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Updated: May 20, 2012
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| Samsung overtakes Nokia Samsung Electronics has overtaken Nokia to become the world's largest maker of mobile phones. Apple IPad 3 Overheating Apple IPad 3 reports coming in regarding overheating. Barclays suffers Shareholder revolt The management of Barclays Bank has suffered a significant and embarrasing revolt by shareholders, after 26.9% of those who voted, said no to the company's executive pay package. BSkyB bid opponents claim they were blocked by Jeremy Hunts department An alliance of media groups opposed to News Corporation's takeover of BSkyB claim it was blocked from engaging with Jeremy Hunt and his officials for more than three months, and was only granted a single "sham" meeting with the culture secretary three weeks after he had already given his provisional blessing to the £8bn offer. BSkyB bid opponents claim they were blocked by Jeremy Hunts department An alliance of media groups opposed to News Corporation's takeover of BSkyB claim it was blocked from engaging with Jeremy Hunt and his officials for more than three months, and was only granted a single "sham" meeting with the culture secretary three weeks after he had already given his provisional blessing to the £8bn offer. Apple silences another website Has Apple truly lost the plot? After suing a number of websites for disclosing its trade secrets (why were these secrets floating about anyway), Apple has managed to shut down ThinkSecret. Good job, Jobs. Is China harvesting prisoners organs? The Chinese government is facing new accusations that it takes organs from thousands of executed prisoners each year, without consent. Coca-Cola and Godiva try to reinvent coffee Coca-Cola and Godiva join forces to introduce some new drinks to the market. Dell to swtich to AMD? Yet another blow was struck against market leader Intel as Dell is expected to begin trials of AMD chips in a number of laptop models. Whether Intel can stop AMD gaining ground on it remains to be seen. Leela gains Gurgaon contract Hotel Leela Venture Ltd has announced that it has entered into a management contract to operate a five star hotel and luxury apartment hotel at Gurgaon in Haryana, expected to be one of the foremost in the region. Trusted Download? Backers of a new plan to police downloads believe it will put an end to unwanted software that launches pop-up ads and hogs system resources. But critics counter that the program will merely legitimize such software, not make it go away. Samsung to invest $33 billion in new chips Samsung has announced that it intends to invest over $33 billion in new microchips. The company intends to make this investment over a few years. Google to work with Nasa Google and Nasa working together to look at new ways of using information. Merck faces UK lawsuits from Vioxx patients Britons who believe they suffered after taking Merck & Co.'s painkiller Vioxx plan to sue the drugmaker in the U.S. courts next year, a law firm said on Monday. MSB Solicitors in Liverpool said it was working with around 150 British plaintiffs. ICI, BASF in cartel probe The European Union has announced that it is commencing a probe in the activities of 12 of the world's largest chemical companies. The companies are suspected of price fixing and operation of an illegal cartel with regard to the production of polymers. Glaxo at risk from Vioxx ruling Shares in GlaxoSmithKline slipped on Monday on fears that litigation costs will rise after a Texas judge found Merck liable in the death of a man taking its painkiller Vioxx, and on a report antidepressant drugs showed a risk of suicide in adults. Gate Gourmet may fold The crisis at the catering firm which supplies food to British Airways worsened Monday with the company warning it was days away from going into administration with major job losses. Gate Gourmet set a deadline of Tuesday evening to reach a new commercial deal with BA or face the prospect of going out of business. Gap reports profits rise by 39%
AOL Spammer gets 15 months A former America Online computer engineer accused of stealing at least 92 million AOL e-mail addresses and selling them to a spammer was sentenced today to 15 months in prison in one of the first prosecutions under the nation's anti-spam laws. Gate Gourmet - Company Profile Gate Gourmet, the company at the centre of the strikes at Heathrow Airport, is one of the world's largest providers of in-flight meals. Based in Switzerland, it has been owned since 2002 by venture capital firm Texas Pacific. Gate's customers include British Airways - whose Heathrow staff went on strike in sympathy with the sacked Gate Gourmet workers. Japan considers levies on US goods Japan should impose retaliatory levies of up to $50 