Cut-price Sky Sports moves a step closer April 29, 2010 SKY’S stranglehold over subscription TV took a hit yesterday as a court refused to postpone a ruling forcing it to slash the price it can charge rivals for Premier League football. The ruling guarantees top flight games will be available across four platforms by the start of next season. Sky, led by chief executive Jeremy [...]
Iron-clad entertainment April 29, 2010 Film IRON MAN II Cert: 12A Compared to the brooding darkness of the Batman films or the commercial cynicism of the Transformers franchise, 2008’s Iron Man was a breezy joy of a blockbuster, and so is its sequel. It may lose the thread of its plot from time to time, and the final showdown is [...]
PANTHER BOSS ON A TRIP INTO NOSTALGIA April 26, 2010 ANDREW Perloff, the eccentric chairman of property firm Panther Securities, has something of a cult following among City investors due to his penchant for using company results statements as an excuse to reminisce at length about life’s little quirks. But yesterday’s final results announcement was a corker even by Perloff’s own standards, ranging from fervent [...]
the INSIDER April 22, 2010 Last weekend I ignored my No1 rule and paid the price. It is essential to make sure a stable is in form before backing any horse. You may miss a few big priced winners but overall, in my opinion, it is the best way to show a profit. Arcano ran like a horse that wasn’t [...]
IMF proposes double tax hit for all banks April 20, 2010 BANKS around the world could face two new taxes to cover the cost of any future bailouts under proposals by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) circulated to the Group of 20 countries yesterday. The report proposes a “Financial Stability Contribution,” which would be used to cover the cost of any future financial sector bailouts to [...]
PRIVATE EQUITY FAT CATS COME OUT TO PLAY April 14, 2010 SIR Peter Paul Rubens’ beautiful and ornate painted ceiling gazed down upon the most successful figures in the private equity industry last night, as they gathered in the Banqueting Hall on Whitehall for the Private Equity News Awards for Excellence in Private Equity. Executives from the likes of CVC Capital Partners, Axa Private Equity, Coller [...]
Mancini and Moyes clash at Eastlands March 24, 2010 RIVAL bosses Roberto Mancini and David Moyes were both sent off amid an ugly touchline melee as Everton dented Manchester City’s hopes of a Champions League place with an impressive victory at Eastlands. The managers clashed after Mancini raced to retrieve the ball and clattered into the Toffees chief, prompting tempers to fray and referee [...]
Indian rate hike sets the scene for the rest of Asia March 23, 2010 SO FAR this year, the markets have been concentrating on the prospect of monetary policy tightening in China and what that will mean for global recovery. But while the Asian powerhouse has been slowly tightening here and there in an effort to cool its economy down, it was India that bit the bullet and hiked [...]
CHELTENHAM BRINGS THE CITY OUT IN FORCE March 16, 2010 TO Gloucestershire yesterday for the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, the favourite corporate entertainment jolly of the year for many a self-respecting racegoer. Bucking the austere trend of recent years, this year’s Festival has already seen a roaring trade in City schmoozing, with the long list of companies taking private suites including HSBC, BlackRock, [...]
Johnson not yet ready, says Mancini March 14, 2010 SUNDERLAND (1) v/s MANCHESTER CITY (1) MANCHESTER CITY boss Roberto Mancini says Adam Johnson is not yet ready to stake a claim for England’s World Cup squad despite his late heroics at the Stadium of Light. The 22-year-old winger fired a stunning injury-time goal to deny his hometown club and earn below-par City a precious [...]