| Racing birds unsportingly caught in the taxman’s net
Pigeon fanciers have reacted with outrage after being told that they must pay business rates because the pastime has been deemed not to be a sport. A revolt is now brewing in one racing club, which was told that it will have to start paying for a small shed that is used for storing race baskets. Sports clubs can formally apply for dispensation from Revenue & Customs for 80 per cent relief and then to their local authority for a 20 per cent reduction. However, Belford Racing Pigeon Club in Northumberland has been told by Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council that because the pursuit is not listed as one of the sports eligible for the dispensation it will have to start paying rates from April. Members say that the decision could affect nearly 50,000 competitors across the country, landing them with extra costs of several million pounds.
Is there an actor in the house?
STUDENT doctors are diagnosing actors playing sick patients at the University of Sydney, while their counterpart nurses at Charles Darwin University are using a virtual hospital to learn to treat patients, all in the name of making the experience more real. .
Growth drivers in place
Demand for infrastructure and construction equipment (ICE) is set to increase, given the growing thrust on infrastructure development. The Eleventh Five Year Plan, entailing an investment of about $492 billion on infrastructure projects alone, is likely to be the main growth driver (incremental investment of about $40 billion annually). While this will directly benefit engineering and construction companies, it will also buoy the demand outlook for the equipment industry. In addition to this, the fact that equipment costs typically constitute about 4-24 per cent of the total project cost also brings to fore the growth that this industry could witness. Notably, the equipment industry has grown by about 25-30 per cent annually over the past couple of years. The availability of easy credit options to purchase infrastructure and construction equipment is also a positive.
Course helps business leaders improve skills
MANAMA: A total of 200 entrepreneurs, business leaders and government officials graduated from the Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence in Bahrain at the Coral Beach Club, in Manama. Owners and managers of growing companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) had an opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs from across the region and receive training in mini Masters of Business Administration (MBA). They had the opportunity to be trained in negotiation skills, business communication and time management. The programme helps MENA region leaders improve their managerial and entrepreneurial leadership skills through training, professional networking and alumni support systems. Promising business leaders are realising their aspirations to build successful, growing enterprises that contribute to economic growth and community well being in the MENA region.
Briggs & Stratton execs to sell shares
Briggs & Stratton Corp. said Monday that three of its executive officers have entered into prearranged plans to sell off shares of the company, three and a half weeks after the chief executive said he would sell some of his shares. All four executives are exercising stock options that expire between August 2008 and August 2009. The stock sales will occur under plans that comply with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b(5)-1, which allows for the acceptance of written, prearranged trading plans by insiders at times when they do not possess material, nonpublic information. The Wauwatosa small engine and outdoor equipment manufacturer said Monday that Todd Teske, executive vice president and chief operating officer, intends to sell 18,180 shares.
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