have a somewhat more intrusive approach toregulation' ...
Industrial output shrinking rapidly ; NEWS IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... BRITISH manufacturing is in a worse state than in the lastrecession, figures revealed today. The Purchasing Managers Index hit 34.4, indicating a sector indeep ...
Mandelson at centre of 'ditch the pound' storm
Dec 01, 2008; ... GORDON BROWN and Peter Mandelson today appeared at odds over theeuro after a bombshell claim that ministers were ready to dump thepound. It emerged that the Business Secretary told a Progress Grouprally on Saturday that it was still his "goal" for Britain to adoptthe ...
I did handcuff male escort, says George
Dec 01, 2008; ... BOY GEORGE admitted to the police that he had handcuffed a maleescort to his bed and threatened him but "certainly wasn't going tokill him", a court heard today. Jurors were played a recording of officers interviewing the ex-pop star after escort Audun Carlsen, 29, accused the ...
One small price for man: City banker's 'bargain' space trip ; LOCAL LONDON
Dec 01, 2008 ... ISLINGTON: A banker is set to become the world's first"affordable" space tourist. Per Wimmer will tomorrow be announced asthe first customer of private space tourism company Xcor. In 2010, he hopes to fly to 200,000 feet in the Lynx, a two-seatjet-powered spaceplane built by the ...
'Ugly' judge defeats her mother in libel battle
Dec 01, 2008; ... A MOTHER lost a libel case today against her barrister daughterwho claimed she had suffered a childhood of neglect and cruelty. Constance Briscoe, a part-time judge, made the claims in herbook, Ugly. Her mother, Carmen Briscoe-Mitchell, 74, said the allegationswere a "piece ...
Treasury steps in as lender collapses
Dec 01, 2008; ... AS many as 10,000 savers had to be rescued by the Government thismorning as subprime lender London Scottish Bank collapsed. In an unusual move, the Treasury said it would guarantee saversover and above the [pounds]50,000 limit as it did when two Icelandicbanks with internet savings ...
Gordon will lead us to the promised land
Dec 01, 2008 ... LORD Mandelson has not always been the staunchest supporter of Gordon Brown but he declared over the weekend: People really do lookto him like some Moses figure who is going to lead them away fromthis economic mess to the promised land. At least Brown didnt makethe claim for himself, ...
Uh-oh, here come Sir Ians diaries
Dec 01, 2008 ... NEWS that Sir Ian Blair is in the process of negotiating a bookdeal for his memoirs worth an estimated [pounds]150,000 breaks withtradition when it comes to former Met Commissioners. Blair, by all accounts an assiduous diarist, is thought to havekept a contemporaneous account of ...
Orphan cries out for parents at service for Jewish victims
Dec 01, 2008; ... MOSHE HOLTZBERG, two-year old orphan of the Rabbi and his wifekilled by terrorists in a Mumbai Jewish complex, was at the centreof an emotionally charged service today at one of the city'ssynagogues. Held by his grieving grandmother, he cried out "Ima" and "Dada",Hebrew for ...
A just sacking
Dec 01, 2008 ... THE Children's Secretary, Ed Balls, has responded to theindependent report on the death of Baby P by sacking the woman incharge of Haringey's Social Services department, Sharon Shoesmith.The report was both authoritative conducted by Ofsted, theHealthcare Commission and the Inspectorate ...
Zimbabwe to speed up farm seizures ; WORLD IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... A STATE newspaper in Zimbabwe says the government rejects aninternational court ruling to halt its policy of land seizures.Today's Herald ...
Police quiz Croatia Facebook critic ; WORLD IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... A MAN who started a Facebook group that criticised Croatia'sprime minister was questioned by police for three hours. A pictureshowed ...
The public are being terrorised and tourism is being strangled ; WEBWORLD VIEW FROM THAILAND
Dec 01, 2008 ... THE People's Alliance for Democracy's blockade of the motorwayentrance to Suvarnabhumi airport is a wrong and unnecessary move. It only serves to hurt ordinary Thais going about their businessand foreigners coming to Thailand on vacation or business. According to Apichart ...
Thailand protesters switch to all-out blockade of airports
Dec 01, 2008; ... PROTESTERS stepped up their siege of Bangkok's two main airportstoday as the authorities struggled to deal with an estimated 300,000stranded travellers. In a switch of tactics, the People's Alliance for Democracy toldmembers who have been occupying the prime minister's office ...
Four more stores go in JJB debt cut ; RETAIL
Dec 01, 2008; ... FEARS for the future of JJB Sports were growing today as theleisure retailer offloaded another four stores to fierce rivalSports World, owned by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley. JJB sank [pounds]10 million into the red two months ago, causingauditors Deloitte to question whether ...
Ben banks on dress to be a Quintessential purchase ; CITY SPY cityspy@standard.co.uk
Dec 01, 2008 ... WITH Tiffany's reporting plummeting profits and even Hermesfeeling the pinch, it might seem an odd time to launch a luxuryfashion line. But Ben Eliot, Camilla Parker Bowles' nephew, has doneexactly that. The newest arm of his concierge empire,Quintessentially Bespoke, includes a dress ...
