WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 15, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMESBLU-RAY SALES FAIL TO OFFSET DECLINE OF DVDHollywood’s expensive bet on Blu-ray technology has failed to prevent a sharp decline in home entertainment sales, dealing a blow to the film industry as it grapples with the global economic downturn. The industry’s revenues fell by more than $2.6bn in 2008 as sales of standard DVDs [...]
Deripaska appoints GM chief June 15, 2009 Russian indebted carmaker GAZ said yesterday it had invited a former General Motors executive to head its board of directors. The group, owned by tycoon Oleg Deripaska, said former purchasing chief Bo Andersson had expressed his agreement to take the post. GAZ, along with Russia’s largest lender Sberbank and Canadian car parts group Magna is [...]
Premier League issues warning to Setanta over rights payments June 15, 2009 THE Premier League warned yesterday that it will put the rights held by troubled broadcaster Setanta back up for sale if the Irish group does not pay its next instalment due on Friday. The Premier League said that it would terminate the existing agreement “if Setanta does not meet certain contractual requirements of the Premier [...]
Paris show takes off June 15, 2009 ROLLS-ROYCE announced a bumper $2.1bn (£1.35bn) order deal for its engines at the Paris Air Show yesterday, defying the gloomy mood surrounding the biennial event. The company said its engines will power planes belonging to Middle East carriers Gulf Air and Qatar Airlines, as well as Germany’s Condor, and Royal China. But bleak sentiment has [...]
Russian billionaire to rescue Setanta June 14, 2009 SPORTS broadcaster Setanta has been rescued by Russian-American industrialist Len Blavatnik, who has offered to put up £20m in return for a 51 per cent stake in the struggling business. Blavatnik’s company, Access Industries confirmed that it had submitted an offer, which is subject to a “number of pre-conditions”. “Access believes that this proposal would [...]
SUMMER SALES June 14, 2009 Green rejects Hammers offerWEST HAM goalkeeper Robert Green has thrown his future at Upton Park into doubt after refusing the club’s latest contract offer. The England stopper still has three years of his current deal to run but the Hammers are keen to commit the 29-year-old to a longer-term deal. Talks are expected to continue [...]
OTHER SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS June 14, 2009 Matisse, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, MadridUNTIL 20 SEPTEMBERwww.museothyssen.orgIn 1917 Matisse moved from Paris to Nice where he forged his unique style, of which this show is a celebration. It was a naturalistic, muted period that produced paintings “unjustly disparaged by avante-garde critics,”according to the museum’s artistic director. Highlights of this 70-work strong show include the intimate and [...]
Deripaska’s paper trouble June 11, 2009 Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska yesterday invited two government ministers to join the board of a troubled Russian paper mill he controls after he was reprimanded by the Prime Minister for his management of another plant. Deripaska also owned the loss-making Birmingham-based vanmaker LDV, which went into administration earlier this month after failing to find a [...]
Lebedev eyes Independent June 11, 2009 RUSSIAN oligarch, and Evening Standard majority stakeholder, Alexander Lebedev is understood to be mulling a deal to buy The Independent and Independent on Sunday. Simon Kelner, the Independent titles’ managing director, and Lebedev have been in discussions over a possible deal for some months, but the process is said to have been accelerated this week. [...]
Weststar eyes vanmaker LDV June 9, 2009 Malaysian group Weststar emerged as a potential buyer for the assets of failed vanmaker LDV yesterday, one of three contenders for the acquisition. The news comes after most of LDV’s 850 staff were made redundant earlier this week. Weststar was forced to walk away from a takeover deal last month when it failed to secure [...]