million on U.S. steel and other goods to counter subsidies paid by Washington to companies under an anti-dumping program ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization, a Finance Ministry panel said on Monday. BAT sees profit increase Microsoft beats Google A judge has temporarily barred a former Microsoft executive hired by Google from performing any duties at the search giant similar to those he performed at Microsoft. Washington state Superior Court Judge Steven Gonzalez on Thursday granted Microsoft's request for a temporary restraining order to prevent Kai-Fu Lee from violating his noncompete agreement. General Motors ending employee rebate General Motors Corp. is set to end its popular and successful "employee discounts for everyone" promotion next week, and move to more emphasis on permanently lower sticker prices instead of big rebates, according to a published report Wednesday. Toyota plans to brand hybrid cars Toyota is planning more prominent emblems on its gas-electric hybrid SUVs in a new belief that owners want others to know of their environmental consciousness. Hybrids save gas and reduce air emissions compared with conventional gasoline-powered cars and trucks. Three Russian judges charged with corruption The Russian Supreme Court has convicted three federal judges of fraud for illegally expropriating more than 100 flats in the Moscow region. The court said the judges had all belonged to the same criminal gang, and requested sentences of at least 12 years for each of the convicted. Russia's most notorious spammer found dead Vardan Kushnir, notorious for sending spam to each and every citizen of Russia who appeared to have an e-mail, was found dead in his Moscow apartment on Sunday, Interfax reported Monday. He died after suffering repeated blows to the head. Disney orders stray dogs put down Dozens of stray dogs roaming around the new Walt Disney theme park in Hong Kong have been rounded up and put down as the company prepares to open the park in September, a newspaper has said. Indian Call Center Security Is information security becoming a casualty in India's booming call centres as they drive down costs to keep themselves competitive for foreign clients? First Harry Potter book sold Barely a week before the long-awaited publication of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the latest adventure in the saga of the boy wizard, 14 copies of the children's book were inadvertently sold at a single store in Canada. Monster-in-Law Charlie (Jennifer Lopez) is a workaholic single girl looking for her knight in shining armor. He arrives in the form of Kevin (Michael Vartan, "Never Been Kissed"), a doctor who is instantly smitten with Charlie, and the two fall in love. It soon comes time for Charlie to meet Kevin's mother, former television talk show host Viola (Jane Fonda). Viagra blindness claim The FDA was today probing claims of blindness caused by use of the anti-impotence drug Viagra. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Star Wars episode 3, the circle is finally complete. But will it shine like the original three movies, or crash and burn like the Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones (dubious titles at best), read an exclusive early review. Microsoft names new CFO  Software maker Microsoft said it has hired Chris Liddell, chief financial officer at International Paper, to become its CFO with effect from May 9, replacing John Connors, who retired in January to join a Seattle-area venture capital firm.Glaxo warns of wrong tablets in packs GlaxoSmithKline has been forced to warn doctors in Canada that its medicine packs may include "stray tablets" for a different disease and that this could be dangerous for asthma patients. The drug firm has had a series of quality control issues at its manufacturing plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico, culminating in the seizure of stocks of its diabetes drug Avandamet and the antidepressant Paxil by US marshals last month. Boeing announces Air India deal Boeing won another big order for its new, fuel-efficient 787 yesterday when Air India said it would buy 20, with options to purchase seven more later. India's national flag carrier also ordered 15 Boeing 777s and took options on eight more. Not counting options, the deal is worth about $6 billion at list prices, though airlines typically receive discounts of at least 30 percent. Chevron Texaco - Unocal merger  Chevron Texaco has announced the take over of oil exploration company Unocal in a deal worth $18bn (£9.6bn). ChevronTexaco, the number two US oil firm saw off competition from a number of rivals, including China National Offshore Oil group, to acquire Unocal.Pfizers Lipitor good for the heart Patients with coronary heart disease who took Pfizer Inc’s cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) and lowered their cholesterol to well below recommended levels experienced significantly fewer heart attacks and strokes than those who only lowered their cholesterol to recommended levels, according to data presented here today at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. International Charter buys ProCert The ICharter today announced that it would complete the wholesale purchase of ProCert, a leading certification company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Google launches TV search service The net search giant Google has launched a search service that lets people look for TV programmes. The service, Google Video beta, searches closed caption information that comes with programmes. The first version of the service is part of Google's expanding efforts to be a ubiquitous search engine for people to find what they want on the web and beyond. UK sick culture branded a myth Ocean's Twelve
eBay snaps up Rent.com for $415m Internet auction firm eBay has agreed to buy Rent.com for $415m (£214m) giving it access to more of the online property market. eBay will pay $385m in stocks and $30m in cash, with the deal set to be completed in the first quarter of 2005. BBC to shed 3,000 jobs BBC director general Mark Thompson has announced savings of £320m a year and thousands of job losses as part of a "transformation" of the corporation. About 2,900 jobs are to be cut, mainly from administration departments. Oxfam raps rich nations over aid Rich nations need to do much more to overcome global poverty, the aid agency Oxfam says in a report. In real terms, the aid budgets of rich countries are half what they were in 1960, the charity claims. Oxfam also says that that poor countries are paying back $100m a day in debt repayments. Google creators in share sell-off Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have announced plans to sell millions of shares in the web search company they launched in 1998. The pair each stand to pocket over $1bn (£535m) at current prices - and will still hold 27% of stock between them. Trump Hotels files for bankruptcy The flagship company of flamboyant businessman Donald Trump has filed for voluntary bankruptcy in the US. Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts has gone into Chapter 11 protection as it tries to restructure $1.8bn (£969m) in debt. Chapter 11 protection gives businesses time to rearrange their finances while continuing to trade. Google warns sales growth to slow Google, the world's most-used internet search engine, has warned that fiercer competition is set to hit sales growth. The firm, which had a successful share flotation earlier this year, said its rate of growth from the second quarter to the third may not be sustainable. Iraq oil corruption 'tops $21bn' Saddam Hussein's Iraq made more than $21bn (£11.3bn) from illicit oil sales and kickbacks in breach of UN sanctions, the US Senate has heard. The figure is double the $10bn quoted in a CIA report on Iraqi weapons. About $13.6bn came from selling oil to neighbour states keen to breach the sanctions, Senate investigators said. Microsoft signs two Indian deals Microsoft has signed separate multi-million dollar partnerships with two Indian software firms. Its deals with Indian businesses Infosys and Wipro will enable the pair to use Microsoft technologies in forthcoming software products. Microsoft is expected to double the 1,500 staff it already employs in India. Google shares released for sale Employees and early investors in the world's most popular web search engine, Google, will be able to sell 39 million shares from Tuesday.In one of the most closely-watched initial public offerings in stock market history, the US-based company sold 19.6 million shares at $85 each. Since then, they have risen to more than $185 apiece. US Begins attack on Fallujah U.S. ground forces began their long-awaited assault into Fallujah yesterday – capturing the city's main hospital and two bridges soon after Iraq's interim government declared martial law. Witnesses reported heavy fighting on the eastern and western fringes of the city, including around a bridge over the Euphrates. House of Flying Daggers Merck shares dive on Vioxx fears Shares in US drug maker Merck tumbled nearly 10% on Monday after a press report suggesting the firm may have ignored problems with one of its drugs. The Wall Street Journal has now published e-mails which, if genuine, suggest Merck may have known about the concerns for years, the paper says. Oracle makes $8.8bn bid for rival Oracle has raised the value of its hostile takeover bid for rival software producer Peoplesoft to $8.8bn(£4.8bn). The bid is higher than Oracle's previous $7.7bn offer and marks the latest twist in one of the fiercest takeover battles in recent US