HSBC to cut 500 staff in UK
Dec 01, 2008 ... HSBC is cutting 500 jobs in its UK operations, with most of theposts which are being axed based in or around London. The bank, which trades on the High Street as HSBC but alsoincludes First Direct and M& S Money, said it had reviewed itsbusiness in the light of current economic ...
Oil slides after Opec fails to agree cuts
Dec 01, 2008; ... OIL prices fell by more than dollar today after exportercountries within Opec failed to agree on production cuts at theirweekend meeting in Cairo. The cartel's secretary general said he expects that a furthermeeting later this month in Algeria will lead to cuts in ...
Dudley bows out as TNK jobs are axed ; Energy
Dec 01, 2008; ... Beleaguered TNK-BP chief executive robert dudley finally resignedtoday in accordance with a shareholder agreement signed inSeptember. The move comes as reports in Moscow said the firm is to fire 20%of its main-office staff, many British, prior to a new chief comingin. The ...
Woolies owes snack firm Zetar [pounds]970,000 ; NEWS IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... SNACKS and confectionery group Zetar today said it is owed[pounds]970,000 by Woolworths after it was put into administrationlast week. Zetar said it was saddened by ...
BayernLB grabs a stronger lifeline ; NEWS IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... STATE-owned German bank BayernLB has tapped into the governmentrescue fund for EUR 10 billion ([pounds]8.4 billion), EUR 3 millionmore than it originally ...
Chanmugam is new BT finance director ; NEWS IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... BT today appointed Tony Chanmugam as its new finance director. Hesucceeds Hanif Lalani, parachuted in to run BT Global last monthafter a ...
Industrial output shrinking rapidly ; NEWS IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... BRITISH manufacturing is in a worse state than it was in the lastrecession, figures revealed today. The Purchasing Managers Index has recorded a figure of 34.4,indicating a ...
Debt barrier to a bid by Aberdeen
Dec 01, 2008 ... ABERDEEN Asset Management today refused to rule itself out ofbidding for New Star. Asked if he was interested in rescuing his troubled rival,Aberdeen chief executive Martin Gilbert said: "We are not rulingourselves in our out. We are watching what's happening." Analystssaid there ...
Duffield fury over suspension blunder
Dec 01, 2008 ... NEW STAR Asset Management was at loggerheads with marketregulators today after its request to suspend the shares wasrejected. The troubled fund manager told the City at 7am it had asked forits shares to be froze, thinking the UK Lis ting Authority part ofthe Financial Services ...
New Star on critical list as shares plunge 70% ; FUND MANAGEMENT
Dec 01, 2008; ... SHARES in debt-ridden New Star Asset Management crashed 70% todayamid crisis talks with its banks. John Duffield's struggling group said it was in "advanced andconstructive discussions" over its crippling [pounds]230 millionmountain of debt. Any deal is likely to involve a ...
Bidders take a look at Land of Leather ; RETAIL
Dec 01, 2008; ... STRUGGLING furniture stores chain Land of Leather today confirmedit has received early takeover interest, but also warned thattrading has recently become even worse. Shares in the group rose 3 1/2p to 10p, valuing it at just[pounds]3.5 million. Less than two years ago, the shares ...
Moss Bros heads for red after sales sag ; RETAIL
Dec 01, 2008; ... MOSS Bros today admitted sales have collapsed, and it will plungedeeply into the red this year just days after rag trade billionaireSir Philip Green turned a [pounds]1 million profit trading shares inthe company. A profit warning from the struggling suits seller and ...
It's dark for the miners despite broker backing ; MARKET ROUND-UP
Dec 01, 2008; ... BROKERS take the view that mining shares must be worth a puntbecause they have fallen so far already this year. But there is precious little cheer out there at the moment todrive their rating higher. Take Xstrata, for instance. Shares in the Anglo-Swiss mininggiant today fell ...
Simpson quits as Watford are thrown into disarray
Dec 01, 2008 ... GRAHAM SIMPSON today resigned as chairman of Watford throwing theChampionship club into further turmoil. The former actor (below) and lifelong fan has been in charge atVicarage Road for six years and oversaw Watford's promotion to thePremier League in 2006. But the club ...
Mortgage bills will drop as 1% interest rate cut predicted
Dec 01, 2008; ... MORTGAGE bills for hundreds of thousands of London homeowners areset to be slashed again this week. Most City economists are convinced the Bank of England will cutits official base rate by another full percentage point to a record-equalling two per cent on Thursday. It ...
Monty accused of wayward driving ; NEWS IN BRIEF
Dec 01, 2008 ... GOLFER Colin Montgomerie is to appear in court today on speedingcharges. The 45- year-old, allegedly broke a 40 mph limit inKingston, ...
Fact: explosion rocks industrial estate where The Office was set
Dec 01, 2008; ... AN explosion today ripped through a factory on an industrialestate famous for being the set for TV comedy The Office. The force of the blast at Eastbourne Road, Slough, just after10am, was so severe that a large oxygen tank in the building blewoutside and landed on two cars in the ...
