:00:02. > :00:12.BBC World News. Now for the latest financial news with World Business
:00:12. > :00:20.
:00:20. > :00:25.Windows 8 - the sequel - Microsoft back peddles on its new-look
:00:25. > :00:35.operating system. A property revolution? Andalusia
:00:35. > :00:36.
:00:36. > :00:40.seizes hundreds of thousands of empty homes slated for repossession.
:00:40. > :00:46.Welcome to World Business Report. Also in the programme - a fresh
:00:46. > :00:50.round of spending cuts are expected to be announced in the UK. We'll
:00:50. > :00:52.have the details. Its software powers millions of
:00:52. > :00:58.computers around the world but, Microsoft's newest operating system
:00:58. > :01:01.has not gone down well with users. Windows 8 with its new tablet-style
:01:01. > :01:04.isn't compatible with much of the company's other software and many
:01:04. > :01:11.customers say they preferred the more traditional layout of its
:01:11. > :01:14.predecessor. In bid to draw a line under these problems Microsoft is
:01:14. > :01:24.offering a free upgrade and will unveil version, 8.1, at its annual
:01:24. > :01:30.
:01:30. > :01:34.developers' conference in San Francisco today. Recognised this?
:01:34. > :01:44.It is the windows start button. Microsoft got rid of that feature
:01:44. > :01:45.
:01:45. > :01:49.when they launched this. Windows eight - a complete redesign of the
:01:49. > :01:55.operating system. Ballet to consumer demand, the Start button
:01:55. > :01:59.is making a comeback. Windows eight has a look and feel of an operating
:01:59. > :02:05.system you would see on a smartphone or target. Great for
:02:05. > :02:10.mobile users, but a tough sell for people using desktop computers.
:02:10. > :02:17.Microsoft hopes the new version will give consumers another view,
:02:17. > :02:21.while still bring them in with the new. Windows XP is the bits that
:02:22. > :02:26.make not supported any more. People need to upgrade. They are giving us
:02:26. > :02:30.the way to do what in small enough steps that people get used to
:02:30. > :02:38.bodies. There are a lot of things are really great and work a lot
:02:38. > :02:42.better. We're role used to tapping on screens now. Despite we are all
:02:42. > :02:48.used to. It may take a while to catch on, but some are already
:02:48. > :02:53.casting doubt. One research firm is predicting four years from now,
:02:53. > :03:00.Android will be the dominant operating system, Microsoft will be
:03:00. > :03:03.second and Apple behind. With lusty's misstep, this is
:03:03. > :03:08.Microsoft's second chance to get it right before consumers start tuning
:03:08. > :03:11.them out. They say possession is nine tenths
:03:11. > :03:16.of the law. The government of Spain's biggest region, Andalusia,
:03:16. > :03:19.is set to seize thousands of homes. Andalusia says the empty properties
:03:19. > :03:26.are, themselves, at risk of being seized by Spanish banks because the
:03:26. > :03:28.owners have fallen behind with their mortgage payments. But the
:03:28. > :03:36.government's decision to expropriate bank property may put
:03:36. > :03:43.Spain on a head on collision with the European Commission. Tom
:03:43. > :03:48.Burridge sends this report from Andalusia. This woman was due to be
:03:48. > :03:55.evicted. They have started, she shuts down the phone. Then she
:03:55. > :04:00.thinks the people blocking their front door. They are members of a
:04:00. > :04:05.powerful protest movement. They are fighting to stop housing evictions
:04:05. > :04:10.in Spain. After the property boom and bust here, record numbers of
:04:10. > :04:20.people cannot pay their rent or mortgage. In the south of the
:04:20. > :04:21.
:04:21. > :04:26.country, things are even worse. These men have been massive work
:04:26. > :04:32.for two years. They are facing eviction because they cannot pay.
:04:32. > :04:40.They need help now. We cannot go one, she says. There is no money.
:04:40. > :04:45.Housing repossessions are high because unemployment in this region
:04:45. > :04:50.is at 37%. The regional government estimates that there are hundreds
:04:50. > :04:54.of thousands of empty properties in this part of Spain. A Hanover from
:04:54. > :04:58.the construction boom. The regional government has come up with a
:04:58. > :05:03.controversial new law, allowing it to temporarily seized properties
:05:03. > :05:07.from Spanish banks if the family living there is due to be evicted
:05:07. > :05:12.because they cannot pay their mortgage to the bank. The regional
:05:12. > :05:18.government says it will then pay the bank rent for the property that
:05:18. > :05:24.it has seized. TRANSLATION: These laws are going to create a problem
:05:24. > :05:29.with the housing market. Everything will be done legally. We will
:05:29. > :05:34.create a fair market. We will have the right liquidity to make sure
:05:34. > :05:41.that everyone has access to their homes. Those protesting a his
:05:41. > :05:47.depictions in Spain welcome the new law. Some experts worry about the
:05:47. > :05:52.impact on some already fragile Spanish banks. I think it is crazy.