history. Kerry Leads in 4 Pivotal States, Bush Ahead in 2, Zogby Says Senator John Kerry leads President George W. Bush in four of 10 states that both campaigns agree may tip today's election and Bush is ahead in two, Reuters/Zogby polls show. The candidates are tied in the other four. Virgin boss in space tourism bid Virgin boss and British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has signed an agreement with the makers of the SpaceShipOne vehicle that will see his company take passengers into space. Sir Richard says it will cost around $180,000 to go on a "Virgin Galactic" spaceliner, and the first flights should begin in about three years' time. Oracle clear to go for PeopleSoft A federal judge has rejected the US government's bid to block software giant Oracle's proposed hostile takeover of rival PeopleSoft. Instead he gave Oracle clearance to restart its $7.7bn bid. Pfizer fails to block Generic Drug Generic drug maker Ivax Corp. said Friday that a federal court denied drug giant Pfizer Inc.'s request to block the sale of Ivax's generic version of its seizure treatment. MacDonalds CEO has more surgery Charles H. Bell, the chief executive of the McDonald's Corporation, is recuperating after another surgery, the company said on Saturday. Virgin Blue increases oil levy and drops route Virgin Blue Holdings on Monday followed Qantas Airways and raised the fuel surcharge on its tickets as a result of sky high oil prices. Four Seasons opens in Cairo Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts continues its worldwide expansion with the opening of Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza. The contemporary 366-room Hotel, is conveniently located in the heart of the city's elite Garden City district. Google IPO hits more trouble Google, the troubled search engine, has slashed its IPO price by almost $30, following revelations that it was largely overpriced. The engine has been struggling to gain interested in its IPO, which has flagged in the wake of a number of mistakes and possible SEC violations. Googles IPO may see delay due to article in 'Playboy' Google Inc. plans to open the auction for its hotly anticipated IPO today and set the final price next week, despite legal questions about a newly published Playboy interview with the founders of the online search engine. South Korean firm snaps up Lycos South Korean top internet portal Daum Communications is buying US web portal Lycos Inc from Terra Lycos of Spain, to push its way into the US market. Indian Generic maker profit slump Indian drug maker Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has reported a worse-than-expected 78 percent quarterly profit slump, due to high research and development expenses, foreign exchange losses and competition. Glaxo sales fall Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline has blamed the "significant impact" of cheap generic rival products in the US for a 17% fall in quarterly profits. Abbey agrees to Spanish takeover Abbey National, Britain’s second biggest mortgage lender has agreed to be taken over by Spain's biggest bank, Banco Santander Central Hispano (BSCH), in a deal valued at about £8bn ($15bn). The deal will catapult Spain's largest bank into the world's top 10 and give SCH an 11 per cent slice of the UK banking market. Google share sale to raise $3.3bn Google, the world's most used internet search engine, has said its much anticipated initial public offering could raise as much as $3.3bn. This would give the California-based firm an initial market value of as much as $36.25bn. Microsoft to return over $75 bn to shareholders Microsoft, the world's largest maker of software, plans to return more than $75bn (£40.5bn; 61bn euros) in cash to shareholders over the next four years. The company will begin by paying a one-off dividend worth $32bn, or $3 a share, in December this year. Former rebels join Uganda's army Some 300 former Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels have been welcomed into the regular army. Thousands of people turned out to watch as they marched through Gulu town before heading to a showground for the passing-out ceremony. Istanbul Arrests Three U.S. Citizens On Drug Smuggling Charges An Istanbul court has ordered the arrest of 3 US citizens on charges of drug smuggling. The three suspects, including 2 women, were transferred before Istanbul State Security Court on charges of drug smuggling following the completion of their interrogation by Istanbul Security Authority Anti-Smuggling Department. OMEGA Speedmaster Gains Imperial Mark The OMEGA Speedmaster, a watche already reknowned for its reliabiltiy and craftmanship, today earned an Imperial Mark. The OMEGA Speedmaster was the only chronograph from a group of 12 brands to pass NASA’s strict tests for use in space missions – tests that