| Venus tips Daz to dazzle for Posh
Darren has got big expectations to live up to on this side of the business because of his father. "He might never reach what his dad has achieved but I think he will be a success in the job and I think time will prove him to be his own man. "That's the lad he was when I was with him. He was always his own person and I'm sure that's what he will be as a manager. "I think the biggest pressure is probably from himself. Having a father who has achieved so much probably means you put pressure on yourself to do as well as you can. "Pressure other people put on him will probably not be as big as the pressure he puts on himself. But he is doing well. I imagine he is someone who will tell you the truth but demand of you and want you to achieve." Venus insisted the Baggies would like a cup run even though regaining their Premier League status is the main priority.
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James Marsden Enchanted Interview
But sparks fly and she discovers that in modern day Manhattan, life and love are far more complicated (and interesting), although there is no guarantee of a happy ending. This unique twist on the classic Disney them, blends live action with traditional animation, to create a compelling romantic comedy that is full of music, drama, fantasy and real emotion. .
FACTBOX: Write-downs and losses at major global banks
Date Bank Write-down or Type of loss Period covered credit loss Jan 22 Bank of America $5.3 bln Collateralized debt obligations 4th qtr Jan 22 Wachovia $1.5 bln Credit losses 4th qtr Jan 15 Citigroup $18.1 bln Subprime mortgages 4th qtr Jan 15 Citigroup $4.1 bln Consumer loans 4th qtr Dec 20 Bear Stearns $1.9 bln subprime mortgages 4th qtr Dec 19 Morgan Stanley $9.4 bln mortgages and assets 4th qtr Dec 13 Lehman Brothers $830 mln real estate, asset-backed securities 4th qtr Dec 10 UBS AG $10 bln subprime mortgages 4th qtr Dec 6 Royal Bank Scotland $2.5 bln investment banking 2007* Nov 15 Barclays $2.6 bln subprime mortgages 2007 Nov 13 Scotiabank C$135 mln asset-backed commercial paper 4th qtr ($141 mln) structured credit Nov 13 Royal Bank Canada C$160 mln subprime mortgages 4th qtr ($168 mln) Nov 6 Capital One $4.9-5.5 bln credit losses 2008 Nov 14 HSBC $3.4 bln mortgages 3rd qtr Nov 6 Commerzbank 300 mln euros subprime mortgages 3rd qtr ($440.5 mln) October 24 Merrill Lynch $8.4 bln CDOs, subprime 3rd qtr (Reporting by Ed Leefeldt, editing by John Wallace) .
Tax refund loan costs lower
Consumers who take out refund anticipation loans this year will probably pay less, but critics of the controversial loans say they are still a big drain on income. Refund anticipation loans, or RALs, are short-term bank loans — usually from 7 to 14 days — secured by a taxpayer's expected refund. They are usually obtained for a fee through a tax preparation company. Tax preparers say RALs offer convenience and a faster way to get a tax refund. Taxpayers can also avoid upfront tax preparation fees by having them withheld from the loan amount. But under pressure from critics, most big-name professional tax preparation organizations have lowered or even eliminated some fees. Fees charged for RALs in the past often amounted to an effective annual interest rate of 50 percent to 500 percent.
Sask. woman wins legal battle against drug dealer
A Saskatchewan woman who says she nearly died from an overdose of crystal meth is claiming a legal victory over the man she claims sold her the street drug. Sandra Bergen was suing Clinton Davey, but earlier this month a Saskatoon judge struck down his statement of defence after he failed to answer questions in a legal proceeding. That means Davey is not in a position to dispute liability and the case will go back to court to determine damages, Bergen's lawyer Stuart Busse said. Bergen says her win may be by default, but she'll take it. "He can't go to court now and say 'I'm not responsible,'" she said Tuesday. Bergen said after she overdosed on the drug in May 2004, she nearly died of a heart attack. Then 19 years old, she spent 11 days in a coma and was left with a number of long-term physical ailments.
Home Prices Dip as Sales Volume Dives
The Los Angeles County residential real estate market continued to tumble in December, with sales nose diving 66 percent compared to a year earlier and the median price dropping 7 percent to $510,000. The median, which fell in October for the first time year-over-year since the long real estate run-up began, is now $15,000 lower than November and $40,000 lower than it was in December 2006, according to data provided to the Business Journal by Melville, N.Y.-based HomeData Corp. It has not been this low since June 2005. The median peaked in May and again in July at $585,000. Driving the fall in December was the precipitous decline in sales. Only 2,161 homes changed hands during the month, compared to 6,263 in December 2006. That was a bigger monthly fall than November when sales were off 55 percent and the median fell 4.5 percent.
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