London’s Air Ambulance, which operates from the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, is facing a 400,000 budget shortfall.

The service carries a doctor, allowing patients to be treated at the scene.

About 400,000 a year has to be found by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (Hems) to keep it in the air.

The charity receives some funding from the government and donations, and Virgin pays half the lease costs of the metropolitan casualty insurance company.

We are very anxious about meeting this shortfall Jill Williams - Hems

But prices have gone up due to higher fuel costs, general casualty insurance insurance premiums and a rise in call outs.

The red Hems helicopter flies seven days a week in daylight hours and can reach anywhere within the M25 within 12 minutes. Every mission costs 700.

A trauma car operates at night providing the service but this is restricted to three evenings a week due to limited funding.

Jill Williams from the management team of Hems said : “We are very anxious about meeting this shortfall.

“I am very concerned about raising this money and we have been for the last three or four months.”

The air ambulance’s team and staff from the hospital’s casualty department have appeared in the BBC One documentary series, Trauma.

For property casualty insurance job on how to donate money to the air ambulance call 020 7377 7387.

Senator Joe Lieberman has been representing Connecticut for 18 years now in Washington and, aside from almost snatching the vice-presidency in 2000 as Al Gore’s running-mate, he also ran for president in 2004.

But after years of supporting President George W Bush’s war policy, and scolding fellow Democrats who question it, he now faces a backlash from local anti-war activists and liberal bloggers all over the country.

In May, a casualty company fire insurance york millionaire cable television executive, Ned Lamont, won the right to challenge Lieberman for the Democrat nomination, in a special state primary election on 8 August.

LAMONT BIOG Born January 1954, Washington DC Graduate of Yale and Harvard Set up Lamont Digital Systems, 1984 Has never held elected office

Only voters registered with the party can take part; the full US mid-term elections take place in November.

What has turned this local political tussle into a contest of national significance is the fact that Mr Lamont has become a standard-bearer for activists who believe the Democratic leadership lacks any coherence over Iraq.

Mr Lamont has a general casualty insurance campaign operation already in full gear, and looks every inch the professional politician, despite his lack of even state-level experience.

His popularity is growing rapidly, according to opinion polls.

Faced with Mr Lamont’s challenge, Mr Lieberman has said he will run as an independent if he loses the primary - in which case he would “stay a Democrat” even without the party’s backing.

Enemies of ‘Bush lite’

A polished stump speech by Mr Lamont at a recent rally in a New Haven hotel ballroom drew cheers from hundreds of excitable supporters.

The audience were not from the suburban moderate mainstream. They view Senator Lieberman through the lens of betrayal: a politician who they characterise now as “Bush Lite”.

This boat [Democratic party] needs rocking Lamont supporter

“We’re staunchly anti-war, we’d like to get a Democratic senator that actually represents Democratic values,” said one woman, who left the Green Party just so she could vote Lamont.

“This boat needs rocking,” she added angrily, referring to senior party figures in Washington who have publicly endorsed Lieberman for another term.

Among the liberal heavyweights lending their support from the podium in New Haven, were Democracy for America’s Jim Dean - brother of Democratic National Committee chairman, Howard Dean - and Eli Pariser, the executive director of MoveOn.org.

Opposition to the senator’s unwavering support for the “stay the course” strategy in Iraq permeates the Democratic insurgent’s entire pitch.

LIEBERMAN CAREER 1942: Born in Stamford, Connecticut 1970: Elected to Connecticut State Senate 1983: Elected as Connecticut attorney general 1989: Wins bid for US Senate 2000: First Jewish candidate for vice president Unsuccessful bid for 2004 presidential nomination

“I felt fundamentally that the Bush administration has taken the country in the wrong direction - that Joe Lieberman was undermining the Democratic message and providing an awful lot of cover, and I thought somebody should stand up,” Mr Lamont told the BBC.

One seasoned Sterling casualty insurance company, Mark Davis, who is the political editor for the ABC-network affiliate in Connecticut, said the ballroom supporters were a powerful voice in the Democratic Party, but not the electorate at large.

“The liberal wing always does well in primaries, and that’s why it looks like Lamont’s got more support than perhaps he actually does.”

It was important not to underestimate the power of incumbency, and healthy campaign coffers, he added.

“Joe Lieberman has got $8m in the bank. Ned here may be a millionaire, but so far he’s only committed to spending a million of his own dollars.”

Senator Lieberman, meanwhile, is standing by his convictions and on his high-profile record of service to the state.