included exposure to extreme temperatures, vacuums, intense humidity, corrosion, shocks, acceleration, pressure, vibrations and noise. IDT shares leap on annoucement of Pfizer contract Institute of Drug Technology Australia Limited (IDT) shares shot up 21c or 11% to $2.10 after it announced it had won a substantial contract with pharmaceuticals manufacturer Pfizer Inc for the development and manufacture of a new developmental drug candidate. China to get Affordable AIDS drug China is close to inking a deal with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, which will make a key AIDS drug available to poor patients in the country in the third quarter of this year. Coca Cola retuns to Somalia More than 500 people are expected to mark the opening of the Coca-Cola plant, whose forerunner was destroyed in the early 90s. China tops US in investment table China overtook the US as the biggest recipient of foreign direct investment in 2003, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development has found. The report found a six-fold increase of $192bn in net flows of foreign direct investment to countries outside the OECD, the report said. UN spotlights Afghan opium boom The head of the UN drugs agency says he is extremely concerned about illicit drug cultivation in Afghanistan. Antonio Maria Costa was speaking in Moscow, where he was presenting the 2004 UN World Drug Report. Toshiba develops tiny fuel cell Hotmail increases storage space Hotmail is boosting the amount of storage space for users of both its free and paid e-mail service. From July the basic Hotmail allowance will be boosted to 250MB and paying customers will get two gigabytes. Iran frees British marines The eight British servicemen held in Iran since Monday have been released, the UK Foreign Office has said. The six Royal Marines and two sailors were flown to Tehran and are now making their way to the British embassy compound in the city. British Airways profits rise British Airways' [BAY.L] resurgent financial performance for fiscal 2003 has restored some much-needed confidence in the carrier. However, soaring fuel prices and no frills competition could undermine its efforts. The airline should aim to offer good value to customers who are prepared to pay a little more to get frills instead of engaging in a hazardous price war. Enron Inside Trader Pleads guilty A former top official in Enron Corp.'s investor relations unit yesterday pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of insider trading and settled a related civil complaint, giving investigators another witness in their high-profile probe of the company's former leaders. Crude Oil prices head higher U.S. crude oil and gasoline prices surged on Thursday after a U.S. Government report failed to allay fears about tight supplies and rising global demand ahead of the summer. Brazil police 'expose blood scam' Police have uncovered evidence of fraud within Brazil's department of health thought to run into hundreds of millions of dollars. Taiwan president appeals to China Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian says a top priority for his second term will be improving ties with China. In his inaugural speech on Thursday, he called for dialogue to establish stability with the mainland. Bulgaria poison gas attack A poison gas attack in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia leaves 40 people injured, some seriously. Roadside bomb explodes in Tikrit Two more American soldiers are dead in Iraq. The military said the troops were patrolling in downtown Tikrit early Saturday morning when a roadside bomb exploded. Outsoucing not key factor in US Job decline Analysts do not believe that the trend in outsourcing to India is a major factor in the decline in US jobs. China increases Military spending China has announced another large increase in its military spending. The increase of nearly 12% - higher than that of 2003 - will see an extra $2.6bn allocated to defence, officially raising the budget to more than $25bn. Disney power split The Walt Disney entertainment group has restructured its leadership after a major revolt by its shareholders. It has split the roles of chairman and chief executive, reducing the power of Michael Eisner, who formerly held both positions. Backlash over Outsourcing About 50 US House of Representatives members plan to introduce a bill that would deny US companies federal financing and loan guarantees if they shift jobs overseas. Arab Big Brother Suspended The Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) television channel suspended on Monday an Arab version of the controversial reality TV show Big Brother, which caused a public outcry here where it was being filmed, a spokesman for the station told AFP. Microsoft and eBay link together Microsoft Corp. and eBay Inc. on