BHP optimistic for the longer term outlook as profits fall August 20, 2013 Mining giant BHP Billiton has reported a 15 per cent fall in profit and a 30 per cent fall in earnings per share for the first half of the year (release). Earnings per share fell to 204.4 cents (130.6p) from 289.6 cents – less than half the 429.1 cents reported in 2011. In the face [...]
Booming tourism trade boosts Greece surplus August 19, 2013 GREECE’S booming summer tourism revenue has given a welcome boost to the cash-strapped country’s finances. Tourism, which is the country’s biggest foreign currency driver, rose 21 per cent year-on-year to €1.59bn (£1.36bn) for June, the first month of the summer holiday season. Surging visitor numbers also helped widen Greece’s current account surplus to €663m, from [...]
Jol thrilled after Parker becomes Fulham’s eighth summer signing August 19, 2013 FULHAM manager Martin Jol believes signing midfielder Scott Parker from London rivals Tottenham represents a major coup for his club. The 32-year-old has penned a three-year deal and is in line to make his debut against Arsenal on Saturday. Parker is the third former Spurs player to have arrived at Craven Cottage this summer, after [...]
Indian rupee hits record low amid slowdown fears August 19, 2013 The Indian rupee fell to a record low today as investors pulled money out of the country amid fears of a slowdown in growth. The currency fell by around 1.7 per cent from the previous close to a low of 62.70 against the dollar. The rupee has fallen by nearly 16 per cent since May [...]
Hopes for Japan-Russia peace deal August 19, 2013 The deputy foreign ministers of Japan and Russia are meeting in Moscow today to strengthen cooperative ties in a further step towards resolving a territorial dispute which stopped them from signing a peace treaty after World War II. The meeting between Shinsuke Sugiyama and Igor Morgulov follows an agreement between Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe [...]
Sport Comment: It’s worth walking to Glasgow for glimpse of a sprint superstar August 18, 2013 GIVEN events at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and my prediction last Monday that Arsenal would win the Premier League this season, you may be inclined to give this column a miss this week on the grounds that the writer clearly doesn’t know what he’s talking about. It is a marathon not a sprint, remember; still [...]
Murray through in straight sets August 14, 2013 WORLD No2 Andy Murray reached round three of the Cincinnati Open with a straight sets win over Russian Mikhail Youzhny yesterday. The Scot, surprisingly beaten in the Rogers Cup third round last week in his first outing since winning the Wimbledon title, triumphed 6-2, 6-3 in 70 minutes. Murray will play world No36 Julien Benneteau [...]
Highland Gold keeps output target August 12, 2013 Highland Gold, the Russian gold producer part-owned by oligarch Roman Abramovich, yesterday maintained its full-year production guidance of 225,000 to 240,000 ounces of gold, as it posted a 3.7 per cent increase in half-year output from two of its mines. Its newly-acquired Kekura project has started exploration activities.
Klitschko lines up Povetkin fight August 12, 2013 BOXING: World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko is set to fight undefeated Russian Alexander Povetkin on 5 October. Klitschko will defend his WBA title at Moscow’s Olympic Stadium.
What the other papers say this morning – 12 August 2013 August 11, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Air alliances rule out Heathrow move The world’s biggest airlines have ruled out moving from Heathrow to another UK airport, bolstering the chances of a highly contentious third runway being built at Europe’s busiest hub. All three global airline alliances have said they want to stay, even though some options being considered by [...]