Bush's £168bn aid package to start today

The US Treasury will deliver the first of these tax rebates by direct debit, with 7.7m citizens receiving payment in the first week. Millions more will then begin receiving cheques from the Internal Revenue Service on 9 May. The Treasury expects to send rebates to about 130m households by this summer, providing eligible Americans with payments of up to $600 a person, $1,200 for couples, and $300 per child. Speaking in the Whitehouse gardens last Friday, President Bush says he is confident the package will encourage US consumers to spend once again. “It's obvious our economy is in a slow...