THE FAMOUS FIVE – ENGLAND’S FOES February 2, 2011 Italy NICK MALLETT’S Italy remain a work in progress, and will have their work cut out again to not collect the wooden spoon, as they have done for the past three years. But there are some positives, and the Azzurri are becoming more competitive, thanks in part to domestic powerhouses Benetton Treviso and Aironi Rugby’s [...]
US car sales surge 18pc in January February 1, 2011 US car sales jumped by about 18 per cent in January, led by gains for General Motors and Chrysler as the two Detroit carmakers restructured by the US government took share from rivals. GM posted a 22 per cent sales gain, pushing its market share above 20 per cent. Chrysler, which is pushing toward an [...]
Slasher flick with added pliés January 20, 2011 Film BLACK SWAN Cert: 15 NATATLIE Portman plays ballet dancer Nina in this psychological thriller from director Darren Aronofsky (the Wrestler). She’s just landed the lead role in Swan Lake: it’s The Biggie. Notorious for being mentally and physically exacting, the challenge is made even tougher when the talented Lily (Mila Kunis) joins the company. [...]
What the other papers say this morning January 19, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES MOD FACES FRESH CRISIS OVER ITS FUNDING Senior figures in the Ministry of Defence are warning of a possible reopening of last October’s Strategic Defence and Security Review because the MoD lacks the funds needed to provide the military capability demanded by the government for 2020. The department has discovered that it needs [...]
CAR TALK January 18, 2011 ORLA KIELY CITROEN COLLECTION British designer Orla Kiely has created a limited edition version of Citroen’s DS3. Known for her distinctive prints that usually adorn purses and mugs, the Orla Kiely Collection DS3 features her trademark acorn and stem patterns on the cars’ roof, floor carpets, headrests, windows and tailgate. Just 500 of the cars [...]
Nat BlueStar buys $2bn of Orkla assets January 11, 2011 NORWAY’S Orkla has agreed to sell its Elkem unit to China National BlueStar for $2bn (£1.28bn) in one of the biggest industrial takeovers by a Chinese group in Europe. The agreement was reached despite a row between China and Norway over the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Pizzas-to-metals conglomerate [...]
The rise of 3D January 9, 2011 STEVE DINNEEN REVIEWS THE MAJOR TRENDS THAT DOMINATED THE AGENDA AT THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW THE technology world will remember 2011 as the year that 3D went mainstream. Every major electronics manufacturer made 3D the centre of their displays and its presence was ubiquitous throughout the show. Sony predicted 3D will become as accepted as [...]
American auto sales top 13m January 4, 2011 AMERICAN auto sales hit their highest level in 16 months in December, it was revealed yesterday. The figures surpassed expectations and marked the end of a strong year for the formerly troubled industry. Economists had predicted sales of 12.3m, yet the annual sales rate for December jumped above 13m, according to initial data from major [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS December 22, 2010 KKR Kaveh Samie is joining KKR as managing director and head of Middle East and North Africa to support the firm’s growth strategy in the region. Previously, Samie was a managing director and head of equities for HSBC Middle East & North Africa. The appointment takes effect from 6 January 2011. Samie will work closely [...]
FTSE treads water as fears over European debts weigh December 16, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares closed little changed yesterday as persistent concerns over Europe’s debt problems capped moves on the upside while BP fell after the US government launched a lawsuit over the Gulf oil spill. The FTSE 100 ended down 1.06 points at 5,881.12. The index ebbed away from an intra-day high of 5,907.10, with analysts [...]