Sir Paul on list of 11 candidates for Commissioner post
Dec 01, 2008; ... THE MET Deputy Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has put his nameforward to become Britain's top police officer. Sir Paul made the move despite speculation he might decide not toapply at the last minute after he was personally criticised over theTory MP Damian Green inquiry ....
Defiant police to press on with MP leak investigation ; .. .. Further arrests possible in probe .. .. Yard chiefs surprised by furore
Dec 01, 2008; ... POLICE investigating Tory MP Damian Green are to push ahead withtheir inquiry, raising the possibility of further arrests, itemerged today. Senior officers held urgent talks at Scotland Yard this morningto discuss the case in the wake of the barrage of criticism frompoliticians ...
Green sweeps for bugs after 'tampering'
Dec 01, 2008; ... DAMIAN GREEN today called in security experts after suspectingthat his personal computer was tampered with by police. In a dramatic move, the Conservative frontbencher asked for hiscar, two homes and offices in London and his Kent constituency to beswept for bugs. A private ...
Gunners star admits goal was 'a bit offside'
Dec 01, 2008; ... ARSENAL hero Robin van Persie has admitted his controversialequaliser that put the Gunners on track for a shock victory atStamford Bridge was "a little bit offside" but claims it was justicefor a goal against Chelsea that was ruled out three years ago. Blues coach Luiz Felipe ...
Miller still waiting for answers
Dec 01, 2008; ... ENGLAND selector Geoff Miller is hoping "as many as possible"members of Kevin Pietersen's squad will want to return to India thisweek, writes David Lloyd. The selection panel face the task of picking replacements if theTest tour goes ahead because some players may refuse to travel ...
England fury at ref Rolland
Dec 01, 2008 ... ENGLISH rugby chiefs are upset by Irish referee Alain Rolland'shandling of the New Zealand game, during which he sent four Englandplayers to the sin bin. With match officials taking charge of Six Nations encounters tobe announced on 12 December, there are suggestions within the ...
Baby P council chief is sacked ; [pounds]100,000 boss should not be given a penny, insist ministers ..Two councillors resign as report shows litany of failings ..
Dec 01, 2008; ... HARINGEY'S director of children's services was sacked todayfollowing a report into the death of Baby P which found she hadfailed in her statutory duty to protect children. Children's Secretary Ed Balls intervened to strip SharonShoesmith of her [pounds]100,000-a-year post. Haringey ...
Rebel Drogba told: You're staying at Stamford Bridge ; Kenyon blocks any hope striker had of leaving in transfer window
Dec 01, 2008; ... CHELSEA chief executive Peter Kenyon today insisted Didier Drogbawill not be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge in January. The 30-year-old striker reportedly met with an Inter Milanofficial last week, leading to suggestions he could join formerBlues manager Jose Mourinho at the ...
MOST READ ON STANDARD.CO.UK
Dec 01, 2008 ... 1BABY P REPORT A damning report into the death of Baby Phighlights a "litany of failings" by Haringey social services2MUGGED MOTHER A pregnant woman tells how she gave birth hours afterbeing mugged outside her Hampstead home 3 FILM AWARDS A teenagerfrom Harrow is named most promising ...
Tourists warned to stay out of flood-hit Venice
Dec 01, 2008; ... TOURISTS were urged to stay away from Venice today as the cityexperienced its worst flooding in 30 years. A combination of heavy rain and high winds led to the sea risingto 1.56 metres swamping St Mark's Square and f looding f loors andbasements of homes and shops. Officials ...
The arrogance of not saying sorry set the seal on her fate
Dec 01, 2008; ... BRANDED "arrogant" and accused of "abysmal indifference", SharonShoesmith has earned herself over the past few weeks the unenviabletitle of Britain's most detested public official. The fate of Mrs Shoesmith, who earned about [pounds]100,000 ayear as head of Haringey's social ...
Mandelson at centre of 'ditch the pound' row
Dec 01, 2008; ... GORDON BROWN and Peter Mandelson today appeared at odds over theeuro after a bombshell claim that ministers were ready to dump thepound. It emerged that the Business Secretary told a Progress Grouprally on Saturday that it was still his "goal" for Britain to adoptthe ...
Nicholls turns to Fergie as doubts over Thomas grow
Dec 01, 2008; ... PAUL NICHOLLS is set to call on Sir Alex Ferguson for advice onhow to restore the confidence of his stable jockey Sam Thomas. Ferguson has horses in training with Nicholls and the championjumps trainer will sound out the Manchester United boss after aseries of setbacks that have ...
Civil servant 'hacked son of ex-lover to death in revenge'
Dec 01, 2008; ... A BITTER civil servant killed his former lover's son in a revengeattack, the Old Bailey heard today. University student Michael Jones, 18, was hacked and bludgeonedto death because Gerard Tony Paul, 46, thought the teenager stood inthe way of the relationship, it was ...
Under doctors' care, Mumbai gunman who carried out hospital attack
Dec 01, 2008; ... THIS is the face of the only gunman captured in the Mumbai terrorattacks. Azam Amir Kasab, is seen in an undated photograph released byMumbai police today, lying on a bed beside medical equipment at anundisclosed location in the city. Kasab, 21, and an accomplice took part in ...