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The insurer Legal & General surged up the blue-chip index last night on claims that it will be the “clearest winner” from regulatory changes to the insurance industry, as vague bid mutterings around the company also made a return.

The life insurer has frequently been talked about as a potential takeover target, and yesterday the speculation was once again given an airing. Traders, however, dismissed the chatter, attributing its shift of 2.7p to 123.7p to bullish comments from analysts instead.

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The humble porch is where people “sat out” and actually talked with one another, before air-conditioning became popular and we shut ourselves inside for the summer, if not longer.

As a transitional space from the outside to the inside, the front porch was easy to build and provided deep shade and cooling breezes. With wicker furniture and a swing, it was a place where family members bonded.

Then came the car, and the front porch became less appealing because nature took a back seat to the noise and fumes.

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Amber Alerts for pets

— When her loyal and loving miniature Australian shepherd didn’t run to meet her on the road to the Double S Ranch, Pam Stanford knew something was terribly wrong.

Like the other shepherds at the Flour Bluff ranch, Jonas has distinctive features. There’s the white coat beginning at the front paws, which blends with black and brown spots around the face and fades into black and brown swirls along the back and hind quarters. Jonas also has one sky-blue eye and one brown eye, making the canine especially unique.

So when Jonas was nowhere to be found, Stanford began a six-day search for her family’s cherished pet.

Stories such as Stanford’s are common. U

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The man who was commissioned by the Western Australian government to review the state’s industrial relations system has accused Premier Colin Barnett of trashing his reputation.

Mr Barnett confirmed this week he would largely ignore the $850,000 review by IR lawyer Steven Amendola, which his government commissioned in 2009.

Despite refusing to say why he would not be implementing the review’s recommendations, the premier has now said it was because they were too similar to Work Choices.

“Amendola came back with recommendations along the line of the Work Choices path and that’s what the government is not going to do,” Mr Barnett said on Thursday.

But Mr Amendola, who was initially reluctant to comment, has written to Mr Barnett saying his review did not contain “Work Choice type policies” or a “Work Choices thrust”.

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A recent proposal to offer companies a short tax holiday on foreign earnings could get more serious review, according to Bloomberg.

Initially proposed by U.S. Representative Kevin Brady, a Texas Republican, the issue has been picked up by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Chaired by Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the subcommittee has committed to examining the potential costs and benefits of the proposal and plans to contact a broad range of companies in its investigation.

Revenue earned abroad cannot automatically fall under U.S. tax laws, but instead only becomes eligible as soon as the money has been brought back into the country. Full Post…