Muslim separatists have been blamed for death of at least 140 people after riots emerged in China’s Xingjiang.

In a report released by the official Xinhua news agency, hundreds of rioters have been arrested after Uighurs charged the capital’s streets on Sunday, armed with rocks; some even took to smashing and burning vehicles. The Uighurs also confronted anti-riot police.     

Chinese government officials have said that this unrest was the planned work of extremist forces overseas-this may lead to a stronger security crackdown in the regions near Pakistan and central Asia.

According to a report released by the Telegraph an unnamed Chinese official has claimed that the “unrest was masterminded by the World Uighur Congress led by Rebiya Kadeer.” Kadeer is a Uighur Business woman who is currently residing in the USA under exile after spending a number of years in jail.  

This is not however, the first time that the government has cited the cause of riots to a conspiracy by exiled rebels- the Tibetan areas faced the same allegations in March of last year.

This religious unrest and ethnic tension has been a continuous underlining tension throughout China’s growth and has been seen as a threat to the country’s growing political and economic position in the west.

Xinjiang is known internationally as the gateway to China’s energy and trade relations with central Asia as the areas itself is rich in minerals and farm produce – security measure could very well jeapordise this relationship.

The China Daily has reported that the number of protestors had reached up to approximately 500, but according to the Telegraph the exiled Uyghur American Association had calculated almost 3,000 rioters.

Of the 20 million people residing in Xinjiang almost half are Uighurs- the city is now under tight police security- even during normal hours.

The international Music industry has faced its biggest shock this week with the sudden demise of Michael Jackson. The 50 year old music legend reportedly suffered a heart attack in his LA home on Thursday 25^th June 2009.

Jackson was rushed to the UCLA Medical Centre where both doctors and paramedics continually tried to resuscitate the star before he was pronounced dead 2 hours later.

With the rising anticipation of his comeback tour, many fans were shocked to hear the king of pop had reached his untimely end before his ‘last curtain call’. In a press conference earlier this year Michael Jackson delivered the news that after years of touring and recording music this would be his final performance. Coroners have concluded that intense routine practices and prescription drugs were the leading causes to his death.

Fans have been truly devastated by the stars sudden death, with many leaving tributes outside his home and messages on his fan site (www.mjfanclub.net) one message read: “Our hearts are broken. We are overwhelmed with sadness. The MJFC Team sends our heartfelt condolences to Michael’s children, his parents and his siblings. We will ALWAYS remember the extraordinary talent of the entertainer and the gentle soul of the man.”

So in loving memory of one of the most influential stars of our generation here at baitmag we decided to take a look back on the life of one of the world’s greatest entertainers:

Career:

Michael Joseph Jackson was a recording artist, business man, entertainer and seventh child of the Jackson family. Michael first appeared on our screens as the youngest member of the Jackson 5.  The band produced many hits including Blame it on the Boogie, I’ll be there, ABC and the Love you save.  The Jackson 5 were the first act in recorded history to have their first four singles reach the top of the American charts. They were also the first black teen idols to appeal to all audiences (many believed this was thanks to the promotional skills of Motown CEO Berry Gordy).

By 1989 the band had signed up with Epic records and had produced hits including Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) and State of Shock. But on their final album 2300 Jackson Street the absence of Michael and Marlon led to great decline in record sales, the band never formally announced any sort of split but made appearances on Michael’s Tribute concerts in 2001.

Jackson 5

Before the bands last album Michael had begun working on his own solo career; it was here that the Kings true reign on music began. 1982 saw the release of one of the greatest albums of all time, Thriller. Even today the album is heralded  as the World’s bestselling album of all time. He also produced four other studio albums that are amongst the world’s best selling records: Off the Wall (1979) Bad (1987) Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995)

It was not long before the 1980′s was declared as Jackson’s era. By this point he had become a prominent figure in popular music and was the first African American entertainer to create a strong crossover in to MTV, after the music station began to broadcast his videos. To this day many people accredit Jackson for taking music videos that were used as mere promotional tools and turning them into an art form. He brought MTV into the spotlight- videos such as Scream and Black or White made Jackson a key staple on the station all throughout the 1990s. The success of his sell out tours and music videos meant Jackson was able to popularize a number of physically complicated dance routines including the robot and his infamous Moonwalk. His vocal styling’s and distinct musical sound influenced a generation of R&B and Hip Hop artists- who still use his music as their templates.