Monday delivered tools that enable links between the 2003 editions of Excel and FrontPage and the eBay online auction service. Fairtrade foods boom in UK Latest figures for Fairtrade foods show that sales rose by 46% last year. The market for Fairtrade foods - products that guarantee producers in the developing world fair wages and working conditions - is now running at £100m. Indian Generic Drug Firm suffers Defeat A US court on Friday banned Dr Reddy's from selling a cheap generic version of Norvasc, a popular anti-hypertension drug made by Pfizer. After the ruling shares in the Indian Generic maker dropped almost 25%. HSBC reports record bank profits Banking giant HSBC, which has global operations in the UK, Europe, Asia and Americas, has reported a record annual pre-tax profit of £6.86bn ($12.8bn). Cuomos endorse Kerry Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and his son, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo, endorsed Sen. John Kerry for president Saturday. Apple Computer cuts Apple Computer cuts approximately 350-400 employees as it continues to restructure. Webwasher nows support Cisco Webwasher, a leading provider of Internet Content Security software, has expanded its hardware support to include the Cisco Content Engine and Bluecoat Proxy SG content delivery appliances. Microsoft goes Open Source.... by mistake!  A security breach at the software giants Redmond HQ appears to have led to 15% of the windows OS being leaked onto the Internet.Antitrust move deals setback to Oracle Google moves closer to IPO Google today moved a step closer to a much anticipated IPO. The Mountain View company is believd to have selected two investment banks for what could well turn out to be a dot-com era IPO. Rolex Watches Many people think that Rolex is the best watch in the World. It?s not, TAG Heurer is. So why do so many men like this watch? Honey Poor Jessica Alba, her movie career is not starting off good with this extremely long music video. Jessica Alba's TV series Dark Angel was canceled last year and Jessica has now begun her career as a movie actress. Will she make it? Oracle's profit rose 15% in fiscal 2Q Oracle has a net profit of $617 million, or 12 cents a share, for its fiscal second quarter ended Nov. 30, compared with its net profit of $535 million, or 10 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter. Apple's iTunes tops 25 million songs Apple's online music store has hit a new high, selling more than 25 million songs since its launch 8 months ago, dominating the online music market. GlaxoSmithKline bows to shareholder pressure UK Pharmaceutical Group GlaxoSmithKline has bowed to shareholder pressure and unveiled new pay and pension deals for executives. EDS loses UK Tax business Embattled computer services group EDS has been ditched by the Inland Revenue after being blamed for a catalogue of errors over tax credit payments. IC9700 Suppliers Vendor and supplier information sites relating to Fortune 500 companies. General Motors becomes IC9900 Certified General Motors became the latest company to achieve the coveted IC9900 certification. The company is due to announce in a statement later this week... Celebrity visits Burj al Arab Gary Rhodes, one of the UK’s best-loved chefs, will visit Burj Al Arab and The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management for a food promotion later this month Matrix Revolutions The Matrix (1999) was an amazing movie, the sheer `what the hell?' factor of the first ten minutes of the movie alone will stick in my mind as one of my most enjoyable experiences at the movies... Japan to give Iraq $1.5bn Japan is giving $1.5bn (£895m) to help pay for the rebuilding of Iraq. Chinese economy ‘will overtake Britain by 2005’ THE Chinese economy is poised to overtake France next year and Britain in 2005, a new report shows. In 40 years’ time it will replace America as the world’s largest economy. News Corp says James Murdoch best pick for BSkyB CEO News Corporation President Peter Chernin threw his weight behind James Murdoch in the controversial battle for the top job at Britain's BSkyB, saying he was the best person for the job. CIA leak investigation continues The first real political scandal of the Bush administration appears to have legs, to the discomfort of an unusually large number of people in Washington -- both in the White House and the press corps. Suicide Blast Kills 6 Near Baghdad Hotel A suicide attacker, stopped from reaching a hotel full of Americans, detonated his car bomb on a busy commercial avenue Sunday, killing six bystanders, wounding dozens and terrorizing the heart of this tense city. The end of Hollywood screeners? Shirin Ebadi wins Noble Peace Prize Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi has won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for