‘The best team won’, concedes Ferguson May 27, 2009 GRACIOUS Sir Alex Ferguson admitted his Manchester United team lost to the better side after his dreams of retaining the Champions League trophy were dashed by classy Barcelona. But for a bright opening spell, the Premier League champions were second best to the Catalan superstars, who deservedly ended the English dominance in Europe with goals [...]
Pearce stokes Walcott row May 27, 2009 ENGLAND Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce has risked the wrath of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger by naming Theo Walcott in a strong squad for next month’s European Championships. The tournament comes just days after the senior team’s World Cup qualifying double-header with Kazakhstan and Andorra, and Wenger fears the striker faces burn out for the start [...]
Murray beats a wobble to mash Potito May 27, 2009 BRITISH No1 Andy Murray admitted his relief after battling back from the brink of an upset to reach the third round of the French Open. Having swept to the first set against world No104 Potito Starace, Murray won just three of the following 14 games, losing the second set and going 5-1 in the third. [...]
Rashid replaces Flintoff for T20 May 27, 2009 CRICKET: Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid has been drafted into England’s World Twenty20 squad as a late replacement for the injured Andrew Flintoff. Flintoff is recovering well following knee surgery but the tournament, to be held in England starting on 5 June, will come too soon for him. ECB Chief Medical Officer Nick Peirce said: “Andrew [...]
Williams suspended by FOTA May 27, 2009 FORMULA ONE: Williams were yesterday suspended by teams’ alliance FOTA after breaking ranks and confirming their entry into next year’s championship. The deadline for entries is tomorrow, with FOTA still at loggerheads with governing body the FIA over proposed sweeping changes, including a voluntary £40m budget cap. Ferrari are one of several teams threatening to [...]
Halfpenny poised to rejoin Lions May 27, 2009 RUGBY UNION: Injured Wales wing Leigh Halfpenny could rejoin the British and Irish Lions squad as early as this weekend. Halfpenny, sent back to Cardiff Blues to recover, is almost over his thigh problem and poised to fly to South Africa to join the squad in the next few days. Blues physio Tim Atter said: [...]
REWARDS FOR FAILURE AT BT May 27, 2009 PRESSURE was mounting on BT yesterday, after the struggling telecoms giant revealed that the former head of its loss-making Global Services division (BTGS) received a pay packet totalling £2.85m in 2008. Ahead of the company’s annual general meeting in July, shareholders said Francois Barrault’s annual package – which included a £1.59m termination pay off – [...]
Opel talks stall as job row looms May 27, 2009 GENERAL Motors was last night locked in talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel, US government representatives and potential bidders for GM’s European Opel unit, in an effort to rescue the division, even as a row over likely job losses was brewing. The talks in Merkel’s Berlin office were focused on identifying the best bidder of [...]
Fresh row in TNK-BP saga May 27, 2009 THE acrimony between BP and its partners in the TNK-BP joint venture flared up anew yesterday as a group of Russian shareholders put up their own candidate to rival the British company’s choice of chief executive. BP unveiled Pavel Skitovich, a former head of Russian mining firm Polyus Gold, as its choice to lead the [...]
Sterling’s long decline comes to an end May 27, 2009 IT may seem strange given the dire state of Britain’s public finances but sterling is starting to regain some of its strength, especially against the dollar. Yesterday the pound rose above $1.60 for the first time in seven months, boosted by better services sector sentiment and mortgage approvals. Sterling is now trading well above its [...]