He was one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as well as setting a number of records in the Guinness World Records  one of which includes the “Most successful Entertainer of All Time”. With 13 Grammy Awards, and 13 Number 1 Singles in his solo career alone, Jackson was able to amass 750 million record sales worldwide. Before his sudden demise, Jackson was preparing for his show entitled This is it; a series of 50 concerts that would have been held in London beginning July 13, 2009.

His Personal Life:

From a young age Michael was pushed into the spotlight and forced to face public scrutiny,  not just from his fans but from the world press. Throughout his career Jackson was plagued by numerous reports about his eccentric nature- with the tabloids dubbing him Wacko Jacko. He constantly battled with prescription drugs and an unusual obsession with plastic surgery.

On stage Michael was enigmatic and outgoing, but off stage, Jackson was a  reclusive and very self conscience man. After years of criticism he decided to go the knife to ‘improve’ his physical appearance. Some believe that one of the mains reasons behind all the surgery was his father;  throughout his life Jackson spoke about his repressed childhood and expressed a certain degree of resentment towards his father for it. So in an attempt to distance himself from his father and childhood he began to reinvent himself (and create a new beginning) through plastic surgery. 

Jackson also faced a lot disapproval from the African American community after he was diagnosed with a skin disorder- many people believed that he was using skin bleaches to distance himself from his roots:

“I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of my skin, it’s something that I cannot help, OK?”

Despite all of this, his fans still loved his eccentric nature- but the controversy he generated damaged his image in the press immensely. The most prominent issue that shadowed his career was his ‘inappropriate’ relationship with children. In 1993 Jackson was brought to court over a child sexual abuse case. The criminal investigation was soon dropped due to a lack of evidence. The singer constantly faced health concerns in the late 1990s and was continually criticised for the bad state of his finances – by the end he was reported to have collected a debt of $500 million.  Much of his wealth was spent creating his Neverland ranch; a home that helped him re-create a childhood he never had:

Changing Faces of Michael Jackson

“I wanted to have a place that I could create everything that I that I never had as a child. So, you see rides. You see animals. There’s a movie heatre.”

In 2005 Jackson was again tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges. Michael Jackson fought against the allegations, pleading with the courts and press that his intentions with children were always pure. After the trial Jackson decided to cut himself off from the world as much as possible- so that he would never be caught in any sort of negative situation again.

“Before I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists”

Jackson also donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundations, charity singles, and support of 39 charities. He supported a number of children’s charitites and did all he could to help them.

So irregardless of what  his personal life was, his loyal fans continued to follow him to the very end.  His music will continue to live on in generations to come and will continue to change the face of music. For those who are mourning his passing here are some final words from the king himself:

“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.“

RIP Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009)

Following a surprise election defeat Tehran has been the scene of violent outburst and disturbances as demonstrators show their outrage at the election of Mr Ahamadinjad.

Mr Ahmedinjad’s opponent Mir Hossein Mousavi claims he was a victim of ‘fraud and manipulation’ after receiving only 33.7 per cent of the public vote in comparison to Mr Ahmedinejaad’s 62.6 per cent.

At this point there is no evidence to suggest that the election was rigged in anyway, but many Iranians are still in disbelief about the wide margin of defeat.

In the run up to the election many polls had placed both candidates on par with one another, with many predicting a shock defeat for Mr Ahmedinejad- due to his negative attitude towards the west and poor economic record.

