Front of the grid in Hamilton’s sights as McLaren eye improvement in Spain May 5, 2010 FORMER world champion Lewis Hamilton is desperate to end his poor qualifying form when Formula One returns to Europe this week at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Briton has shown flashes of brilliances in the four races so far this season, and may feel unlucky to trail leader Jenson Button, his McLaren colleague, by 11 [...]
SPORT | IN BRIEF May 5, 2010 Ribery final ban upheld FOOTBALL: Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery will miss the Champions League final after his appeal against a ban was dismissed. The Frenchman was suspended for three games for his red card against Lyon in the semi-final – ruling him out of the 22 May showdown with Inter Milan. Ribery’s absence is [...]
The man to phone when you want to stake your bonus on the horses May 5, 2010 FANCY yourself as a high-roller? Frustrated that your high street betting shop is too scared to take your five-figure wagers? Do you relish rubbing your bookie’s face in it, verbally speaking, after taking him to the cleaners? Then meet Ben Keith. From his office on the Sussex coast Keith runs Star Sports, which he calls [...]
Ken Clarke: Voters need to get serious May 4, 2010 POLITICAL EDITOR Tory big beast warns markets will think electorate is ‘ridiculous’ if it ushers in a hung parliament tomorrow FINANCIAL markets will think voters are “slightly ridiculous” if tomorrow’s general election results in a hung parliament, Ken Clarke said yesterday. In an exclusive interview with City A.M., the shadow business secretary said: “My message [...]
Fresh debt fears rock world markets May 4, 2010 FEARS the €110bn bailout package for Greece might not be enough to stop the spread of the Eurozone debt crisis sent markets worldwide plunging yesterday. The FTSE 100 plummeted 2.6 per cent to 5,411.11, the pan-European Stoxx 600 Index dropped 2.9 per cent to 252.96 – erasing its gains for the year, and the S&P [...]
Ratings firms face EU probe May 4, 2010 EUROPE’S internal markets commissioner Michel Barnier yesterday issued a stark warning to credit ratings agencies, as he demanded an investigation of their methods and floated the possibility of establishing an EU agency tasked with issuing sovereign ratings. Barnier said he had asked for “responsibility” from the ratings agencies, but that he had been “surprised” by [...]
Why Britain needs a Conservative government May 4, 2010 WE are now just one day away from the most important election for a generation. The country is at a crossroads: we have crawled out of recession but our prosperity faces its greatest threat since the 1970s. A discredited government and political establishment have presided over an out of control budget deficit and a bloated, [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 4, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES PAULSON ASSURES INVESTORS OVER GOLDMAN FALLOUT John Paulson, whose hedge fund profited from the transaction at the heart of the civil fraud charges filed in the US against Goldman Sachs, has pledged to his investors that he will bear the costs of any litigation brought against his company in the matter. Mr Paulson’s [...]
Singaporean fund eyes Pru rights issue May 4, 2010 TEMASEK, Singapore’s largest sovereign wealth fund, is considering lending its support to Prudential’s $21bn (£13.9bn) rights issue as a cornerstone investor, City A.M. understands. The $120bn (£79.4bn) government investment vehicle is one of several Asian institutions looking with interest at the terms of the rights issue published this morning. The exact price and timing of [...]
Orrick backs out of SJ Berwin merger May 4, 2010 MERGER talks between law firm SJ Berwin and its US competitor Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe have collapsed. The news came after the San Francisco based firm wrote to partners explaining that it would step away from merger discussions. In a leaked memo seen by City A.M., the firm’s chairman Ralph Baxter said the decision to [...]
