Britannia Radio

Record jump in unemployment sees jobless total pass 2m

Unemployment in Britain surged past the 2m mark yesterday as the number of people claiming benefits rose by 138,400 in February – the biggest monthly rise since records began in 1971. The jobless figure now stands at 2.03m and the unemployment rate is now 6.5 per cent of the...[continued]

Natasha Richardson dies

Actress Natasha Richardson has died of head injuries following a skiing accident in Canada. Richardson, 45, the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and wife of actor Liam Neeson, fell on a beginners' slope at Mont Tremblant in Quebec on Monday. She died in a New York hospital, close...[continued]

Josef Fritzl to be sentenced

Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who locked his daughter in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children by her, will be sentenced today for murder, rape, incest, slavery, false imprisonment and coercion. He dramatically changed his pleas midway through his trial on the murder and slavery charges... [continued]

Fed begins quantitative easing

The US Federal Reserve has embarked on a policy of quantitative easing, following the lead of the Bank of England, in a new attempt to shore up America's economy. The Fed said that it would purchase up to $300bn of Treasury bonds over the next six months. The radical... [continued]

BAA told to sell Gatwick, Stansted

The Competition Commission has ruled that airport operater BAA must sell Gatwick and Stansted airports after publishing the final report of its two-year investigation. The commission has also told BAA, which currently owns seven airports, that it must also sell either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport. The investigation into... [continued]

Hodgson walks free after 27 years

Sean Hodgson, who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, walked free from court yesterday after it was disclosed that a "disgraceful" forensics error prevented his release 11 years ago. Speaking on the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice in London Hodgson was...[continued]