The Inbetweeners 2 sets box office record on day one

The Inbetweeners 2 sets box office record on day one

Teen comedy The Inbetweeners 2 took £2.7m on its opening night in UK cinemas - a record for a comedy film.

The box office haul suggests the film might be a bigger success than its predecessor, which made £2.58 on its first day in 2011.

The sequel debuted in 495 venues across the country, and scored the third-highest Wednesday opening for any film.

Only Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King have performed better.

The Inbetweeners 2 sees socially awkward school friends Will, Simon, Jay and Neil reunite for an adventure set in Australia.

Creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley said they had been caught off guard by the success of the first film, and "fan power" had persuaded them to make a sequel.

But they ruled out a third instalment, saying the current film would be the Inbetweeners' "last hurrah".

"It would be nice to go out on top," actor Simon Bird (Will) told the BBC

"We only considered doing the script because the script was as funny, if not funnier, than the first one."

Source: BBC

Arizona mother defends leaving children in 'hot car'

Arizona mother defends leaving children in 'hot car'

A US mother has defended her decision to leave her two young children in a 'hot car' whilst she attended a job interview.


Shanesha Taylor, a 35-year-old single mother from Arizona, thought she would be leaving the children, aged six months and two, for 15 minutes but the interview overran to 40.

On returning, she was arrested, her children were taken into custody, and she was charged with felony child abuse - which carries a maximum total prison sentence of 14 years.

However, Ms Taylor, who was unemployed and "surviving on food stamps" at the time, said it was a choice between giving them future "security" and caring for them "at that moment".

Source: BBC

Rio Tinto profits rise as debts and costs are lowered

Rio Tinto profits rise as debts and costs are lowered

Anglo-Australian mining group Rio Tinto has reported a 21% rise in half-year profits to $5.1bn (£3bn).

Rio has been cutting back debts built up in a surge of acquisitions under previous chief executive Tom Albanese.

Sam Walsh, who replaced Mr Alabanese 18 months ago, said net debt had been cut by $6bn from a year ago.

He said: "We delivered what we said we would, exceeding our $3bn operating cash cost reduction target six months ahead of schedule."

In July, Rio announced it would sell off its Mozambique coal assets for just $50m, part of Riversdale Mining which it bought for $3.7bn in 2011.


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In the past six months it has cut its workforce by 2,200, and Mr Walsh said although another $1bn would be cut from costs by the end of next year, the rate of savings would slow this year.

Chinese demand

Mr Walsh said the group shipped record iron ore volumes, and set production records for iron ore and thermal coal.

The company is increasing its six-month dividend to shareholders by 15%.

But a slump in commodity prices because of a slowdown in demand from China sliced $1.39bn from underlying earnings.

Much of the reduction in Chinese demand for iron ore came from the slowing construction industry.

Rio now sees the slack there being taken up by renewed demand for machinery and infrastructure and China's own exports of finished steel products.

It expects steel demand in China to grow 3-4% this year.

Source: BBC Business News