Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has been ranked as the wealthiest person in America for the 14th year in a row.

Forbes magazine put Gates' fortune at $59bn, with investment guru Warren Buffet in second place with a net worth of $52bn.

Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and software tycoon Larry Ellison remained at third and fourth place on Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans.

It took a net worth of at least $1.3bn to earn a spot in the rankings.

POSTAL workers today reacted with shock after an announcement that Oxford's main sorting office, the Oxford Mail Centre, is to close in 2009 as part of a £20m expansion plan for the Royal Mail centre in Swindon.

It was announced 12 months ago that operations at Reading and Gloucester would be moved to Swindon, but the announcement regarding the closure of Oxford's mail centre came as a shock to postal workers in Oxford.

One postal worker said the switch would mean that, from 2009, all Oxford mail would have to travel from Swindon each night before it reached the county's delivery offices.

More than 430 staff work at the mail centre at Oxford Business Park, and members of the Communication Workers Union were today considering the implications of the closure.

Oxfordshire's CWU spokesman Bob Cullen said: "Obviously we are very hostile towards this decision and see it as an attack on the branch - there is no logic to it.

"It is going to lead to an inferior quality of service for the Oxfordshire public with their mail arriving later.

"There was no notice or consultation over this - even the mail centre managers did not know and they were breaking down in tears last night. I don't think any jobs will go and we are going to fight the closure."

SMALL shops are fighting back against the threat of 'big boy' chain stores in Witney town centre.

They say there is a future for them in the town, despite the fact that yet another locally-owned business, Stokes Bakery, in Corn Street, has decided to shut in November.

And they have been backed by the town mayor, Chrissie Curry, who says Witney could be in danger of becoming 'yet another clone town' with the building of the new Marriots Close redevelopment - and a further expansion of the Woolgate Centre.

One successful business, Sandwich de Witney, is this week celebrating its tenth anniversary in the town, and another recent newcomer is independent shoe shop McSaw.

Sisters Maria Switzki and Alison McKendrick, both born and bred in Witney, say many of their shoes are unusual, and cannot be found on the high street.

"Witney independent retailers need all the support they can get, otherwise the town will become like so many others, that have the same shops as everywhere else," they said this week.

ALL 46,000 households in West Oxfordshire have been given vouchers to enjoy some of the district's tourist and leisure facilities.

The WOW scheme, formerly known as West Oxfordshire Weekend, has also been extended into a week-long offer, from September 17 to 23.

It is run by the district council, and gives two-for-one entry to a variety of attractions, including Blenheim Palace and the Cotswold Wildlife Park, near Burford.

Children can also swim free all week at leisure centres in Witney, Carterton, and Chipping Norton, when accompanied by a paying adult.

Hilary Biles, cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said: "We asked residents what changes they would like to make for 2007, and people said they would like the programme to last longer.

"We have also made sure that the vouchers are sent to every household, rather than having to apply for them."

The vouchers also apply to Oxford Bus Museum, at Long Hanborough, Chastleton House, near Chipping Norton, the Burford Ghost Trail, Witney Wool Trail, and Wychwood Brewery Tour on limited days.

Source: Witney Gazette

The bank hopes fewer customers will get a nasty surprise Lloyds TSB has become the first High Street bank to cut its charges for unauthorised overdrafts in the face of a continuing customer revolt.

The bank, one of eight facing a High Court test case next year, will introduce the charges on 2 November.

Lloyds will cut its interest rates for unauthorised borrowing by about a third and charges for going into the red and bouncing cheques will also be reduced.

Other High Street lenders may now also cut their charges, analysts said.

Richard Hunter of stockbrokers Hargreaves Lansdown said that Lloyd's move was probably the "thin end of the wedge".

WITNEY Feast, dating back to 1243, is back in town.

The event, which normally attracts thousands of children and families to the funfair at The Leys recreation ground, stll retains its religious and seasonal origins.

It was once to celebrate the re-dedication of the town church and St Mary's has several events. There is also an art and photography exhibition and model fairground display.

The funfair is open today and tomorrow.

Souce:Witney Gazette

ONE of the high street's most cherished stores, Marks & Spencer, is now on board the new Marriotts Close development at Witney.

A deal has been signed this week for them to become one of the big anchor stores, along with Debenhams who signed up earlier this year.

And it will be a major outlet, stocking both food and clothing, split over two floors.

The company's decision to come to Witney significantly increases the M&S profile in Oxfordshire, where it already has two main stores in Oxford city centre and Banbury. Last year the chain increased its presence in the region with smaller outlets, a Simply Food in Summertown and Bicester, and an out-of-town store at Oxford Retail Park which, although selling clothing as well as food, is fairly small.

Nationwide, the company has plans to open more than 20 new stores, creating 10,000 new jobs.

In public consultation surveys for the Marriotts Close redevelopment, M&S figured highly in what local people wanted to see in the new retail centre.

And the deal puts another significant piece into the retail jigsaw for Simons Developments, who are putting together the £50m redevelopment on the former football ground.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has denied another mistake with the tax credit system will cost it £500m.

Shadow chancellor George Osborne had claimed a decision to re-examine 160,000 overpayment cases had broken rules and led to the write-off.

