Mini iPad eyed by Apple as it loses HTC battle July 4, 2012 US technology giant Apple yesterday lost a key London court ruling against Taiwan’s HTC, just as reports emerged that its hotly anticipated smaller and cheaper iPad would be on sale by the end of the year. The production of Apple’s latest iPad is already under way, according to the Wall Street Journal. The new model [...]
George Entwistle named the fifteenth BBC director general July 4, 2012 THE BBC yesterday appointed an insider as its new director general who will take the helm when Mark Thompson retires from the job later this year. George Entwistle, 49, pipped other front-runners Caroline Thomson, BBC chief operating officer, and Ed Richards, boss of Ofcom, to the post. Head since last year of BBC Vision, where [...]
Clegg pushes co-op firm model July 4, 2012 Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg yesterday unveiled a new professional body – the Institute for Employee Ownership – and a FTSE benchmark for companies run as employee partnerships, following a report on them by employment lawyer Graeme Nuttall.
Aegis practises its French July 4, 2012 Aegis has built up its French footprint with the purchase of six companies formerly owned by W Garden and others, with assets worth €5m (£4m). The acquisitions will merge into Aegis’ iProspect operations in France in the third quarter of this year.
Advertising spend on the up July 4, 2012 Advertising spend increased by 1.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year despite economic turbulence, according to the Advertising Association. And the prognosis is positive, with expenditure expected to improve over the rest of the year, growing 2.5 per cent in 2012 and 4.4 per cent next year.
Canada boosts Travelzest’s profits July 4, 2012 Upmarket travel operator Travelzest yesterday posted a rise in half-year profits after a strong performance in Canada. Pre-tax profit jumped to £1.9m in the period, compared to £884,000 a year earlier.
Services data points to euro area recession July 4, 2012 THE SERVICE sectors of economies throughout the Eurozone continued to contract in June, according to data released yesterday, although separate figures showed wide differences in levels of unemployment. The Eurozone’s fall in total economic output eased slightly in June, according to Markit’s latest composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI). Specifically, the data revealed poor service statistics [...]
France unveils tax raid on home owners, energy firms and banks July 4, 2012 FRANCE’S new socialist government announced tax rises worth €7.2bn yesterday, including heavy one-off levies on wealthy households and big corporations. In the first major raft of economic measures since Francois Hollande was elected president in May, the government singled out large companies and the rich. British owners of second homes in France are set to [...]
Troika lands to inspect Greece July 4, 2012 THE TROIKA met in Athens yesterday to check on Greece’s progress with their austerity package. Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund – which makes up the Troika along with the EU and European Central Bank – commented that their purpose in Greece was not to renegotiate the bailout deal. This intention will not [...]
Monti-Merkel show unity July 4, 2012 MARIO MONTI committed Italy to budgetary discipline, in a joint press conference with Germany’s premier Angela Merkel yesterday. Though the estimate of Italy’s budget deficit for this year was revised up to two per cent, Merkel praised measures taken by Monti since he took over from Silvio Berlusconi. Monti touted the labour reforms he managed [...]