BHP to elect new chairman soon July 30, 2009 The world’s largest miner BHP Billiton is close to announcing a new chairman to replace Don Argus and is understood to have narrowed the field to two candidates. Current non-executive directors Jacques Nasser, the former Ford chief executive and John Schubert, the chairman of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, head the running.
Mallorca bomb fuels new fears July 30, 2009 A second bomb attack in two days by Basque separatist group Eta on the island of Mallorca has prompted fears of an escalation of violence. Yesterday’s blast killed two police officers, a day after 60 people were injured in an attack on the island’s tourist district.
Skype flotation hitch hits eBay July 30, 2009 Online auction house eBay’s efforts to float internet phone business Skype is under threat from a legal dispute over the technology behind the telephone service. eBay is suing Skype’s founders over their efforts to withdraw the company’s licence to use the technology. The company said it had begun working on replacement software in case it [...]
MPs: Darling’s big reform bid has no depth July 30, 2009 THE INFLUENTIAL group of MPs investigating the banking crisis will today dismiss chancellor Alistair Darling’s White Paper bid to reform financial regulation as “largely cosmetic”, in a devastating final report. The Treasury Committee will say Darling’s efforts to lead the City into a new rules era are based on “merely re-branding” the regulatory system, and [...]
HORLICK CALLS OFF BID July 30, 2009 NICOLA Horlick’s investment management vehicle Petersfield Asset Management said yesterday it had terminated offer discussions with Bramdean Alternatives. Horlick — investment manager to London-listed Bramdean — made an approach to the board in April which was rejected in June, shortly before an extraordinary meeting installed candidates nominated by Bramdean investor Vincent Tchenguiz.
BRC warns on credit insurance July 30, 2009 The British Retail Consortium (BRC) will today warn of a lack of available trade credit insurance. According to the BRC’s Quarterly Credit Conditions, more than half of the firms it surveyed have been hit by the problem. Three quarters of those affected have suffered problems with suppliers who are unable to take out credit insurance [...]
Airlines slide deeper into crisis July 30, 2009 The aviation sector is unlikely to see a recovery soon after several airlines suffered heavy losses, a leading trade body said yesterday. Giovanni Bisignani, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, said there were “no signs of an early economic recovery.”
Auditors win liability ruling July 30, 2009 Auditors have won a case determining the extent of their liabilities in the event of a Madoff-style fraud. Law lords threw out a negligence case against a City accountancy firm, for allegedly failing to spot fraud at Stone & Rolls, a trading firm which went under in the late 1990s. The ruling is a victory [...]
Bank to launch capital scheme July 30, 2009 The Bank of England will announce a new scheme to provide working capital to businesses on Monday. The plan will see the bank buy secured commercial paper, either using Treasury bills to pay for it, or printing new money. The Bank has already bought £125bn of assets from firms under its policy of quantitative easing.
Third rise for house prices July 30, 2009 HOUSE prices rose for the third month in a row in July in a further sign of stability for the UK property market, putting the average price of a UK home at £158,871. The Nationwide monthly survey showed a rise of 1.3 per cent on a seasonally-adjusted basis while the smoother quarter-on-quarter measure rose 2.6 [...]