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London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – British Transport Secretary Philip Hammond indicated that the government is ready to end the “war on the motorist” by hiking the motorway speed limit to 80 miles per hour from the current 70.

In preparation for the change, Hammond sought a more thorough cost benefit analysis of speed limits beyond safety issues. Safety concerns alone would lead most governments to lower the speed cap to 10 mph, Hammond said.

Among the other aspects of the issue is the cost of additional travel time with slower speed caps, particularly at a time when petrol prices continue to soar in the international market. Another is the frequent violation of the 70 mph speed limit, which caused the coalition government to spend a lot on purchases of speed cameras after the election.

According to data from the Department of Transport based on a 2009 research, 52 percent of British motorists drive beyond 70 mph on highways, of which 37 percent have 70 to 79 mph speeds.

However, the planned hike on speed limits could result in another rift by the Tory government with coalition partner, the Liberal Democrats. Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, a LibDem, is against lifting the 70 mph ceiling because driving faster uses more fuel. A 10-mph difference from 70 to 80 speed would consume 10 to 20 percent more fuel.

Because of the recent oil price hikes, survey by AA found that 59 percent of 15,000 British drivers who participated in the poll are willing to slow down if it would save them some money. During the 2008 petrol price hike, average British motorist speed dropped to 69 mph from 70 mph, but the drivers’ speed went up once fuel prices decrease.

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St. Louis, MO, United States (AHN) – A Continental Airlines plane bound from Houston to Chicago made an emergency landing in St. Louis on Sunday after a passenger tried to open the door to get off.

The pilot of Continental Flight 546 told air traffic controllers at the Lambert St. Louis International Airport there was an unruly passenger aboard before landing there at 1:28 p.m., according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford.

The unruly passenger, identified as a 34-year-old man from the Chicago suburb of Burbank, left his seat and went to the main boarding door shouting he had to disembark.

A flight attendant screamed for assistance and two passengers and another flight attendant prevented the man from opening the door and restrained him.

All 160 passengers were unharmed. The unruly passenger, who was not armed, was later questioned by FBI agents and airport police.

The plane resumed its flight after spending and hour at the St. Louis airport and arrived in Chicago 3:24 p.m., according to Continental Airlines.

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London, United Kingdom (AHN) – Prince William and wife Kate Middleton, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after their marriage last week, will tour Canada and California in July.

The royal couple’s spokesman, Clarence House, announced the visits through Twitter.

The first official overseas trip of the couple will be in Canada from June 30 to July 8. They will participate in the celebration of Canada Day on July 1 in the capital Ottawa and will visit Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.

It will be the Prince’s second visit to Canada. At 15, he toured Vancouver with his father, Prince Charles, and his brother, Prince Harry.

After the Canada trip, the couple will proceed to California for a three-day tour. The itinerary is not yet available.

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The U.S. warned American travelers of reprisal attacks from 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden symphatizers and closed its embassies and consulates in Pakistan on Monday as a precaution against violent demonstrations.

The warning was issued as the Taliban in Pakistan declared it will avenge the death of the al Qaeda founder. The group’s spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told the media by phone that attacks will be launched against the governments of the U.S. and Pakistan.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also said threats from al-Qaeda remain since it declared war in the U.S. more than 10 years ago.

The U.S. embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan also posted a warning on its website that violent demonstrations and protests may be staged near American embassies and consulates. The embassy and consulates in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar were closed on Monday.

U.S diplomatic offices in other countries were put on high alert.

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London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – Consumer watchdog Which? has slammed British supermarkets for their excessive packaging, which contributes to pollution and landfill materials.

The group found at least 50 products that is said had too much packaging. Which? cited as an example quadruple chocolate cookies sold in Tesco which were inside a hard cardboard tube, with a metal top and bottom that encased the tray of cooked, and further encased in a plastic sleeve. While the tube was very strong, the lid did not fit well for buyers to reuse the tin tube to keep the cookies fresh.

Other items cited by the watchdog include oranges sold in plastic trays with plastic film, printer cartridges in oversize packaging, toys packed six times the size of the actual toy and cereals that filled only half of the plastic bag inside the box.

However, Which? pointed out that supermarkets have made significant progress in cutting down on excessive packaging that consumers in the end pay for.

In 2008 the Local Government Association reported that up to 38 percent of food packaging in a typical supermarket cannot be recycled. On a second investigation, the association found there was a 2 percent improvement in reducing excessive packaging.

The association identified Marks & Spencer as the worst offender, since only 62 percent of items sold in M&S stores could be recycled, versus an average of 76 percent from high street retailers and 74 percent from markets.

Like Watch?’s finding, the LGA study also criticized the excessive packaging of cookies, which often came in plastic tubes plus a tray.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States (AHN) – Procter and Gamble is set to raise wholesale prices of Pampers and other products due to rising costs of materials.

The retail giant told Marketwatch the increase would be limited to prices of the diaper brand, Bounty paper towels and Charmin toilet paper in the United States.

Bounty and Charmin products will increase about 5 percent, while wholesale prices of Pampers diapers will rise 7 percent. 

The increases will follow a price hike by competitor Kimberly-Clarke, which manufactures Huggies diapers, because of higher costs.

Procter and Gamble, which early this month announced the sale of its remaining food brand, Pringles, to Diamond Foods, is scheduled to release its third quarter earnings on Thursday

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London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – A 40 percent spike in petrol prices over the past few months failed to dampen the Easter travel plans of many Britons.

Despite high air, rail and land fares, and petrol pump prices, Britons are leaving cities in droves to get relief from the heat and enjoy as well the Easter break.