Washington was in hopes that Mr Hossein Mousavi would win the presidency, as US President Barack Obama had begun organising plans on how to bring Iran back from 30 years of diplomatic isolation from the West. Mr Mousavi’s presidency would have also opened up negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme, which is currently seen as a major threat to the regional peace of the Middle East.

In a recent report released by the Telegraph, the re-election of Mr Ahmadinejad (a son of a blacksmith, who has collected a populist gathering from his approach to strict Islamic codes of conduct) has been welcomed back in to power by many of his political allies abroad.

One of his allies, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, was the first to congratulate the president. In a statement he said the Victory:  ”represents the feeling and commitment of the Iranian people to building a new world,”

Israeli Officials on the other hand, have described the result as very worrying, as it could lead Iran into a confrontation with the West- in particular over its nuclear weapons programme.

Israel’s deputy foreign ministry spokesman, Danny Ayalon, said: “With the results of the election in Iran, the international community must stop a nuclear Iran and Iranian terror immediately. If there was a shadow of a hope for change in Iran, the renewed choice of Ahmadinejad expresses more than anything the growing Iranian threat.”

Following the results a great darkness has fallen over the capital, Tehran. Sources have said they have not seen such uprising since Iran’s student protest in 1999.

Whilst police do their best to calm the crowds, Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khan has urged the nation to follow the elected leader saying the results were caused by : “divine assessment.”

This week the news has been dominated by the recent reports surrounding the Airbus A330. The plane was travelling from Brazil to Paris when it encountered harsh weather- and disappeared from radar screens.

Today Military aircrafts and warships from Brazil and France are continuing to search large areas of the Atlantic for any signs of the Air France jet- which disappeared with 228 passengers on board.

The French environment minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, told France Info radio that it was “a race against time” to find the wreckage of the flight.

Borloo said the plane’s black box would emit information for only 30 days and needed to be found as soon as possible.

He did however, express concern that the search operation would be extremely difficult because the current is strong and the water is very deep. Further complications have also arisen because of uncertainty surrounding the time the jet went down.

French minister for transport, Dominique Bussereau, warned that the investigation could be lengthy, he said: “It could be a few days, a few weeks or a few months.”

Representatives from the airline have said the 12-member crew (including a 58-year-old pilot who had worked for it since 1988) were all highly experienced.

The families of passengers stayed the night in hotels at Charles de Gaulle airport, paid for by Air France.

Borloo said that relatives could eventually go to the crash zone if they wanted to.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has released a statement in which he said he will invite the families of the passengers to the Elysée palace on Monday.

François Brousse, of Air France, claimed that several of the plane’s mechanisms malfunctioned, which in turn made it difficult for the plane to make contact with air traffic control. Some have gone on further to speculate the jet was struck by lightening.

 If the tragic conclusion turns out that there are no survivors, it will be documented as the world’s worst aviation disaster since 2001, and the deadliest in Air France’s 75-year history.

A minute’s silence will be observed at France’s friendly football match against Nigeria today, when the French players will wear black armbands.

Passengers on the aircraft included 61 French citizens and 58 Brazilians, as well as 26 Germans and at least a dozen other nationalities.

The 12 crew members were French, while seven children and a baby were aboard.

Patricia Coakley from Whityby (North Yorkshire) conducted an interview with Sky News; she believed her husband, Arthur was on the flight after completing a four-week program on a Brazilian oil rig.

“He was very excited about seeing his children and going on holiday to Corfu on Friday,” she told Sky News.

“My only hope is I keep phoning his mobile … it rings, so it can’t be at the bottom of the sea.

“I have three distraught children … we hope daddy will be coming home soon.”

Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi has pleaded not guilty to charges of breaching her house arrest.

Suu Kyi was accused of breaking the terms of house arrest by allowing American John Yettaw to stay at her home without permission; at present Yettaw’s motives remain unclear

The weak opposition leader entered her plea as the court prepared to hand down a verdict that could see her imprisoned for up to five years. She has been in detention without trial for over 13 of the past 19 years.

