March 23, 2007	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1428

LONDON, March 22: British insurance group Standard Life said on Thursday that it would shed 1,000 jobs in its home market as part of a major cost-cutting drive that will last until 2009. News of the job cuts, which amount to almost one tenth of the total workforce, came as the company unveiled a 55pc jump in profits last year. Pre-tax operating profit leapt to 614 million pounds, compared with 395 million the previous year, Standard Life said in its annual earnings release.—AFP