HMV lifted by Russian buyer November 10, 2010 HMV Group saw its shares rise yesterday after Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut upped his stake to above three per cent. The company’s stock had slumped 49 per cent this year as the DVD and CD seller, which also owns Waterstones, hit tough times. HMV has been moving into live music events and venues as it [...]
THREE OTHER FIRST-RATE STEAKHOUSES November 8, 2010 GOODMAN – MAYFAIR AND CITY With a cultish following at its Mayfair restaurant, only the best cuts of beef need apply at this Russian-owned New York-style steakhouse. Beef is aged in a room on-site and served in a multitude of cuts, all cooked on a charcoal grill. A stylish, atmospheric interior and good drinks have [...]
Eurofighter leading race November 7, 2010 THE EUROFIGHTER consortium, made up of Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy, is leading the race to win a £7bn deal to supply 126 Typhoon fighter jets to the Indian Air Force. The deal would create 2,000 new jobs in Britain. The Typhoon, produced by Britain’s BAE Systems, Italy’s Finmeccanica and pan-European aerospace firm EADS, topped [...]
Turbans and tiaras: inside India’s luxury rolling palace November 7, 2010 HOW do you look in a bindi and turban, with a garland of flowers round your neck? I didn’t know either, until I found myself in some gardens outside Jaipur, the third stop on our week-long but epic journey through Rajasthan on India’s most luxurious train. The answer, for me, was really quite good (see [...]
Russia in talks for Potash bid November 5, 2010 A RUSSIAN group said yesterday it was in intensive talks ahead of launching a rival bid for Potash Corp, as BHP Billiton said its blocked $39bn (£24.7bn) bid for fertiliser group Potash Corp was not dead and pledged to work with the Canadian government. Phosagro claimed it was in intensive talks with the Russian government [...]
The former City trader aiming for pop stardom November 5, 2010 THERE are plenty of stories about people who escaped the City to get into farming, painting, charity work or plough any number of non-rat race new directions. However, in taking the City worker-to-pop star route, 26-year-old Roxanne Emery is pretty much unique. And refreshingly, the former trader’s change of direction wasn’t even because she wanted [...]
The expat life: a tale of two Swiss cities November 4, 2010 CLEAN, efficient, low taxes and great skiing – Switzerland is quite frankly fantastic. Far from being somewhere you are exiled, it’s the sort of place that you should be begging to be sent. And it could happen to you sooner than you think: punitive taxes in the UK have already forced Brevan Howard amongst other [...]
RBS in MUFJ project deal November 3, 2010 ROYAL Bank of Scotland (RBS) is in talks to sell a $6.4bn (£4bn) project finance book to Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, which includes loans for London’s orbital M25 motorway and a gas pipeline between Russia and Germany. Sources told City AM the sale would help the government–backed bank boost its balance sheet. RBS, led by [...]
Petropavlovsk lowers targets November 3, 2010 RUSSIAN gold miner Petropavlovsk yesterday further lowered its gold production guidance for 2010 while claiming many difficulties it encountered this year have now been overcome. Petropavlovsk, formerly known as Peter Hambro Mining, now expects to produce 510,000 to 530,000 ounces of gold in 2010, down from the 636,500 to 670,000 guidance stated in August and [...]
Lebedev bank is stormed by armed and masked cops November 2, 2010 Armed police stormed a Moscow bank controlled by the billionaire owner of the Independent and Evening Standard in a dramatic raid yesterday. Around 30 Russian police carrying Uzis and clad in balaclavas terrified staff as they demanded access to documents. Tycoon and former KGB spy Alexander Lebedev was in the offices of his National Reserve [...]