Suu Kyi’s lawyer has reported that the presiding judge, Thaung Nyunt declared the court accepted she had broken the terms of her house arrest, and asked the opposition leader if she was guilty.

After the court case Suu Kyi was reported to have said: “I am not guilty. I said I am not guilty because I have not broken any law.”

The same charge was accepted against two female companions who reside with Suu Kyi, and the American, John Yettaw, who made an unauthorised visit to her lakeside home. All pleaded not guilty.

As the trial reaches its fifth day, the foreign minister, U Nyan Win, claimed the incident was organised by “internal and external anti-government elements”.

The trial is widely seen as an excuse to silence the opposition leader before next year’s state-managed elections. Yesterday the Japanese foreign minister, Hirofumi Nakasone, expressed concerns about the trial in a telephone call to Nyan Win.

Suu Kyi, who is being held at the infamous Insein prison along with other political prisoners, was due to be freed on 27 May after six consecutive years under house arrest.

Foreign reporters and observers were allowed to attend the trial on Wednesday, but were barred again yesterday. According to the state-run newspaper, the court heard Yettaw had filmed Suu Kyi and wanted to upload the video to YouTube. It is understood she refused because she was frightened.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has today apologised on behalf of all politicians over public outrage on MP’s expenses

Following on from David Cameron’s issued apology yesterday, the Prime Minister said he wanted to show that “people who enter our profession are here to serve the public interest and not themselves.”

Documents revealed that leading MPs have entered invoices for items such as dog food and lawnmowers. Commons Speaker Michael Martin has said ‘serious change’ is needed and that the ‘spirit of rules’ must be followed.

Brown made his apology during a speech to the Royal College of Nursing conference in Harrogate. He said there were “wrongs” that needed to be addressed immediately.

“I want to apologise on behalf of politicians, on behalf of all parties, for what has happened and for the events of these last few days,” Brown said.

David Cameron only spoke out after it was revealed that the MPs expenses did not just come from the Labour party MPs but from the Conservative as well. The Daily Telegraph was the first to publish details regarding MPs expenses.

The paper previously faced criticism for focusing on Labour MPs, which is why it shifted its focus to the shadow cabinet. Some are being accused of practicing ‘flipping’ their homes- whereby MPs change the designation of a house as a second home- which allows them to claim expenses. According to The Guardian, the following shadow ministers are in firing line:

• Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, spent thousands of pounds renovating a thatched Tudor country cottage before selling it. He then moved the second designation to a London flat.
• Michael Gove, the shadow schools secretary and a member of Cameron’s inner circle, spent more than £7,000 furnishing a London property in 2006 before “flipping” the second home designation to a new one in his Surrey Heath constituency.
• Francis Maude, the shadow cabinet office minister who is leading the Tories’ preparations for government, tried to claim mortgage interest on his family home in Sussex. This was declined by the Commons fees office.
• Chris Grayling, the shadow home ­secretary and another member of the Cameron circle, claimed for the ­renovation of a London flat which is 17 miles from his family home.
• Cheryl Gillan, the shadow Welsh ­secretary, claimed for dog food. She has agreed to repay the claim.
• Alan Duncan, the shadow leader of the Commons who chairs the Commons audit committee which oversees MPs’ expenses, had a claim for £3,194 ­gardening expenses declined in March 2007. He says this happened after he raised the matter with the Commons authorities.
• David Willetts, the shadow ­universities secretary, claimed more than £100 for workmen to replace 25 light bulbs at his home.
• Oliver Letwin, who is in charge of the Tories’ general election manifesto, charged £2,000 to replace a leaking pipe under a tennis court. The pipe was not related to the court and Letwin was obliged to mend the pipe after an order from the local water authority.

