More time for takeover talks October 17, 2011 THE Takeover Panel made the first extensions to its new “put up or shut up” deadline imposed on buyers of UK companies yesterday, granting several potential bidders more time to put their proposals together. Entertainment rights company Coolabi, the home of children’s TV favourite cat Bagpuss, is one of four firms that have been granted [...]
WENGER’S VAN PERSIE FEAR October 16, 2011 ARSENAL (2) vs SUNDERLAND (1) Dutch striker’s brace ensures a much needed victory but Arsenal manager can offer no guarantees that his star man will stay beyond current season ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger admits he doesn’t know whether Robin van Persie will sign a new contract after the captain underlined his importance to the Gunners [...]
CONFERENCE WHISPERS October 4, 2011 The cat(s) that got the cream Cats abound at this year’s Tory conference. First Theresa May, the home secretary, used her speech to claim that a convicted Bolivian illegal immigrant had been allowed to stay in Britain because he owned a British pet cat. The delegates lapped up this tale of human rights madness, but [...]
Osmond’s APR expects lift from Cat deal September 29, 2011 APR Energy, the temporary power business owned by entrepreneur Hugh Osmond, expects a surge in new business after it signed an emerging markets development deal with Caterpillar. The five-year contract will see APR work with Caterpillar and Florida agent Ring Power, with Caterpillar supplying mobile generator sets to APR Energy. APR will gain access to [...]
A downhill struggle: a first timer’s ski odyssey September 25, 2011 AS a country, we are obsessed with what separates us. North-South; rich-poor; black-white; upper, middle or working class. I’ve always thought that skiing holidays, for the Brits at least, offer one of the most reliable dividing lines. Personally, I would do away the census and ask one question: have you been on a skiing holiday [...]
The robotic killers that could take over Blue Peter September 25, 2011 Animals aren’t high-tech enough. They don’t have screens. You can’t easily upgrade them. Last night I spent six hours trying to control a fox with my iPhone, with limited success. Don’t take my word for it – ask the makers of Blue Peter. They have decided not to relocate the show’s famous menagerie in the [...]
Bagpuss to get new owner after £4m bid September 20, 2011 HE MAY be an “old, saggy cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams,” but Bagpuss’ owner has agreed to sell him for £4.2m. The announcement that media rights owner Coolabi has agreed to a 7.75p a share deal with North Promotions sent its stock tumbling by almost a quarter yesterday, as the [...]
Politicians don’t know how incentives work September 20, 2011 THE chancellor George Osborne and business secretary Vince Cable believe that Britain’s economic problems are partly to be blamed on poorly designed incentive schemes. They believe that senior businessmen are “rewarded for failure”. If this were true, it would indeed be a problem. But the idea is preposterous. Why would the owners of a company [...]
Poverty of debate is holding us back September 18, 2011 IT is obvious that companies need to work harder to make sure that all their employees deliver the goods. This must apply to everybody, including CEOs, who are hired by shareholders to maximise their value. They should be paid a lot if they do well and fired without massive payoffs if they fail. It should [...]
Groupon boss in spotlight as IPO halted September 7, 2011 THE SPOTLIGHT has fallen on Groupon boss Andrew Mason as news of the deal website’s postponed float begins to sink in. Its ambitions of achieving a $20bn valuation have been put on indefinite hold, with Mason’s souring relations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) thought to be among the reasons. Tensions have been simmering [...]