:05:52. > :05:55.It is not efficient. It is a dangerous way of helping people
:05:55. > :06:01.that may be legitimate be in need of some kind of relief. This relief
:06:02. > :06:09.should not be achieved by expropriating houses from their
:06:09. > :06:13.legal owners. In this city, Lucas is unpacking. Unable to pay his
:06:13. > :06:18.mortgage, he had cleared out his house. He was ready for his
:06:18. > :06:23.eviction. At the last minute, the courts intervened and he had a
:06:23. > :06:29.reprieve. Spain's central government has made some
:06:29. > :06:33.concessions to reduce the number of for closures. In the south, this
:06:33. > :06:38.government was to go further, to stop many more homes being
:06:38. > :06:41.repossessed. In other news: The UK Finance
:06:41. > :06:45.minister George Osborne is set to unveil a fresh round of spending
:06:45. > :06:51.cuts for 2015. He is expected to cut some budgets by nearly a third
:06:51. > :06:55.in a bid to save �11.5 billion. Many expect more cuts to the police,
:06:56. > :06:58.defence and transport spending. But, the coalition government has
:06:58. > :07:04.promised to protect the budget for the National Health Service,
:07:04. > :07:07.schools and state pensions in England. The European Union's
:07:07. > :07:12.biggest farms stand to lose up to 40% of their government payouts as
:07:12. > :07:15.part of a deal to reduce EU spending on agriculture. At the
:07:15. > :07:19.moment, the EU pays 50 billion euros a year in subsidies to
:07:19. > :07:22.farmers. After weeks of negotiations, ministers have now
:07:22. > :07:27.agreed to give national governments the option to limit losses to 30%
:07:27. > :07:37.for big farms. But, there are still disagreements about production
:07:37. > :07:41.
:07:41. > :07:46.quotas for key crops like sugar. They say the only certainties in
:07:46. > :07:49.life but death and collecting taxes. Collecting taxes is an uphill
:07:49. > :07:55.battle for many governments. Taiwan has a unique way of getting people
:07:55. > :07:58.to pay their taxes. It offers them a chance to win a National Lottery
:07:58. > :08:03.for every receipt they send him. It is proving so popular that the
:08:03. > :08:09.island is planning to improve the system and go pop -- paperless. Our
:08:09. > :08:14.correspondent has more. Buying breakfast at a cafe. This may seem
:08:14. > :08:17.like an ordinary transaction, but there is much more involved. Every
:08:17. > :08:22.time it churns out a receipt, the son seen tells the government how
:08:22. > :08:26.much the cafe has just earned, so we can accurately collect the taxes
:08:26. > :08:30.it is due. What makes the system work is that practically every
:08:31. > :08:36.customer wants a receipt. It has become an obsession for many
:08:36. > :08:41.Taiwanese to collect them. Every two once, the ministry of finance
:08:41. > :08:46.holds a lottery. If the numbers on the receipt match the price from,
:08:46. > :08:50.they could be a chance to hit the jackpot. TRANSLATION: I get a
:08:50. > :08:54.receipt for everything I buy. They give them to my favourite charity
:08:54. > :09:00.because I want them to win a big prize. My son says his receipts for
:09:00. > :09:04.himself because he wants to win some pocket money. Most Taiwanese
:09:04. > :09:07.donate their receipts to charities, to help gen?I ? to help genAll
:09:07. > :09:16.of the Taiwan there are boxes like this for people to staff receipts
:09:16. > :09:22.in force of cash prizes range from $6 all the way up to $330,000. More
:09:22. > :09:27.than 24 million prizes, worth a total of $245 million, were given
:09:28. > :09:34.out in 2011. Officials say the system has helped increase tax
:09:34. > :09:39.revenue by 59 to 75%. TRANSLATION: We implemented the system because
:09:39. > :09:43.in the past some businesses were not pay taxes. We encourage the
:09:43. > :09:49.public to get the seats. After they get receipts they can donate them.
:09:49. > :09:54.despite despite its popularity, the system
:09:54. > :10:01.does not cover the sizable cash economy. Small businesses making
:10:01. > :10:06.less than $6,000 a month are not required to give a recedes. Around
:10:06. > :10:14.20% of businesses here not covered by this system. They include
:10:14. > :10:20.traditional markets, roadside venues auras businesses like this.
:10:20. > :10:25.They either have to pay no tax, or 1% of their estimated earnings.
:10:25. > :10:29.Soon, the lottery system will undergo a major makeover. They
:10:29. > :10:33.could make recedes obsolete. People are being encouraged to register
:10:33. > :10:36.their mobile phone numbers online. Their receipts will be
:10:36. > :10:40.electronically credited to their accounts. Those who go paperless
:10:40. > :10:48.will have a chance to win even more prizes. This could prove to be
:10:48. > :10:54.another winner for the tax collectors. A look at the markets,
:10:54. > :10:59.which are a little bit more positive than what we have seen. It
:10:59. > :11:03.has been pretty volatile and there have been some heavy losses in
:11:03. > :11:07.China. We are seeing a better session today. That is because we