(in order from the top of the list down) MP's who are in the firing line

According to the Prime Ministers spokesman the Prime Minister “has seen all of the explanations from the different ministers and he is satisfied with those explanations.”

As children we were often under threat from non existent nasty’s like the boogeyman, “…if you don’t go to bed the bogeyman will get you”.
As we got older these frightening figures melted away. But what if you found out the boogeyman was real?

The name Akinwale Arobieke will mean very little to a lot of people. However try using his better known name of Purple Aki, in North England and it won’t be long before you’re bombarded with tales of this “boogeyman urban legend”.

But Purple Aki is no urban legend, donning his name for apparently being “so black he is purple”, Purple Aki’s legend had struck fear in the hearts of many people up North. This man, who at a burley 6″5, would approach young men asking to measure their biceps or perform squats amongst other things, was eventually arrested and jailed for six years in 2003 for 16 counts of harassment.

 For years it was unknown whether Purple Aki was even real but his conviction cemented his existence.
 Last year, after his release, a Sexual Offenses Prevention Order was imposed. This means he cannot touch, feel or measure muscles or ask people to do squat exercises in public. However, only two months later he broke the ban when he approached a 17 year old boy. He asked the boy how many bench presses he could do.

The boy told the court: “He pointed to my arms and asked if he could see.

“He then lifted his hand towards my biceps and I realised who it was. I backed away and told him I had to go.

“I felt sick and walked away as fast as I could. I went to a friend’s house and looked back but he had gone.”

Bodybuilder Arobieke was found guilty and was sentenced to 18months in prison.

This man has received more than 400,000 hits on you tube after various spoof cartoons and video clips were made.

So next time someone tells you the boogeyman isn’t real, tell them Purple Aki is.

a Purple Aki spoof on youtube…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzVcTYoQET8 

people who regularly log on loose more time to study than others

According to a recent study Facebook users are more likely to get bad exam results in comparison to their non-social networking counterparts.

A study by Ohio State University found that students who use the social website spend less time studying and risk getting a whole grade lowers than their fellow peers- which is a worrying discovery considering more than 200 million people use the site regularly.

Research shows that Facebook users averaged one to five hours a week studying, whilst others manage to fit in 11 to 15 hours per week.

The study was conducted with 219 students, including 102 undergraduate students and 117 graduate students from Ohio State University. Of the participants, 148 said they owned a Facebook account.

Students who spent more time working at paid jobs were less likely to use Facebook, while students who were more involved in volunteer work at school were more likely to use Facebook.

Aryn Karpinski, co-author of the study and a doctoral student in education at Ohio State University, said: “We can’t say that use of Facebook leads to lower grades and less studying – but we did find a relationship there

“There’s a disconnect between students’ claim that Facebook use doesn’t impact their studies, and our finding showing they had lower grades and spent less time studying.”

But then again you can’t believe everything you read…

Dimitar Berbatov has been under some serious scrutiny from critics, pundits and worst of all Manchester United fans. The Bulgarian has scored 8 premier league goals in 28 appearance and has contributed with 8 assists and has been subject to taunts as questions are being raised over his purchase. I have to say I think a lot of this criticism relates to his £30 price tag.

When Tottenham splashed out £10 million pounds on a 25 year old virtually unknown Bulgarian striker from Bayern Leverkusen, the name Serhiy Rebrov came to mind. A big money signing that went horribly wrong for the North London side back in 2000. Rebrov arrived at White Heart Lane with a big reputation mainly because he was Andriy Shevchenko’s old strike partner at Dynamo Kiev and the two shared a prolific partnership.  Spurs had spent £11 million on Rebrov and he turned out to be a total failure with 10 goals in only 60 appearances, he left in 2004 and has since returned to Dynamo Kiev.

