France rebuffs EDF tariff calls July 9, 2009 French economy minister Christine Lagarde yesterday rebuffed calls by EDF chief executive Pierre Gadonneix for a 20 per cent increase in French state-set electricity tariffs. “The government is absolutely not bound to the assessment made by Gadonneix. This is an issue that (industry minister) Christian Estrosi and I will review later,” Lagarde said.
Wimbledon project fills coffers July 9, 2009 Galliford Try, the company which built the roof for Wimbledon’s Centre Court and last month announced the £54m West Kent College project, has released reports for the year ending 30 June. The construction and housebuilding company finished the year with around £35m in cash, up from a £2m debt last year.
UBS FACES CRISIS IN US TAX ROW July 9, 2009 A MIAMI judge has asked the US authorities if they would be prepared to shut down UBS operations in America entirely, if the Swiss bank does not agree to hand over details of 52,000 of its US clients accused of evading tax. In the latest chapter of an ongoing diplomatic row, Alan Gold – the [...]
Parker to be Anglo chairman July 9, 2009 MINER Anglo American will name City heavyweight Sir John Parker as its new chairman today, as the group attempts to calm investors after it rejected a bid from rival Xstrata. Parker, the 67-year old chairman of utilities giant National Grid, is one of the most respected boardroom figures in the UK . He served on [...]
Hopes up for Iberia deal July 9, 2009 SPANISH flag carrier Iberia appointed Antonio Vazquez as its new chairman and CEO yesterday, boosting hopes of a tie-up with British Airways (BA). Hard-nosed dealmaker Vazquez, who was already involved in the merger talks due to his role as director at Iberia, will kick-start discussions which have become bound up in red tape a year [...]
Mervyn King’s gilts move very welcome July 9, 2009 IT was a brave decision – and one few thought the Bank of England would choose to make. Its decision not to increase its quantitative easing target from £125bn to £150bn, contrary to what was widely expected, must mean that it is confident the economy is starting to grow again or is at least stagnating; [...]
Flights rise at City airport July 9, 2009 CITY Airport yesterday won approval to increase its number of annual flights by 50 per cent by the end of 2010. The increase at the airport, where 70 per cent of passengers are business travellers, is expected to boost the number of people flying per year from 3.3m to 3.9m. The CBI welcomed the news, [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING July 9, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMESSTRATEGIC REVAMP FOR LLOYD’SLloyd’s of London has begun the biggest strategic review it has undertaken this decade in an attempt to ensure the more than 320-year-old insurance market does not fail in exploiting the gaps in the market thrown up by the financial crisis. The institution, which deals in insurance risks from all over the [...]
GM gears up to exit bankruptcy July 9, 2009 General Motors is preparing to today announce its exit from bankruptcy after a 40-day rejig under US government backing that has wiped away most of its debts and recurring costs. A court order allowing GM’s key assets to be sold to a new company that will be more than 60 per cent-owned by the US [...]
New York Times considers fees July 9, 2009 US publishing giant the New York Times is considering bringing in a $5 a month fee for access to its news website. The group said results of a survey of its print subscribers suggest the fee would go down well. The group is keen to bring in new revenue streams after its income through online [...]