Pay talks fail as 5% rise over 21 months is rejected

THE TALKS on a new national pay deal broke down in the early hours of Saturday morning after unions rejected proposals which would have seen wages rise by 5 per cent over a 21-month period.

However, a deal would also have involved a six-month pay pause for most private-sector employees, an 11-month pay pause for more than 300,000 staff in the public services and a 12-month pause for those in the construction sector.

The unions believed that at a time of rising food and fuel prices this deal would have done nothing for low-paid workers, and that the annualised increase of 2.8 per cent was much less than the expected rate of inflation. Read more

UK airports manager in court action against Ryanair

UK AIRPORT manager BAA has begun legal action against Ryanair to force it to pay it a recent 15 per cent increase in airport charges at Stansted airport in London.

Ryanair wrote to the BAA in May to inform it that it would be withholding the increase in airport charges at Stansted, which took effect on April 1st.

In a document lodged with the Securities and Exchange Commission late last week in the US, Ryanair claimed that the increase constituted “excessive pricing” and was an abuse of BAA’s “dominant position in the London market and contrary to the public interest”.

This is part of a long-running dispute between Ryanair and BAA in relation to airport charges at Stansted. Ryanair plans to ground 15 aircraft there this winter in protest. Read more

Fighting Over the Final Frontier

Fla – Standing with Florida Senator and former astronaut Bill Nelson 20 minutes north of the spiritual home of America’s space program in Cape Canaveral, Barack Obama committed to keeping NASA exploring the outer reaches of the cosmos for years to come – reversing a pledge to cut funding for new space flights.

Obama recalled watching American astronauts emerge from the Pacific ocean after space flights as a boy in his Native Hawaii. “When I was growing up, NASA inspired the world with achievements we’re still proud of,” he said. “Today, we have an administration that sets ambitious goals for NASA without giving NASA the support it needs to reach them.”

Obama promised to expand the space program by reestablishing the National Aeronautics and Space Council to help formulate a vision for the next stage of space exploration. What’s more, he claimed that cuts to the new shuttle program that he’d originally planned to make were now called off. Read more

Madonna returns to Michigan roots to show her film

JOHN FLESHER, Associated Press Writer

She might be known worldwide as the Material Girl, but there’s more than a little of the small-town Michigan girl left in Madonna.

The pop superstar arrived in this northern Michigan resort town Saturday to introduce her documentary, “I Am Because We Are,” a highlight of the Traverse City Film Festival. The event was co-founded by filmmaker, author and fellow Michigan native Michael Moore.

Hundreds of fans cheered from behind barricades as Madonna, wearing a black dress, high heels and sunglasses, stepped out of a black sport utility vehicle that pulled up in front of the State Theatre. She hugged a waiting Moore, who sported an orange baseball cap, and posed for photos with him.
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Actress Christina – Applegate fighting cancer

Reuters – Actress Christina Applegate, famed for playing ditzy daughter Kelly Bundy on TV comedy “Married … With Children,” is fighting breast cancer, but expected to make a full recovery, her spokeswoman said on Saturday.

Applegate, 36, was diagnosed with cancer during a regular MRI, spokeswoman Ame Van Iden said in an email.

“Christina is following the recommended treatment of her doctors and will have a full recovery,” Van Iden said.

Applegate, whose mother battled both breast and cervical cancer, has been an advocate for breast cancer research.
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Braves make no additional deals

DAVID O’BRIEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The non-waiver trade deadline passed Thursday without the Braves getting either the power-hitting outfielder they sought or the solid prospect they wanted in exchange for reliever Will Ohman.

But general manager Frank Wren said he still was satisfied after a week in which the out-of-contention Braves turned their attentions toward the future and acquired a first baseman, Casey Kotchman, they could afford to keep for at least a few seasons.

“Up until 10 minutes before the deadline, we were in discussions [for trades] that didn’t materialize,” said Wren, who acknowledged the Braves discussed a trade last week that would have brought outfielder Jason Bay from Pittsburgh. Read more

Roderick Sweeting told Tech coach Paul Johnson, 12th commitment

For the second day in a row, one of the state’s top prospects committed to Georgia Tech before its practice session.

Luella defensive back Roderick Sweeting told Tech coach Paul Johnson on Thursday that he intends to sign with the Yellow Jackets. On Wednesday, Newnan offensive lineman Raymond Beno also committed before Tech’s practice.

Sweeting is perhaps Tech’s most celebrated 2009 commitment thus far. He is ranked as the nation’s No. 20 cornerback by Scout, and picked the Yellow Jackets over Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Tennessee and Auburn, among 17 offers.

The 6-foot, 175-pounder said he spent most of Thursday touring Tech’s campus with his parents and finished it by committing. Said Sweeting: “I just felt great about Georgia Tech. They have been recruiting me very hard and showing a lot of love. Coach Johnson seemed excited. He told me I was always at the top of his list of cornerbacks.”
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