So you could forgive me and the rest of the football world for being slightly skeptical when we collectively heard the news that Tottenham had purchased Dimitar Berbatov for what seemed like a huge amount of money for an unknown at the time (£10.9 million). In hindsight of course, it turned out to be a bloody bargain.  The classy Bulgarian did have a slow start to his career in the Premiership but it wasn’t long before he showcased his world-class talent.

I could list the qualities and traits of what separates the good players from the great players, what makes a footballer special, what separates players like Zidane, Cantona, Ronaldinho, and Maradona from your regular European class footballers and in my opinion Dimitar Berbatov possess those attributes so instead I’ll list his skills.

 The first of many great aspects of his game I noticed was his close control, he amazes me with his first touch, it is so deft, it’s magical, he can control a ball no matter its height, pace or angle, and he holds the ball up and creates space for himself. It is like time stops when the ball is at his feet and  like all great players, he has ample time on the ball, he can dribble and go past players although he isn’t particularly lightening quick. His vision, his eye for goal, he is a direct threat, a natural goal scorer yet he sets up as many as he scores. Another trait of his game that impresses me is his build up play, his passing range, He is incredibly unselfish and likes to slow the game down and play at his own pace, his body language suggest how natural it all is to him. Berbatov’s ability to strike a ball from all angles with both feet is another trait a few footballers can claim; he has already acquired a ridiculous catalogue of goals in his still very short Premiership career. (Think back to his effort against Middleborough) he can even header, he is an all-round striker and in my opinion the best in the premiership and among the best players in the world.

His great strike partnership with Robbie Keane kept players such as Jermaine Defoe and Darren Bent out of the Tottenham side, their understanding of each others games made it a joy to watch Tottenham sometimes bar their awful defense. Now he’s arrived at the big stage, challenging four trophies a season, playing alongside world class players and playing in front of 76,000 fans.

It was often printed in the papers that Manchester United were interested in Berbatov in 2006 previous to him joining Tottenham but never made a bid, and rumors circulating at the time suggested that United may make an offer in the summer 2008. They did and now almost a season later he is under pressure to play to perform to the standard of a £30 million player and I do believe he has at times, he hasn’t been prolific for the red devils but he has made a valuable contribution and I do believe he is worth the money, worth the hype and even importantly he is worth the wait. In my opinion, Dimitar Berbatov will have a major say in the business end of the season and will make the difference in those attacking positions.     

If there is a negative thing to say about Dimitar Berbatov is perhaps his body language isn’t great, he has a slight attitude problem when things don’t go his way and he is sometimes quick to demand a free-kick. Like most European players, he does not attempt to track the ball especially when he has lost possession himself, he exudes a silent arrogance that only truly great players can get away with, in that sense he reminds me of the great Eric Cantona, tall, sophisticated, mute and abnormally calm in any high-pressure frenzied footballing situations. 

Another credit to his class is his record on the international stage; Berbatov has scored 41 times in 67 games for Bulgaria which is a phenomenal record for a player who is not an out and out striker.  There is no doubt that Dimitar Berbatov is a world class player, a special player who deserves to play in great competitions such as UEFA Champions League alongside great players and win trophies, no disrespect to Tottenham but he was never going to win anything other than the Carling Cup with Spurs and at the age of 27, he needed to move to a big European team in order to truly fulfill his potential. 

 I’m a huge admirer of the Bulgarian forward and think he has made the premier league so much more exciting, I love to watch him play; his technical ability is of such a high standard, there is nothing he can’t do with a ball. He’s effortless and a real pleasure to watch.  It’s quite well known that Berbatov’s childhood hero was Alan Shearer who ironically turned down a move to Manchester United back in 1996; luckily Berbatov wasn’t stupid enough to make the same mistake as his childhood hero.  And I think the United faithful needs to back Fergie’s decision and give the Bulgarian their full support.

How will the Budget affect you?