defending human rights in her country, especially those of women, children and refugees. Pakistan to act after Indian radar deal Pakistan has said it will spare no effort to counter India's purchase of airborne radar systems from Israel. Foreign Minister Khursid Kasuri warned the sophisticated systems could upset the military balance in the region. Families mark Bali anniversary Hundreds of survivors and relatives of victims of the Bali bombings have been gathering there for a first-anniversary service to be held on Sunday. Most of those attending have come from Australia - which lost 88 citizens in the attack. Oracle extends PeopleSoft offer Oracle Corp. the world's second-biggest software maker, on Friday said it had again extended its hostile tender offer for PeopleSoft Inc. to Dec. 31. Xcyte Therapies files IPO Xcyte Therapies, a Seattle biotech company that tried to go public two years ago but backed off when the market soured, is making another run at an initial public stock offering, this time for $75 million. NYSE execs owed millions Two months after disclosing that its chairman was owed nearly $200 million, the New York Stock Exchange said Friday that its other top executives were due $133 million in retirement payments. IC9700 continues to rise When doing business across international boundaries locating a reputable supplier can be a "hit or miss" affair for even the most veteran procurement managers. Standards such as ISO9001 have become so widespread that they are bordering on becoming worthless by the sheer saturation of the market. MGM to Sell Cable Stake to Pay for Vivendi Bid The Cablevision Systems Corporation agreed yesterday to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 20 percent stake in three of its national cable networks for $500 million, giving MGM money it could use to help finance a bid for the entertainment assets of Vivendi Universal. Yell pushes ahead with float Yell, the owner of the Yellow Pages directories business, has announced plans to list on the London Stock Exchange next week with a valuation of about £2bn ($3.3bn).The flotation which was cancelled last summer because of poor market conditions will be the largest in a year and is seen by some analysts as a sign of renewed confidence in the stock market. Kraft agrees to cut Oreo fat In a surprise move today, Kraft Foods, owned by tobacco giant Philip Morris, has agreed to begin cutting the fat in single serving packets of Oreos. Protesters fear for Hong Kong freedom Tens of thousands of people have been taking part in a march in Hong Kong to protest against the introduction of a new anti-subversion law. The organisers say up to 400,000 people have taken part, but that figure has not yet been confirmed by the authorities. Many demonstrators are angry at new national security legislation - due to be introduced next week ... US threatens sanctions over ICC Dozens of countries face the loss of United States military aid, because they have not met a Tuesday deadline to grant American soldiers immunity from prosecution for war crimes, the US says. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the protection of US citizens from the threat of being hauled before the new International Criminal Court (ICC) was a significant matter in relations with other countries. Protests against EU Corruption About 15 Green members of the European Parliament held placards in various languages saying "all equal under the law" as the Italian prime minister began his speech and told politicians: "There's a great deal of moral and intellectual responsibility on our shoulders." Microsoft moving Development to India Reuters today reported that software giant, Microsoft, was in the process of moving large numbers of development positions to India in an effort to lower the cost of development and technical support. Imperial Mark for Indian Hotel? The tiny tourist state of Goa has been a destination for travellers from across the world for many years now. But it is possible that it is about to be come the first in India to be awarded a coveted Imperial Mark. China's first astronaut China is on course to become only the third nation ever to place a human in space, following reports that the first crewed flight will take place in the next 100 days. Italian Prime Minister Nazi Insult Silvio Berlusconi spoiled Italy's debut in the EU presidency when he appeared to compare a German lawmaker with a Nazi concentration camp commander during a speech to the European Parliament. HSBC Cuts 1,400 staff The global banking group HSBC, today announced that it would be cutting 1,400 jobs in the United Kingdom. Around half the cuts will be made via redundancies, with the remainder through freezes in recruitment. More Articles >> |
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