Mike Picarello: Lieberman is ‘too pro-Bush’

“On Iraq, I’ve done it not for reasons of increasing my political popularity. I’m doing it because I think it’s right,” he told National Public Radio.

But out on the streets around New Haven Green - which borders the Oxbridge-style buildings of Yale University - it was hard to find any Democrat voters who felt the senator was doing the right thing.

“Through the years, he’s been a great senator but he’s a little bit too pro-Bush on the war - big mistake,” said Mike Picarello, who runs a local sandwich shop.

“I think a challenge is good,” he added, although he has not yet made up his mind whether to back Mr Lamont.

Lieberman’s threat

When Howard Dean was running for the presidency two years ago, the mainstream media leapt at the net-roots’ activism that it spawned, before helping to bury the candidate, after the celebrated “Dean scream” in Iowa.

A Connecticut primary is a far more manageable field and, after attending a Lamont rally in a trendy New York bar, it is clear that hundreds of liberals from out-of-state will be donating both money and time to the cause over the coming weeks.

Mr Lieberman, who is an Orthodox Jew, has no choice but to take this first primary challenge of his long senate career very seriously.

He has said he plans to collect the 7,500 signatures needed to run as an independent as an “insurance policy”, thus ensuring his presence on the ballot paper in November whether or not he wins the Democratic nomination.

“While I believe that I will win the 8 August primary, I know there are no guarantees in elections,” he said.

“I want the opportunity to put my case before all the people of Connecticut in November.”

Conservative support across party lines may well be enough to send him back to Washington.

Original article ‘News - Lieberman fights for political life‘

The Office for National Statistics said 34,500 people died or were seriously hurt in road accidents in 2004 - 2,715 less than the previous year.

Experts say the fall in accidents is sterling casualty insurance company to improvements in car and road safety.

But insurers claim that some drivers are failing to report minor accidents.

Encouraging figures

The total number of casualties, including slight injuries, fell by 3% overall in 2004.

The government aims to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured by 40% by 2010.

We have one of the best records in Europe but we can still do a lot more to make roads safer RAC spokesman Philip Hall

A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport welcomed the figures and said: “The trend has been falling every year and we are confident that the target the government has set can be reached.

“There are different reasons for the fall but it is mainly down to improved road safety measures and programmes like the THINK! campaign which have helped to bring the overall accident rate down.”

Richard Brunstrom, the head of road policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), and Chief Constable of North Wales Police, welcomed the new figures:

“I am pleased that road safety campaigns are having a real effect on the safety of our roads and I hope that the number of people killed or injured on our roads continues to fall,” he said.

The RAC said the figures were encouraging but it warned against complacency.

Spokesman Philip Hall said: “We have one of the best records in Europe but we can still do a lot more to make roads safer.

“Cars are generally getting safer and there is a lot more work being done in terms of road planning to make roads and junctions safer.”

Written off

But research conducted by the Privilege insurance company showed that 24% of drivers failed to report accidents to insurers or the police in 2004.

Although the majority of incidents were minor, 3% involved a car being written off.

A further 2% of accidents which resulted in injury, also went general casualty insurance.

Privilege managing director Ian Parker said: “Our research paints a worrying picture of accidents involving Britain’s vehicles where minor accidents and incidents are viewed by drivers as too property casualty insurance job to report.

“We hope that by undertaking this research annually to coincide with Government statistics, we will be able to provide advice to help road users avoid common incidents and reduce the real number of accidents on Britain’s roads.”

Original article ‘News - UK road casualty numbers decline‘

In the three months to September, the world’s second most valuable company earned $4.68bn (2.7bn), on sales which rose 9% to $41.93bn.

Strong demand from airlines for new jets, despite industry troubles, helped to feed the increase.

Solid performances also came from the energy market, as oil prices surged, and its lucrative personal finance arm.

However, the group’s TV unit NBC Universal was less impressive. Revenues fell by more than a quarter compared to last year when the Olympics boosted advertising sales.

Overtaken

The group, whose growth during the 1980s and 1990s made its former chief executive Jack Welch a near legend, has long been famous for the sheer breadth of its activities.

Measured by the value of its shares, it was for many years the world’s biggest company - it has recently been overtaken by Exxon Mobil, buoyed up by soaring energy prices.

However, current GE chief Jeffrey Immelt is beginning to slim the group down a little.

Insurance is one casualty, the group sold down most of its shares in insurer Genworth Financial, giving it a $250m gain during the quarter reducing its stake to a minority interest.