About one million Britons are anticipated to crowd Britain’s airports in the next four days, while another 18 million motorists will travel over the holiday weekend.

Among the added expenses the vacationing Britons will have to bear are higher fuel surcharges and Air Passenger Duty tacked on their air fares or $11.19 (GBP 7.46) more for road travelers to fill a tank for a small family car.

The exodus for domestic holiday destinations would mean motorists will spend an extra $3 (GBP 2) at the gas pump. On top of higher fuel cost, motorists will also have to contend with parking fees collected by local councils.

The large number of vehicles on the road prompted the British government to issue a smog alert after air monitors on Marylebone Road registered readings over European benchmarks on ozone and pollutant particles.

To lessen pollution and gridlock, London Mayor Boris Johnson encouraged residents to stay in the capital city and offered a temporary beach at the Thames south bank, near London Eye The temporary beach offers funfairs, candy floss and 230 feet (70 meters) of sand. However, canoeing on the Thames River is not allowed.

In addition to the heavy Easter travellers, London is expecting to host over 250,000 local and foreign tourists who want to witness the royal wedding on April 29.

In addition to the Easter holiday and the royal wedding, a third holiday – the MayDay weekend – is expected to boost the earnings of the transport and tourism sectors in Britain.

In anticipation of the holiday rush, the Highways Agency suspended road work at many major sites and reopened the M1 between junctions one and four, which was damaged by fire. Network Rail added 18 percent to its capacity.

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Chestnut, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – Tesco on Wednesday announced its acquisition of blinkbox, a London-based video-on-demand website, capitalizing on the fiscal performance of its online business and making good on a pledge to become a leading multi-channel retailer.

The British supermarket chain bought 80 percent of blinkbox from Eden Ventures and Nordic Venture Partners. It did not disclose the cost of the transaction, which it said would boost its home entertainment unit.

Blinkbox is the top streaming service in the United Kingdom, with more than 2 million visitors monthly. The 5-year-old company offers paid movies and television shows as well as ad-based free content. The videos are available on PC, Mac, PS3 consoles, tablet devices and Internet-enabled televisions.

“Whether customers want to own the DVD, download a digital movie, stream a rental or all three, Tesco is committed to giving customers choice,” Tesco UK chief executive Richard Brasher said in a statement. “We want to allow them to decide how they access entertainment content and on which devices.”

“It’s a hugely exciting time, looking at how accessible entertainment is becoming for consumers. This partnership represents another step forward,” said blinkbox chief executive Michael Comish.

Tesco announced the acquisition three months after Amazon gained full ownership of another British streaming service, LoveFilm. It reported one of its strongest fiscal years on Tuesday. It said profit for the past year rose 12 percent to £3.8 billion. But 70 percent of the growth was from international sales.

The company, the world’s third-largest retailer, performed poorly in its largest market at home. Total domestic revenue for the year was 5.5 percent, while like-for-like sales were flat, with a decrease of 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter.

The results prompted Tesco to draft a list of six “immediate” objectives, such as to keep the U.K. market growing. The company said it would also aim to become a multi-channel retailer wherever it does business.

Tesco’s online businesses showed a robust 15 percent sales growth in the past fiscal year. In the United Kingdom, online revenue also rose, with double-digit growth in grocery and a 30 percent increase at Tesco Direct. The retailer’s iPhone application accounted for 12 percent of customer traffic.

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London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – The long labor rift between British Airways and its cabin crew , represented by the labor union Unite, appears headed for repair. Both parties are no longer as combative as before and are approaching a peace deal.

The move is seen as favorable to air travelers because it would avert an Easter and a royal wedding strike.

Indicators of the looming peace between the two parties are postponement by Unite of announcing work stoppages even if majority of the union’s members favored a job walk off and BA extending by 28 days the current strike mandate set to lapse on Monday.

The path towards harmony is paved by the appointment of Keith Williams as the air carrier’s chief executive and Len McCluskey as the union’s general secretary. Williams is easier to deal with than the former BA chief executive Willie Walsh.

What also helped the two parties is the use of a firm that specializes in dealing with fragility of trust. Reports said BA and Unite senior officials met with a clinical psychologist to help them thresh out the long-standing issues that stood in the way of the two parties reaching an accord.

That company, Organization Resources, which focuses on issues such as complex interpersonal relationship issues resting on simple human emotions. Mark Hamlin, the clinical psychologists who helped BA and Unite, is a former drama teacher.

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Denver, CO, United States (AHN) – Frontier Airlines has announced new, lower fees for passengers, which is good news ahead of the busy summer travel season. Changes include removing fees for changing your itinerary prior to travel and a discount on the checked baggage fee when booking online.

“Many of the changes we’re making are really geared towards those who value choice and clarity in their travel experience,” Frontier Airlines Vice President of Marketing Ian Arthur said. “With the Classic fare, a guest can now enjoy the flexibility of no change fees, in addition to two complimentary checked bags, same-day standby, bonus EarlyReturns miles and more – making the Classic fare by far the best bang for your buck.”

“The beauty of our Classic and Classic Plus fares is the freedom they provide our guests to select the option that best meets their unique travel needs and bundles those features into an affordable package, rather than paying for them a la carte,” Arthur added.

According to the airline, fees for same-day confirmed flight changes on Classic tickets will be reduced to $25 and the excess bag fee will be standardized at $50 per bag.

Frontier Airlines currently operates a fleet of 90 planes, operating out of hubs in Denver, Milwaukee, Kansas City and Omaha.

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