The credit crunch is likely to last well into 2010, the head of the UK's largest mortgage provider has warned.

HBOS chief Andy Hornby told the BBC it would take 18 months before US house prices started to rise again. That was needed "to give the confidence back into the system for banks to start lending again," he said...more

The most comprehensive review of scientific data on radon emissions from granite countertops shows that contribution to indoor radon levels is well below EPA's guideline for action and even levels found in outdoor air.

The study reviewed more than 500 measurements of radon emissions from granite published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. It showed that the average granite slab contributes to indoor radon levels that are:

"We reviewed data reported by every peer-reviewed, published study we could find and the conclusion is clear: No scientific evidence exists to suggest that granite countertops are a source of meaningful exposure to radon," said Dr. John F. McCarthy, president of Environmental Health & Engineering, a consulting firm specializing in indoor environmental exposure assessments, which conducted the analysis. "To be clear, the numbers came from scientific studies that were reviewed by other scientists, which meet a much higher standard for accuracy than the data commonly reported in popular media."

"In considering the public's health, we ask an important question -- how much do natural stone countertops contribute to the amount of radon inside U.S. homes?" McCarthy asked. "The answer is very little, according to the best scientific evidence that is available at this time."

The analysis took the published radon measurements and assessed the impact they would have on radon levels present in the typical home. The findings showed that the average stone would contribute barely measurable amounts of radon. Even the highest emitting stones in the most tightly constructed home would still lead to radon levels 70 times lower than EPA action levels.

"This study is consistent with all the studies we've conducted in the past, which have found that granite countertops pose no health risk," said Jim Hogan, president of the Marble Institute of America, the nation's leading natural stone trade association, which has funded several independent scientific analyses of granite countertops. "Though media reports have created public concerns about the safety of granite countertops, science continues to show that those reports have no basis in fact."

Following recent media reports that granite countertops may be dangerous, a growing body of scientific opinion has reaffirmed that no corroborated scientific research suggests that granite countertops pose any significant health risk. Scientific authorities and public agencies that have vouched for the safety of granite countertops include:

A copy of the complete study, including citations of all peer-reviewed scientific journals it analyzed, can be downloaded either through the Marble Institute of America at http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/countertops_radon_wp.pdf or through the Environmental Health & Engineering website, at http://www.eheinc.com/stonecountertops.htm.

For more information contact MIA at (440) 250-9222 or www.marble-institute.com.

The world's wealthiest countries are failing to deliver on their promises to give money to the world's poorest nations, a UN report says.

The UN report on progress towards the millennium development goals says this is threatening targets for drastically reducing world poverty by 2015. The UN report says there has been some improvement but not enough...more

Food prices in UK supermarkets and shops have risen by 8.3% since January, an index compiled for the BBC shows.

Meat and fish - up 22.9% - registered the biggest price increases for any one category in the survey, with fresh fruit and vegetables up 14.7%. Retail analysts Verdict Research also found price rises of nearly 50% for some individual food items...more

UK house prices recorded an annual fall of 10.9% in August - the first double digit drop since 1983 says the Halifax.

The lender said that property prices dropped 1.8% in August compared with July, leaving the cost of an average home in the UK at £174,178...more

The eurozone economy has contracted in the three months to June due to lower private spending and falling exports, adding to fears of a lasting slowdown.

The 15-nation area saw its economy shrink by 0.2% in the quarter compared with the previous three months, statistical office Eurostat said...more