GE shares closed up nearly 1% at $34.34 on Friday.

Source: News - GE builds profits on airline boom

East Asia is richer and more important to the world’s economy than before 1997 when the devaluation of the Thai Baht dragged the region into recession.

But the World Bank warned the recovery in the region could be under threat if some factors are not addressed.

These include income inequality and large-scale pollution in China.

“The region has grappled with and overcome the crisis to return to solid growth,” said Milan Brahmbhatt, the lead economist for the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific region.

“The past 10 years have seen the emergence of China as a major global economic power, a doubling in the value of regional output levels, a halving in poverty rates, a jump in global and regional integration and accumulation of over $2 trillion (1.01 trillion) in foreign reserves.”

Reforms

Before the financial crisis a decade ago, half the people of east Asia lived on less than $2 a day whereas today poverty is down to 29% of the population.

But the gap between rich and poor is on the rise in many east Asian economies, according to the World Bank’s latest six-monthly report on the region, which could affect growth as poor people without access to credit may be unable to exploit investment opportunities.

“It can also be a source of political and social unrest,” said Mr Brahmbhatt.

China’s rise has forced Asian industry to readjust focus

He said governments could ease such tensions by improving access to higher education and the availability of credit for the poor to start businesses.

The World Bank report into the region covered the emerging economies of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam as well as South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

It urged a range of reforms to help Asian countries tackle the complex next steps in their cheap annual worldwide travel insurance from middle to sustainable high income economies.

Wrenching change

In China, which is expected to grow by 10% this year this means new strategies to reduce environmental problems - China today contains 20 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities - and other imbalances.

While, overall growth in emerging east Asia accelerated to 8.1% in 2006, several east Asian countries are growing at 2% less than before the 1997-98 crisis, including Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

They face wrenching changes and tough adjustments to China’s rapid rise as a cat dog insurance pet powerhouse.

Here the focus should be on car insurance purchase state the investment climate by getting rid of unnecessary restrictions, expanding capital markets and liberalising services trade.

The region needs to invest $200bn in its infrastructure annually over the next five years, as the urban population is expected to jump by 65% or 500 million people by 2025, according to the Washington-based body, which lends money for development projects.

Buffer

Crucially, other financial crises must be averted.

Since 1997, east Asian countries have built up a current account surplus, the broadest measure of trade, of an estimated $362bn as an insurance policy against a sudden withdrawal of foreign investment that left the region on its knees 10 years ago.

But this can create unwanted side-affects of higher inflation and asset bubbles in some markets.

To avert these consequences, Beijing drains billions of dollars a month from the economy by selling bonds to reduce pressure for prices to rise.

But the growing costliness and other inconveniences of this procedure have led governments to consider other options, such as China’s and Malaysia’s adoption of a more flexible exchange rate framework in 2005.

Source: News - Wealth gap ‘risk to Asian growth’

One in four credit card holders were charged for exceeding their limit or missing a payment over the last year, according to a Which? magazine survey.

The consumer magazine said some firms sent purchase life insurance online out late and used second class post, giving customers less time to pay.

It said the charges, usually between 20 and 25, were out of amount insurance net political risk to the costs incurred by the companies.

The industry dismissed the criticisms as out of date.

However, in terms of borrowing, there are still good deals available from a number of credit card companies (see box).

0% on Balance Transfer & New Purchases Halifax - One Visa - after nine months (9.9%) Bank of Scotland - One Visa - after nine months (9.9%) Co-op - Travel Visa - after seven months (14.9%) Source: Moneyfacts

Among other practices highlighted by Which? as costing customers dearly were making minimum instant travel insurance online so low that customers take longer to repay the money, thereby attracting more in interest.

It said the industry made at least 1bn a year from the sale of payment protection insurance, but said most policies were overpriced and gave limited cover.

Other stories in today’s programme

Some investments you never hear much about in the media, others are heavily promoted by household names. The FSA recently fined Axa Sun Life 500,000 for producing misleading home insurance online owner purchase for the sale of two products. Should you be careful if a celebrity is pushing a product? Simon took a look.

UK health insurance student travel who did unpaid overtime in 2004 would have each earned 4,650 for their efforts if they had received a wage, a new report from the TUC says.

BT customers will have to pay more for early morning calls from 16 February.
About three million BT customers could see their bills rise as it shifts the start of its more costly daytime call rate from 8am to 6am.

Yellow school buses are big in America. Now a company in Newport is trying to make them big over here too. Rob visited the firm.