KFC fined $A31,000 over food hygiene

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) was ordered to pay out almost STG19,000 ($A31,000) on Monday after a cockroach was found eating a chip in one of its busiest branches in Britain.

The insect was seen on a food dispensing counter near takeaway boxes and tongs used to serve chicken by an environmental health officer in a restaurant in London's West End.

City of Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that during an inspection at the Leicester Square branch, the officer also saw a mouse, flies and dried chicken blood on the floor.

The Westminster City Council inspector also said there was no hand wash in dispensers in the food preparation area.

"There was no soap in the ground-floor food preparation room so, on the day of the inspection at least, it was not possible for food preparation staff to wash their hands properly," said Michael Goodwin.

The fast food giant admitted breaching five hygiene rules after the inspection in August 2008.

PAA 10 May 2010

One of the few cases that make it out into the public arena.

Truly Food for Canon Fodder, and an excellent staple for the mentally retarded.

Banks gouge away during crisis: report

A study has revealed that big banks have used the global financial crisis as an excuse to gouge customers while boosting staff pay packets and posting record profits for shareholders.

The University of Canberra study has found banks are overcharging customers through bigger profits on mortgages, higher fees and lower savings rates compared to before the global financial crisis, News Ltd newspapers say.

The study says official statistics prove banks have been lying to the public about their financial health.

"They (Westpac, the Commonwealth, NAB and ANZ) have been crying poor throughout the global financial crisis and yet official data shows that they have been misleading, to put it mildly," said Milind Sathye, professor of banking and finance at the University of Canberra.

The university has used statistics from the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) to monitor the banks' financial well-being.

"This means our conclusions can be openly scrutinised," Professor Sathye said. "The banks, on the other hand, make their arguments based on data that only they can see. And on that basis, they can argue almost anything."

The most recent APRA data shows that, far from cutting back during the crisis, banks actually increased remuneration for management and staff from $14 billion to $16 billion a year - a healthy 14.2 per cent increase - all while millions of ordinary workers were suffering pay freezes or reduced hours.

Banks have also slashed the rates they pay to savers, sometimes by almost half.

aap 9 May 2010

This is the way of the New World Order.

Bankers, financiers and Politicians ARE above the law and

there is nothing anyone can do about it