Independent music labels, who have seen their market share come under pressure in the last decade as the industry goliaths merged, have struck back. After a lengthy court battle, a European court surprised just about everyone by annulling the European Union’s approval of the 2004 Sony BMG merger, which created the world’s second-biggest music company.
Oil surged to a record high above a barrel on Thursday on renewed worries over supply from major exporter Nigeria and as conflict between Israel and Lebanon heightened international tensions. Prices also rose as the Iran nuclear row headed back to the United Nations Security Council and North Korea walked out of talks with South Korea.
The aerospace industry will be in sharp focus next week when one of its biggest shows opens near London amid a crisis at the European group Airbus that has helped boost the standing of United States rival Boeing. The Farnborough International Airshow comes as Airbus is caught in a storm of bad publicity after revealing production problems in June.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa to join the G8 to secure multilateral deals on trade, climate change and Iran, The Guardian newspaper said on Thursday. The British premier reckoned that the first fruits of closer engagement could be a break of the logjam in the ailing Doha round of world trade talks.
The tiny South Pacific Ocean archipelago of Vanuatu is the happiest country on Earth, according to a study published on Wednesday measuring people’s well-being and their impact on the environment. Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica and Panama complete the top five in the Happy Planet Index, compiled by the British think tank New Economics Foundation.
Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is looking forward to playing a major role in the four-Test series against England starting at ”home of cricket” Lord’s on Thursday. Kaneria, who has played county cricket with great success for Essex, hopes he can take his form in English conditions with him to Lord’s and follow in the footsteps of Australia leg-spin great Shane Warne
<i>The Financial Times</i> newspaper said on Wednesday it was to slash up to 50 jobs as it tried to restructure its editorial operations. The British business daily is seeking to integrate better its editing, reporting and production for the <i>FT</i>’s print and online operations.
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Italy’s Marco Materazzi called Zinedine Zidane a ”son of a terrorist whore” just before the France captain gave him a brutal headbutt in the World Cup final, Britain’s top forensic lip-reader says. The Times newspaper hired Jessica Rees, whose skill has seen her summoned as an expert witness at criminal trials, to study a tape of Sunday’s match.
Kevin Pietersen has told England’s novice bowlers to ”stand up and be counted” as the team prepares for its Test series against Pakistan. England head into Thursday’s first Test at Lord’s on the back of seven straight defeats against Sri Lanka — one in a Test match, one Twenty20 and five one-day international reverses — and with several key players out of action because of injury.
Never mind breakfast at Tiffany’s. One step inside ”Bejewelled by Tiffany 1837-1987”, a retrospective of the iconic New York jeweler, and most visitors will want to stay for lunch as well as dinner. Most of the 200 sparkling pieces now on display in London are from Tiffany’s own collection, with a few on loan from private individuals.
A South African whose short story offered a child’s view of life under apartheid has won this year’s Caine Prize, organisers of the award for African writing said on Monday. Mary Watson’s Jungfrau explores family dynamics from the perspective of the young daughter of a committed teacher in late apartheid South Africa.
Britons, famous the world over for queuing, waste four days, or 96 hours, each year waiting in line, according to results of a study released on Monday. But far from being polite in the process, more than 40% admit to having lost their cool, with the airport check-in queue cited as the most hated by 65% of the respondents, the ICM poll for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines suggested.
The government was expected Tuesday to herald a new era for nuclear power in Britain alongside a greater reliance on renewable sources when it releases a review of the country’s energy needs. But the long-awaited report will likely trigger an angry response from environmentalists because any support for cleaner power, such as solar or tidal energy, will be overshadowed by the nuclear references.
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Zinedine Zidane’s World Cup final assault on Marco Materazzi was provoked by a ”very serious” comment made by the Italian defender, according to the French playmaker’s agent. Zidane (34) floored Materazzi with a butt to the chest in the second half of extra-time in Sunday’s final and was sent off, missing a penalty shoot-out.
Algeria’s security forces continue to detain and torture prisoners secretly, Amnesty International said on Monday in a report ahead of the Algerian president’s trip to London. It said Algeria’s intelligence agency, the Department of Information and Security, is using the war on terror as an excuse to perpetuate torture and ill-treatment.
Defence Secretary Des Browne was expected to announce details on Monday of promised reinforcements for the 3Â 300 British troops in Afghanistan whom he admits are facing an "energised" Taliban. Browne revealed last week that commanders in the restive southern province of Helmand had asked for more troops.
