WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 15, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMESBLU-RAY SALES FAIL TO OFFSET DECLINE OF DVDHollywood’s expensive bet on Blu-ray technology has failed to prevent a sharp decline in home entertainment sales, dealing a blow to the film industry as it grapples with the global economic downturn. The industry’s revenues fell by more than $2.6bn in 2008 as sales of standard DVDs [...]
The lady with the power of heeling July 16, 2009 FOR more than a century, we have been heeling exceptional people,” says Olga Berluti, doyenne of the bespoke shoe business and maker of some of the most sought-after men’s footwear around. You sense she could mean “healing” too – she has an almost moral belief in the value fine shoes bring to her customers. For [...]
The gravy train shows no sign of hitting the buffers June 23, 2009 YESTIMOTHY BARBERIF the size of RBS boss Stephen Hester’s pay package wasn’t already invoking the wrath of the new breed of mealy-mouthed ascetics, the news that his bank is spending £300,000 on Wimbledon hospitality has really got them frothing into their sackcloth. These people seem to dream of some shining future in which MPs don’t [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 24, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES CHIP MAKER MOVES TO QUASH BID SPECULATIONImagination Technologies has reiterated that it expects to remain independent, despite market speculation to the contrary and heavy share buying in the chip designer. Intense buying on the London Stock Exchange saw more than 12m shares change hands and 9.7m sold at 150p a share, amid speculation [...]
Conflict in Georgia leads to fears over oil supply August 12, 2008 Oil prices spiked yesterday on fears that the conflict in Georgia could threaten supplies and cut off a major pipeline to Europe. At one point, crude oil rose by $1.81 to $115.41 in London trading, before falling back to its earlier price of $114.32. The short-lived rally came as Russia continued its offensive against Georgia, [...]
BP closes second pipeline in Georgia as conflict subsides August 13, 2008 British oil giant BP shut down the second of the three pipelines it runs through Georgia yesterday – hours after Russia ended military operations against the former soviet state. BP, part of a 10-strong consortium, that runs a series of pipelines from the Caspian Sea into Georgia, said it cut production in one pipeline as [...]
BP fight over divi cut July 21, 2008 British oil giant BP has blocked a $1.8bn (£900m) dividend payment due to four Russian billionaire shareholders of its strife-torn joint venture TNK-BP. But while the move was seen in London yesterday as proof that the UK giant was fighting back, the oligarchs claimed that there was no disagreement. They too had voted not to [...]
Russia’s Sibir Energy races towards FTSE July 8, 2008 London-listed mid-sized Russian oil company Sibir Energy said yesterday its full-year pre-tax profit trebled to $344m (£172m) due to higher output at its Siberian unit and strong margins from refining and retail. Sibir said its crude oil production rose 80 per cent in the year to 17.8 million barrels. Most of the output, 15.3 million [...]
BP’s Russian row may hit production July 24, 2008 The dogfight between BP and its four oligarch partners could hit Russian oil production next year after the quartet demanded a $900m cut in spending at joint venture TNK-BP. The development is the latest in a long-running battle at the 50-50 venture between the British oil giant and its billionaire partners – Mikhail Fridman, Viktor [...]
Alliance & Leicester snapped up as bid fever returns to the City July 15, 2008 A frenzy of merger and acquisition activity, spearheaded by Spanish bank Santander agreeing to buy Alliance & Leicester for £1.3bn, returned to the markets yesterday causing stocks to rally. The oil and gas sector was the centre of much of the bid action, with Imperial Energy, the developer of Russian oil reserves, soaring 18 per [...]