Other News In Brief

Cameron Visits Afghan Troops

Thw Prime Minister has made an unannounced visit to UK troops in Afghanistan. However, due to a dust storm, he was unable to fly to Camp Bastion - the main British base - and was diverted to the Nato base in Kandahar. There he met British Tornado pilots - some of the 9,500 UK troops currently serving in the country. The trip came as the government said it was creating a cabinet committee with responsibility for the armed forces. Mr Cameron will chair the first meeting early in the new year.

News International Settles Seven Hacking Suits

News International has settled seven legal claims over phone hacking before they went to court, the news paper group has said. News International said it had "reached agreement" with the claimants and agreed to pay compensation and expressed regret for distress caused. The seven claimants were Ulrika Jonsson, Mark Oaten, Abi Titmuss, Michelle Milburn, Paul Dadge, James Hewitt and Calum Best. News International said it was negotiating a host of legal claims after admitting hacking into the voicemails of celebrities, politicians and victims of crime to secure stories. Sky News, the news channel of BSkyB that is part owned by News Corp, said on Tuesday that News International had paid out settlements totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Consumer Confidence Up From Record Low

Consumer confidence has surprised the retail industry, rising strongly on October's record low. The Nationwide building society survey found its seasonally adjusted consumer confidence index rose to 40 in November from 36 in October. However, although striking a mild note of optimism, it is still the second-lowest reading in the survey's seven-year history and 7 points below its level in November last year. "Consumers remain under pressure and concerned about future prospects, both for the wider economy and their own financial position," said Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist. An improvement in Britons' expectations for the next 12 months lifted the index, though this may prove temporary as the survey fieldwork was completed before finance minister George Osborne unveiled further fiscal austerity plans and a sharp downgrade to 2012 growth forecasts on November 29.

(DW)