Anyone with a TV, Computer or any connection to the outside world would have heard that Wednesday would see the arrival for the Darling Budget- which will affect every thing from cigarettes and alcohol, to car scrappage and the environment. But for those of you sitting in front of your screens, scrunching your faces and thinking ‘what?!’ here is a brief summary of what you need to know about the budget:

UK Economy:

• Economy forecast to shrink 3.5% in 2009
• Public borrowing to increase to £175bn this year
• Growth expected to pick up in 2010, expanding by 1.25%.
• Economy to grow by 3.5% annually from 2011
• Borrowing levels to be £173bn, £140bn, £118bn and £97bn in years after Consumer price inflation to fall to 1% by end of year. Retail Price Index to go to -3% by September.
• Capital investment to continue at historically high levels until 2012

Jobs and Training:

• Statutory redundancy pay up from £350 to £380 a week
• Government support for economy to protect 500,000 jobs
• Funding to create 54,000 new places in sixth form education
• From January all under-25s out of work for a year to be offered a job or training place with extra money on top of benefits for those in training
• £1.7bn extra funding for Job Centre network
• £250m funding to help people get work experience in growth industries
• Extra support for people who have been out of work for 12 months through the flexible new deal

Fuel, Alcohol and Cigarettes:

• Tax on tobacco to go up by 2% from 6pm – equivalent to an extra 7p on a pack of 20 cigarettes
• Alcohol taxes to go up 2% from midnight – putting the price of the average pint up 1p
• Fuel duty to rise by 2p per litre from September, then by 1p a litre above indexation each April for the next four years

Housing:

• Extra £80m for shared equity mortgage scheme
• Scheme to guarantee mortgage-backed securities to boost lending
• Stamp duty holiday for homes up to £175,000 to be extended to end of year
• £500m to kick-start stalled housing projects – including £100m for local authorities to build energy efficient homes
• £50m to upgrade housing for the armed forces

Savings:

• Annual limit for tax-free ISAs to rise to more than £10,200 for over-50s this year and for everyone else next year. Of that amount £5,100 can be saved in cash

Help for Business:

• Businesses’ main capital allowance rate doubled to 40% to encourage firms to bring forward investment
• Help for loss-making companies extended – they will be able to reclaim more taxes paid in the last three years until November 2010
• New £750m strategic investment fund to help emerging technologies and regionally important sectors

Environment:

• An extra £1bn to help combat climate change by supporting low-carbon industries
• Britain commits to cut carbon emissions by 34% by 2020
• £525m for offshore wind projects over the next two years
• £435m support for energy efficiency schemes for homes, firms and public buildings
• £405m to encourage low-carbon energy and advanced green manufacturing

Tax:

• Tax relief on pensions to be reduced for people on more than £150,000 a year from April 2011
• Income tax for those earning more than £150,000 to rise to 50% from April 2010

Car Scrappage Scheme:

• They will have to show they been the registered keeper of the vehicle for the previous 12 months before ordering the new car
• The government will provide £1,000 with the industry expected to provide the other half
• From next month until March 2010 motorists to get £2,000 discount on new cars if they trade in cars older than 10 years

Benefits:

• Child trust funds for disabled children to rise by £100 a year, £200 a year for severely disabled
• Child tax credit to rise by £20 by 2010

Pensioners:

• From November the limit on savings pensioners can have before their Pension Credits are reduced is to be raised from £6,000 to £10,000 to help those hit by low interest rates. It will mean an average of £4 extra a week, says the chancellor
• Grandparents of working age who care for their grandchildren will see that work count towards their entitlement for the basic state pension
• Winter fuel allowance to be maintained at higher level – £250 for over 60s and £400 for over-80s – for another year
• The basic state pension will be increased by at least 2.5%, regardless of inflation

Government savings:

• An extra £9bn in efficiency savings is planned
• Public spending growth to be cut from 1.1% next year to 0.7% from 2011-2012
• Tax loopholes and schemes identified which could provide £1bn of extra revenue over the next three years if closed

To read the complete budget report click on this link:

Darling’s Budget 2009