But HMRC said the review would result in it repaying around £20m.

The mistake, first revealed in July, was made when HMRC officials failed to write to claimants to inform them their claims were being re-opened.

"HMRC should have notified recipients in writing at the time, that it was examining the award after finalisation, but did not do so in certain cases," Treasury Secretary Jane Kennedy said in a written ministerial statement at the end of July.

"No household who has their case reviewed as a result of this issue will have their tax credit award reduced," she added.

Residents across Oxford are being invited to participate in the city's decision-making.
Oxford City Council wants more people to join its citizens' panel.

Participants receive four questionnaires per year and are invited to attend focus groups on issues in which they are interested.

"As a result of past consultations we have introduced street wardens and parks rangers across the city," a council spokesperson said.

"The panel currently consists of about 1,000 residents, who are contacted regularly and asked for their views about services and the issues that affect their daily life," the spokesperson added.

Over the last year the panel has been asked for views on topics such as climate change, leisure facilities, parks and anti-social behaviour.

Source: BBC News.

Hackers and security researchers have been poring over Apple's much-coveted phone since its launch in the US in June in an effort to discover vulnerabilities in the handset.

Top of their list has been cracking the code that ties the phone to AT&T, the iPhone's exclusive network.

Before George Hotz's announcement on his blog, the iPhone was made to work on overseas networks using another method, which involves copying information from the Sim (Subscriber Identity Module) card.

However, special equipment was needed and the actual phone was not unlocked, with each Sim card having to be reprogrammed for use on a particular iPhone.

Analysts believe Apple may still have time to modify the iPhone production line to make new phones invulnerable to the hacks before the iPhone's expected European launch later this year.

Oxford United chairman and owner Nick Merry has been charged for failing to provide a roadside breath sample to police.

Mr Merry was stopped in the early hours of yesterday morning on his way home having spent the night with Oxford United supporters at a special fans' forum.

He was arrested at about 2am in Banbury on suspicion of failing to provide a sample after being pulled over as he made his way home to Bloxham in his Bentley car.

Last night police said Mr Merry was taken to Banbury police station where he allegedly failed to blow into the intoximeter.

He was subsequently charged for failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Digital Britain

"As a whole people are using communications services more than they were five years ago," said James Thickett, Ofcom's research director.

The 330-page report takes a comprehensive look at the way Britons use new and old media and reveals a nation in love with its media, gadgets and hi-tech gear.

The average Briton now spends 50 hours per week on the phone, using the net, watching TV or listening to the radio. However, the mix of how much time is spent on each one has changed radically over the last few years.

Daily mobile phone use is up 58% on 2002 and, over the same period, net use has grown 158%. By contrast Britons spend far less time watching TV, listening to the radio or chatting on a fixed line phone.

The report, the fourth annual survey from Ofcom, revealed big differences in the technologies that different sectors of the population prefer.

A LORRY driver has died in hospital in Oxford following a crash near Burford.

Police are appealing for witnesses after the crash, which happened on Friday at about 1.50am.

Police said a white Mercedes-Benz articulated lorry was travelling from Cheltenham towards Burford when it was involved in a collision with a blue Renault Trafic van travelling in the opposite direction.

A 42-year-old man in the Renault suffered serious injuries and was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital for treatment. He died on Saturday.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has any information which could help the police with their inquiries is urged to contact PC Richard Ell at Bicester Roads Policing Department via 0845 8 505 505.

If you do not want to talk to the police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Source: Witney Gazette

WORK on Witney's new Marriotts Close development has been put back to prevent disruption to the traditional Christmas shopping boom in the town.

Developers have bowed to pressure from Witney Chamber of Trade, which lobbied for a clear run for motorists until after the peak sales period.

Instead of the scheduled start date in October, Lincoln-based Simons Developments has agreed to reschedule the beginning of work until January next year. The key element is the Welch Way car park, one of the two major free public parking sites in the town, which had been due to shut as part of the redevelopment. This will now remain open until after Christmas.

In fact, Witney will, as a result, have more car parking over the Christmas period, compared to the original estimated shortfall of 173 spaces.

As well as Welch Way and the Woolgate, extra car parking is being provided at Abingdon and Witney College, Cogges Museum, and the Gordon Way artificial turf pitch.

But the delayed start will inevitably mean a delayed opening of the Marriotts Close development, to autumn 2009.

WET weather is expected to hit Oxfordshire today and tomorrow, but Environment Agency bosses are not predicting a flood risk to residents.

A band of cloud crossing the county was expected to bring 15-25mm of rain during the course of the day.

But that is much less than the 60mm that fell in 48 hours on July 19 and 20, causing flooding in hundreds of homes across Oxfordshire.

HOSPITAL managers are set to spend 'thousands of pounds' of NHS money in a bid to keep vandals at bay.

Staff at Witney Community Hospital said they were tired of coming into work and finding damage to the Welch Way grounds - opposite the police station.

In the latest incident, 6ft-high wooden fencing panels were smashed by intruders, who then switched off a water pump to an ornamental fish pond.

Fortunately, staff who arrived the next morning, were able to salvage dozens of goldfish, who were within inches of being left high and dry.