WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING
FINANCIAL TIMES
STANFORD CASE PROMPTS LEGAL CROSS-BORDER CONUNDRUMS
The case against Sir Allen Stanford, the financier accused of operating a $7bn Ponzi scheme, has provoked thorny questions of cross-border jurisdiction and international co-operation. In the latest twist to a complex case, the Montreal Superior Court has decided to bestow control of the Stanford company’s Canadian assets to a receiver appointed by a US court.
MERRILL DEALMAKER TO BOOST MACQUARIE ASIA PUSH
Macquarie Group has pulled off a coup with the recruitment of an experienced dealmaker to manage its fast-expanding operations in Asia. Kalpana Desai, former Asia head of mergers and acquisitions at Merrill Lynch, is to join the Australian investment bank.
COAL HELPS HARGREAVES MINE A RICH SEAM
A strong performance from its coal importing division helped drive a 46 per cent increase in pre-tax profits at Hargreaves Services. The division, which brings in more than 2m tonnes of coal a year, was bolstered by the acquisition this year of the remaining 50 per cent of Coal4Energy, which distributes UK-produced coal alongside the imports to UKpower stations.
DANONE HAILS HIV TRIAL BREAKTHROUGH
Danone, the French food company, yesterday claimed a breakthrough in a medical nutritional trial targeting the immune system of HIV patients, in the latest effort by consumer food businesses to diversify into the lucrative niche of health-related products. Danone said that the trial could lead in several years to the development of a nutritional product aimed at improving patients’ immune systems.
THE TIMES
WORLD BANK SPENDS BILLIONS ON COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS DESPITE OWN WARNINGS
Subsidies of billions of pounds are being given to developing countries by the World Bank despite its claim that burning fossil fuels exposes the poor to catastrophic climate change. The bank, which has a goal of reducing poverty and is funded by Britain and other developed countries, calls on all nations in a report today to “act differently on climate change”.
LILY ALLEN HITS OUT AT FILE SHARERS AS TORIES MOCK GOVERNMENT PLANS
The battle within the music industry over how to deal with internet pirates intensified yesterday as the Tories announced their opposition to government plans to disconnect repeat offenders from the internet, and Lily Allen condemned artists who have spoken out against the proposals.
The Daily Telegraph
VW UNVEILS 180 MILE-PER-GALLON, TWO-SEATER L1 HYBRID AT FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW
Volkswagen has unveiled its answer to the recession at The Frankfurt Motor Show, the L1 – a 180 mile-per-gallon, tandem two-seater hybrid car. The L1 concept is shorter than a VW Fox and lower than a Lamborghini. When it goes into production in 2013, it will be the most aerodynamic car in the world and, at just 840lb, the lightest.
GOOGLE FAST FLIP NEWS WEBSITE LAUNCHED
Google Fast Flip will generate revenue for publishers and aims to replicate the magazine reading experience online. The new-look news website, dubbed Google Fast Flip, will pull in content from more than 40 publishers and aims to make reading articles online a more “engaging” experience, said Google.
WALL STREET JOURNAL
RENAULT TOUTS ELECTRIC-CAR PROSPECTS
Renault SA, seeking to gain a lead in the next generation of automobiles, introduced a lineup of electric cars and committed to making at least 100,000 of them by 2016. Declaring a break with the long dominance of the gasoline engine, chief executive Carlos Ghosn presented four electric cars that he said would go on sale in 2011 or 2012.
BAI LOOKS FOR STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
Through indirect part-ownership of Sweden’s Saab, Beijing Automotive Industry Holding is looking to create a “strategic alliance” modeled on the partnership between France’s Renault and Japan’s Nissan, a top Beijing Auto leader said. The Renault-Nissan model “is an alliance that uses each other’s strength to benefit both,” Beijing Auto’s president said.