OUT OF OFFICE August 24, 2011 TOULOUSE LAUTREC AT THE COURTAULD A contemporary of the Impressionists and a troubled, dissolute patron of the Moulin Rouge, the stories of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s life can sometimes overshadow his achievements as an artist. The current exhibition at the Courtauld Institute tackles this by shedding interesting light on both. It looks at his relationship with [...]
FTSE steady but drinks industry takes a hit August 24, 2011 THE FTSE edged up on opening but investors remained jittery ahead of a key Fed meeting on Friday and a string of company results – particularly in the beverage industry – which showed weak consumer demand. US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is set to make a key speech at an annual central bank conference [...]
Serco profit up on overseas performance August 24, 2011 British outsourcing group Serco posted a 12 percent rise in first-half profit, boosted by a strong performance in its overseas business, and said it expected growth to continue despite continued UK and U.S. austerity headwinds. Serco, which among other things runs London’s cycle hire scheme and the Dubai metro, on Wednesday said adjusted pretax profit [...]
Tullow sees profits surge as Uganda deal comes to close August 24, 2011 British oil firm Tullow Oil said it expected to conclude a long-awaited deal in Uganda in September as it posted soaring first half profits and doubled its dividend. Tullow has been waiting since last year to finalise a deal to bring in new partners French oil major Total and Chinese group CNOOC to start a [...]
BHP posts record profit and raises dividend August 24, 2011 BHP Billiton reported a record second-half profit driven largely by iron ore, but just missed market forecasts and sounded a warning over costs and longer-term demand. The global miner also sought to appease investors with a big hike in its dividend. BHP, the last of the major miners to report results, was confident on the [...]
Gaddafi pledges “death or victory” as HQ falls August 24, 2011 Muammar Gaddafi has made a speech vowing death or victory in the fight against “aggression”, after Libyan rebels seized his Tripoli compound. In the audio speech, the colonel, whose whereabouts remain unknown, said he had made a “tactical” retreat from his Bab al-Aziziya compound in the capital. He pledged “martyrdom or victory” and claimed he [...]
WPP first half in line with forecasts August 24, 2011 WPP, the world’s largest advertising group, said it would plan for 2012 on a conservative basis, although strength in emerging markets has so far helped it to post seven-month growth broadly in line with its annual forecast. The firm, led by Martin Sorrell, said its like-for-like sales were up 6.1 per cent in the first [...]
Rebels storm Gaddafi base August 23, 2011 LIBYAN rebels ransacked Colonel Gaddafi’s compound last night and declared the end of the dictator’s rule as celebratory gunfire rang through Tripoli. Fighters raised the rebel flag in the Bab al-Aziziya bastion as all but a few districts fell under their control. They celebrated the apparent fleeing of the dictator from his base after 42-year [...]
Former IMF boss walks after judge drops case August 23, 2011 DOMINIQUE Strauss-Kahn yesterday walked from a New York court alongside his wife after a judge dropped the sex charges against him. The former IMF boss smiled to the scrum of reporters, branding the last four months a “nightmare” and saying he is looking forward to returning to “a more normal life”. He also said he [...]
Japan hit by downgrade August 23, 2011 RATINGS agency Moody’s downgraded the Japanese government this morning, painting a gloomy picture for the troubled Asian economy. Yet investors shrugged off the news, with the Nikkei rising 0.6 per cent in early trading today. The upbeat start followed a strong day of trading in New York yesterday, during which the Dow Jones grew three [...]
