Rebuilding bridges and repairing roads damaged by the floods will cost Cumbria County Council between £50 million and £100 million; the Government have pledged £2 million so far to cope with the impact, The Times reports.
Insurance companies are expected to pay out a further £100 million to cover building repairs and damage to business and household contents.
Jill Stannard, chief executive of Cumbria council, said that at least six bridges would need to be completely rebuilt, …

British shoppers have to pay 22 per cent more for their Christmas present shopping than American consumers, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Clothes, accessories, toys, and electrical goods all cost considerably more in Britain than in America, adding hundreds of pounds to the cost of Christmas shopping for consumers in this country.
In research for the Daily Telegraph, undertaken by the price comparison website Kelkoo, a basket of ten popular items costs £3,066 in Britain and £2,394 in …

Two UK retailers have started taking pre-orders for Palm’s forthcoming Pre smartphone for £399 with the delivery date widely believed to be around the end of October 2009, the IT Pro Portal reports.
UK-based mobile phone specialist Handtec have already listed the phone which, surprisingly is available SIM-Free. Another lesser known e-tailer, London-based m-Phone, has the phone on pre-order for a slightly more expensive £450 tag.
It seems that the Palm Pre will be selling at a price …