UK Plc has much to learn from Tesco January 12, 2010 NAPOLEON Bonaparte was right: Britain is a nation of shopkeepers. Tesco’s great figures yesterday confirm that the retailer remains one of the UK’s few truly world-class corporate giants. Group sales increased by 7.5 per cent at constant exchange rates and like-for-like UK sales (ex-fuel and adjusted for Vat) were up by 4.9 per cent in [...]
King quiet until election January 12, 2010 BANK of England governor Mervyn King will hold off criticising the government in the run-up to the general election, it was reported yesterday. The former LSE professor is expected to maintain a ceasefire until polling day amid concerns his opposition to Treasury policies has handed political ammunition to the Conservative party. King first caused controversy [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 12, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES MAN AND RHEINMETALL MERGE MILITARY VEHICLE UNITS Man, the truck maker, and Rheinmetall, the automotive and defence company, are to merge their military wheeled vehicle businesses, potentially kicking off a limited but long-awaited consolidation in the overcrowded European land systems sector. Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles will eventually have about 1,300 employees and revenues [...]
Google threatens to quit China January 12, 2010 Search giant Google yesterday vowed to stop censoring its Chinese version. The landmark news follows a series of cyber attacks thought to have been carried out by the government. In a blog, the company said it was reviewing “the feasibility” of business operations in China, adding: “We recognise this may well mean having to shut [...]
Europe beats firms for debt risk January 12, 2010 European countries are considered more likely to default on debt than top investment grade companies for the first time. The cost of insuring against the risk of non-payment of 15 developed nations is more expensive than for 125 investment grade firms, raising new fears over the risk of a major sovereign default.
XL Capital sets sail for Ireland January 12, 2010 Bermudan insurer XL Capital is switching its domicile from the Cayman Islands to Ireland. CEO Mike McGavick said talk of a US clampdown on tax havens was not the sole motivation for the shift, emphasising the broader appeal of a stable base for his business.
Shareholder hits back in M&B battle January 12, 2010 MITCHELLS and Butlers’ major shareholder yesterday launched a scathing attack on the firm’s board members in which he accused them of blowing £500m. A letter to shareholders by billionaire Joe Lewis accused the board of presiding over “a culture of obfuscation and excess” and said fresh blood was required to rescue the company. Joe Lewis’ [...]
Greece faces legal woes over statistics January 12, 2010 THE European Commission is set to launch infringement proceedings against Greece for failing to provide reliable statistics on its budget deficit. In a report, published yesterday, the Commission said figures from Greece were so unreliable that its budget deficit and public debt might be even higher than the government had claimed last October. Greece revised [...]
LAST CHANCE January 12, 2010 AIRBUS yesterday pleaded with European governments, including Britain, to bail out its new military transport aircraft – the A400M – or jeopardise the group’s future. The planemaker, owned by EADS, warned it could not continue past the end of January unless governments provided enough cash for the project to continue.
Major earthquake hits Haiti January 12, 2010 A 7.3-magnitude earthquake which struck off the coast of Haiti was last night feared to have killed or injured dozens of people in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Haiti’s envoy to the US said it was a “catastrophe of major proportions”. The quake struck about 10 miles south-west of the capital. The initial quake was followed by [...]