William Grant seals C&C deal July 1, 2010 William Grant & Sons yesterday completed its purchase of C&C’s spirits and liqueurs division for €300m (£246m) The Scottish distillery will now own brands including Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Carolans, Frangelico and Irish Mist, The new business will operate as William Grant & Sons Irish Brands Ltd. Its portfolio already includes Glenfiddich and The Balvenie [...]
Genmab hit by Glaxo deal revision July 1, 2010 GlaxoSmithkline (GSK) and Denmark’s Genmab said yesterday they had amended a licensing agreement for their Arzerra cancer drug in a way that will have a “material impact” on Genmab’s 2010 prospects. The companies did not specify the effect on Genmab which will receive an upfront payment of £90m from GSK but will see planned milestone [...]
Greece to strike again July 1, 2010 Greece’s main labour unions called a 24-hour strike for 8 July yesterday in protest against sweeping pension reforms to help end a debt crisis. It will be the sixth joint stoppage this year by Greece’s main public and private sector unions, which together represent about 2.5m workers, or half the Greek workforce. Private sector union [...]
ITV: Broadcasting reform is urgent July 1, 2010 ITV has launched a plea to the government to overhaul the “archaic” regulatory system it says is strangling the industry. Chairman Archie Norman used the firm’s annual Parliamentary Reception to implore MPs to tear up the broadcasting rule-book. Norman said: “You must be wondering why we have put on this party when we can’t afford [...]
Kindle price cut for second time in a week as war hots up July 1, 2010 Amazon cut the price of its Kindle range of e-readers for the second time in a week yesterday as it unveiled its updated DX model. In a bid to stave off fierce competition from Apple’s iPad, Amazon cut the price of its high-end reader from $489 (£327) to just $379. The new version features a [...]
Orange and T-Mobile finish merger July 1, 2010 ORANGE and T-Mobile officially completed their merger yesterday, with all staff now officially working for Everything Everywhere. The firm also announced three new vice presidents at the firm; Neil Macgeorge, VP of products; Simon Frumkin, VP of procurement and supply chain; and Stephen Harris who will take the role of chief of staff. The firm’s [...]
Microsoft pulls plug on first venture into lucrative smartphone market July 1, 2010 Microsoft has pulled the plug on a new generation of smartphones less than three months after it unveiled the devices in an attempt to catch-up with Apple and Google in the fast-growing mobile market. Microsoft said it had cancelled plans to sell its “Kin” phones in Europe later this year. The company added the internal [...]
CITY A.M.’S STUNNING STRIMPEL PROBES THE STRANGE MALE BRAIN July 1, 2010 SUPER-GLAM Sketch last night played host to the debut book launch party of City A.M.’s very own lifestyle editor, Zoe Strimpel. Around 80 select guests were invited to celebrate the publication of What The Hell Is He Thinking?, Strimpel’s eighty-questions-and-answers guide to what goes on in the male brain. “Men are tough to figure out [...]
Manufacturing rebound slows July 1, 2010 A REBOUND in manufacturing slowed in June from the previous month’s 15-year high as export order growth all but ran out of steam, a survey has showed. However, employment, a lagging indicator, rose at its fastest pace since February 1995 as companies added staff to keep up with rising production. The Markit/Chartered Institute of Purchasing [...]
European shares slide after weak China data July 1, 2010 European shares tumbled in early trade – retreating for the seventh time in eight sessions, after tepid Chinese macro data raised concerns about the global recovery. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 1.2 percent at 981.94 points, while Euro STOXX 50, the euro zone’s blue chip index, fell 1.5 percent at [...]