WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING
FINANCIAL TIMES
EON WARNS ON EU EMISSION COSTS
The European Union risks driving industry out of the region if it continues to push for deeper cuts in carbon dioxide emissions than other economies, according to the chief executive of Eon, one of the world’s biggest renewable energy companies. Wulf Bernotat, Eon’s chief executive, told the Financial Times that the EU was imposing higher energy costs on its industry than competing regions, and criticised the US for doing “basically nothing” to cut its emissions.
SONY IN TALKS ON DVD DIVISION MERGER
Viacom’s Paramount Pictures studio and Sony Pictures are in talks to merge their home entertainment divisions to counter an industry-wide slump in DVD sales, a move that could spark consolidation across Hollywood.
MERLIN’S UK PROJECT OFFSETS OVERSEAS DELAYS
Merlin Entertainments’ expansion plans are enduring a rollercoaster ride during the recession, with delays to planned new visitor attractions offset by an announcement yesterday of its first UK operation for eight years. The Blackstone-owned operator of brands such as Madame Tussauds, Lego-land, Alton Towers and Sea Life is open to a £7.5m Legoland discovery centre in Manchester’s Trafford Centre in April 2010.
BIDDERS COOL ON B OF A ASSET MANAGER
Bank of America may divide Columbia Management, the asset management unit it is trying to sell, into two pieces in an effort to generate a higher price for the business, say people close to the matter. BofA is hoping to reap at least $3bn (£1.8bn) from a sale of Columbia but bids so far have come in closer to $2bn, these people say.
THE TIMES
UK REGULATOR RAISES FRENCH NUCLEAR CONCERNS
French plans to lead a nuclear power renaissance in Britain have been dealt a major blow after regulators warned of serious reservations about the safety of the reactor technology earmarked for use. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) has written to EDF and Areva, the French companies that want to build four reactors in the UK, to express their concerns about the technology.
AL FRANKEN COURT VICTORY GIVES DEMOCRATS CRUCIAL 60TH SEAT IN SENATE
Eight months after his election triumph, President Obama scored another critical victory yesterday when the former comedian Al Franken was declared the winner of Minnesota’s unresolved Senate race over the Republican Norm Coleman.
The Daily Telegraph
CHINESE DEAL FOR GM’S HUMMER “STILL ON”
General Motors has insisted that a Chinese takeover of Hummer is continuing, despite speculation that the Chinese government will block the deal. Sichuan Tengzhong, an industrial machinery company, is hoping to complete the takeover, valued at around $500m (£301m), by the third quarter.
CROSSCOUNTRY PUTS BRAKES ON ARRIVA
Arriva shares were on the skids yesterday after it became the latest train operator to warn that the recession had put the brakes on rail passenger growth. The shares fell after the rail and bus group said its CrossCountry franchise faced falling profits if current trends continued. An analyst at Investec, said: “Rail has clearly become difficult.”
WALL STREET JOURNAL
GANNETT WILL CUT MORE THAN 1,000 JOBS
Gannett, the largest US newspaper publisher by daily circulation, will cut more than 1,000 jobs in response to continuing revenue declines, according to a person familiar with the company’s thinking. The cuts will come from the US Community Publishing division, which consists of Gannett’s more than 80 local dailies, the person said.
CHINESE DELAY PLAN FOR CENSOR SOFTWARE
China’s government delayed its controversial requirement that manufacturers include Web-filtering software in all new personal computers sold in the country — an 11th-hour move that shows the challenges Beijing faces in its wide-ranging efforts to rein in the Internet. PC makers said they had too little time to prepare.