Virgin and BT join forces in BSkyB attack October 4, 2009 Virgin Media and BT have hit out at BSkyB’s pricing mechanism for its premium channels, saying that its “near monopoly” restricts consumer choice and keeps prices high. The attack came in a joint submission to Ofcom, which is consulting over its proposals to control the wholesale pay-TV market, that would mean BSkyB having to sell [...]
Going on safari is even better when you do it by balloon October 4, 2009 E ARLY morning in Kenya, Kilimanjaro is on the horizon, and we were driving across the dusty plains past the red-robed herdsmen on our way to begin our dawn safari. But this was no ordinary game drive, as we’d swapped the safety of our safari truck for a wide wicker basket, and were about to [...]
THE TIPSTER BAINTERIMS WILL CLARIFY ITS POSITION October 4, 2009 SHARES in Legal & General fell by more than 5 per cent on Friday after National Australia Bank moved to dampen talk of a takeover bid. The firm’s share price had risen to highs of the year of more than 95p before the fall. Will the price drop lower? ShortsandLongs.com has a rolling spread of [...]
OPEN SKIES October 1, 2009 LUFTHANSA is buying a 20 per cent stake in BMI from Scandinavian group SAS, it said yesterday. Lufthansa, which already owns most of BMI, is paying £38m for the shares. The takeover will happen on 1 November. Ownership of BMI gives Lufthansa access to several much-coveted takeoff and landing slots at Heathrow airport.
Virtue signs Deal or No Deal September 30, 2009 Endemol UK has signed an exclusive deal with global online bingo licensor Virtue Fusion to create a game based on the popular TV show Deal or No Deal. Mecca, Paddy Power, bet365 and Sky have already confirmed they will host the game, with more operators to be announced in due course. Virtue also signed a [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING September 29, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMESHRE CHIEF BACKS HARSH CONDITIONS FOR SUPPORTThe chief executive of Hypo Real Estate says that a German government plan to enforce a controversial “squeeze-out” of minority shareholders next week is the only option for the troubled bank. Axel Wieandt said the move – which will deprive shareholders of a chance to recover further value [...]
iPhone is coolest brand but not the most reliable September 29, 2009 THE iPhone is the coolest brand, according to YouGov research for CoolBrands. Aston Martin came second, with – astonishingly – Apple and iPod in positions three and four. It’s an amazing success story, and the first graph shows the climb over the past year. The scores here are proportional, which means the proportion of positive [...]
ABOVE PAR golfbreaks September 28, 2009 AS the nights start to close in, golfers will be looking at the skies with some nervousness. Before the sleet and hail start, though, autumn is the perfect time to squeeze in a few rounds. Luckily for those of us who live in and around London, there are plenty of stunning golf courses just a [...]
Sri Lanka’s beauty reborn September 27, 2009 Ask British travellers why they return to Sri Lanka again and again and they will enthuse about the friendliness of the people, the stunning scenery, the incredible variety packed into an island roughly the size of Ireland. Even through long years of civil war, the tourists kept coming, lured by cheap beach holidays and whistlestop [...]
Gambling’s old world gent who has become a new media entrepreneur September 24, 2009 He likes to portray himself as an old school gent in an old world business, but in reality Victor Chandler’s operation – like most betting firms – is on the cutting edge of internet technology. At the nerve centre of the firm’s rambling and rather undistinguished four-storey Gibraltar office is its IT department, which has [...]