IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Tesco profit slows

Tesco Plc, the UK's biggest supermarket company, reported its weakest first-half profit growth in eight years after Britons pared spending and switched to discount stores to ease pressure on their budgets.

Net income rose 11 percent to 1.04 billion pounds, or 13.12 pence a share, in the six months ended Aug 23, from 936 million pounds, or 11.65 pence, a year earlier, the Cheshunt, England-based retailer said yesterday.