Roger Federer performed one of the most clinical demolition jobs ever witnessed on centre court as he crushed Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman to move within one match of a fourth Wimbledon title. The Swiss needed just one hour and 17 minutes to complete a 6-2, 6-0, 6-2 victory with a flawless, almost surgical, display of precision tennis.
South African President Thabo Mbeki led the tributes to Percy Sonn, who was named as the new president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday. ”The ICC was the first international sports body to recognise a democratic South Africa through the membership of the United Cricket Board of South Africa in 1991,” said Mbeki.
Britain fell silent for two minutes on Friday in memory of the victims of the London bombings, as its top police officer warned that the threat of more outrages has ”palpably increased” in the year since then. It was the worst terrorist to date attack on British soil, as well as Europe’s first experience with a suicide bombing.
The four British Muslims who carried out the London bombings a year ago remain to this day remarkable for having been, in many ways, unremarkable. Their extremist views were little known, and their violent intentions even less so. Britain was mourning their lethal handiwork on Friday.
Britain will fall silent on Friday to remember the 52 people who died and hundreds more who were injured when four suicide bombers blew themselves up on London’s public transport system exactly a year ago. A day-long series of prayers and commemorative events has been planned to pay tribute to those who lost their lives.
Rafael Nadal shrugged off a controversial doping storm to move closer to a dream Wimbledon title clash against Roger Federer with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 semifinal victory over Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen on Thursday. The 20-year-old Spaniard became the first French Open champion to reach the last four here in the same year since Andre Agassi in 1999.
A videotaped message from the grave by one of the London suicide bombers was broadcast on British television on Thursday as the country braced for the painful first anniversary of the July 7 attacks. Shehzad Tanweer’s statement came as Britain prepared to remember the victims of the bombings, an atrocity that woke the nation.
Britain’s scandal-hit deputy prime minister insisted on Thursday he is not going to resign, despite a growing furore over his links with a United States gambling tycoon bidding to set up a casino in London. John Prescott, who lost much of his credibility in April after owning up to an extra-marital affair, also tried to distance himself from rumours of other flings.
England captain Michael Vaughan has been ruled out of the Ashes tour of Australia after a fourth operation on his right knee, the BBC reported on Thursday. The Yorkshire batsman went under the knife on Monday, still clinging to the hope that he could be fit in time to lead England on the tour, which begins in November.
Britain absorbed far more money from sub-Saharan Africa than it gave in aid and debt relief last year, despite pledges to help the region, the charity Christian Aid said on Wednesday. In the 12 months since an annual Group of Eight summit in Scotland last July, the British economy gained a net profit of more than £11-billion ($20,3-billion) from the region.
There’s something batty going on inside the Palace of Westminster, home of Britain’s Parliament, and it’s got nothing to do with political shenanigans.
In a first, the Bat Conservation Trust will deploy inside the gothic-style premises in central London next Monday to determine exactly how many bats live beneath its rafters, towers and gargoyles.
Roger Federer demolished Croatian danger man Mario Ancic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday to move just two wins away from a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title.
The world number one shrugged off two lengthy rain delays to rack up his 46th win in a row on grass against the man who was the last player to beat him here in 2002.
Martina Navratilova has finally decided that, with her 50th birthday just four months away, enough is enough and she will retire this year. ”I just want to move on to my next life,” Navratilova said. Having collected 58 Grand Slam titles in total, she needs one more here to become the most successful Wimbledon competitor of all time.
Maria Sharapova laughed off the appearance of a streaker at Wimbledon on Tuesday but admitted she had been surprised by how long he had been allowed to remain within a few yards of her on centre court. The appearance of a naked young man mid-way through the second set of her quarterfinal had no apparent impact on Sharapova’s game.
England fans seeking solace from their World Cup woes are shunning Portugal as a holiday destination after the national squad knocked England out of the tournament, travel agents said on Tuesday. Portugal beat England on penalties after Saturday’s goalless quarterfinal in Gelsenkirchen, causing misery for England supporters.
John Terry is the red-hot favourite to take over the England captaincy, bookmakers said on Monday, after David Beckham quit the role in the wake of his side’s disappointing World Cup campaign. Terry (25 is so far ahead in the betting that some bookmakers have stopped taking bets on the England captaincy.