Foreigners join FTSE 100 May 31, 2010 THE FTSE 100 will become even more multinational next week when up to three more foreign firms are promoted into the blue-chip index. Indian oil and gas firm Essar Energy is a racing certainty to step into the prestigious list of the top 100 UK-listed firms by market capitalisation. Gold miners African Barrick Gold and [...]
BP shares set to fall after plug bid fails May 31, 2010 SHARES in BP are expected to plummet today as news of the failed “top kill” attempt to stem the leak of oil into the Gulf of Mexico hits the UK and US markets when they re-open after the long weekend. Analysts predict that should the markets remain stable, it is likely that BP shares will [...]
200-up Nadal on course to reclaim title May 31, 2010 RAFAEL NADAL buried his French Open demons to chalk up his 200th victory on clay and waltz into the quarter-finals at Roland Garros. The four-time champion suffered a shock defeat to Robin Soderling at this stage last year, but never looked in any danger of repeating the feat, comfortably beating young Brazilian Thomasz Bellucci in [...]
Frustrated Murray sees off Chela amid the Parisian rain May 27, 2010 ANDY MURRAY feared his rain-affected second round clash would go into a third day before he finally got the better of Juan Ignacio Chela and the Paris weather to waltz into the third round of the French Open. Frustrated Murray was forced to resume his match midway through yesterday and survived the loss of the [...]
Belle Epoque style enters the 21 century May 27, 2010 AT the turn of the last century a visit to the imposing Mont Pelerine Palace in the Swiss Alps was a favourite pastime among wealthy travellers. They arrived by train to the quiet commune of Chardonne before ascending by funicular to the elegant hotel, enjoying the famous local Charennes wine and mingling with New York [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS May 26, 2010 Otkritie Securities Otkritie, the UK subsidiary of Russian financial services giant Otkritie Financial Corporation, has appointed Howard Snell as chairman. Snell joined the broker last year as an executive director, having previously been UK chief executive of Russian investment bank Troika Dialog. He was also previously co-head of the London emerging markets desk at UBS, [...]
Murray must wait as light halts progress May 26, 2010 ANDY MURRAY cut a frustrated figure after rain and bad light halted his French Open progress at Roland Garros last night. The British No1 was leading Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 3-3 when play was suspended at 9.30pm local time. Frequent showers meant that the players did not even start their second round showdown until [...]
I’ll battle on, vows out-of-sorts Safina May 25, 2010 AILING Dinara Safina insists she can rediscover her best form despite crashing out of the French Open to a 39-year-old ex-retiree at Roland Garros. Former world No1 Safina, now seeded ninth after falling down the rankings, continued her miserable 2010 with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 defeat to Japan’s Kimiko Date Krumm, who only returned to [...]
FORTY YEARS ON AND WE SEEM TO HAVE LEARNED VERY FEW LESSONS May 24, 2010 WHEN you are older than God, as I am, I think you tend to become rather blasé as yet another political or financial crisis unfolds. I was 23 and working as an impecunious bank clerk at Hill Samuel (now part of Lloyds Banking Group, for the youth among you) when I was exposed to my [...]
Norilsk to sell Stillwater stake May 24, 2010 NORILSK Nickel yesterday confirmed plans to sell its stake in Stillwater Mining, the sole US producer of platinum and palladium, which is valued at around $750m (£519m). Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, chief executive of Norilsk, the world’s top producer of nickel and palladium, said the Russian firm would sell the 51.3 per cent stake to streamline its [...]