Kill the competition: Top tax ... Citi rescue ... Lapse in luxury
November 24, 2008
Welcome to today's round-up of business news from The Times: what we're
saying, what they're saying
BHP Billiton abandons bid for Rio Tinto
BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's biggest mining company, abandoned a hostile $68 billion takeover bid for rival Rio Tinto Ltd., blaming the global economic downturn and plunging commodity prices.
Rio Tinto says it is comfortable with debt level
Mining giant Rio Tinto on Wednesday sought to allay concerns about its debt levels a day after bigger rival BHP Billiton abandoned a takeover bid for that reason, sending Rio's share price plummeting.
Woolworths stands on brink as wage...
Woolworths is at risk of going into administration as soon as this morning as
it scrabbles to find sufficient funds to pay its monthly wage bill.
Woolworths stores to close after...
Woolworths went into administration last night, putting thousands of high
street jobs at risk despite last-ditch government efforts to save it.
Film distributor is victim of...
The fallout from the collapse of Woolworths spread this morning as Metrodome,
a UK-listed film and television distributor, warned it risked losing
£320,000 it was owed by the...
Woolworths dives as it confirms...
Woolworths this morning confirmed a report in The Times that it is in
talks to sell its retail business.
Woolworths in talks to sell retail...
Woolworths is in talks to sell its entire high street business to Hilco, the
specialist distressed fund, for £1.
BBC in talks with Woolworths as...
The entire Woolworths empire, including its stake in 2Entertain, the BBC joint
venture, is likely to be in administration by the end of the week, with its
10,000 pensioners at...
Woolworths investor touts alternative deal
Woolworths’ largest shareholder, Ardeshir Naghshineh, is in talks with the retailer’s banks about an alternative plan to a sale the company’s retail arm to Hilco for just £1.
Woolworths' main shareholder in bank talks
Ardeshir Naghshineh, Woolworths' largest shareholder, is in last-ditch talks with the retailer's banks about an alternative to a sale of the high street chain's retail arm to Hilco for £1.
Woolworths lays off staff as search...
Woolworths will make 450 of its staff redundant in what is expected to be the
first of many job cuts at the collapsed high street retailer.
Closing-down sales herald end of...
Woolworths will begin a huge closing down sale across its 813 stores today
after Deloitte, the administrator, admitted that it had been unable to find
a buyer for the...
Chaos and tears as Woolworths’ sale...
It is 9.30am and Sandra, assistant manager of Woolworths in the Wiltshire
market town of Devizes, is in tears beneath her red-and-white Santa hat.
Woolworths to close all stores by...
Woolworths will end 99 years of high street trading by January 5 when it
closes 807 stores and lays off 27,000 permanent and temporary staff.
Woolworths hires finance veteran in...
Woolworths has appointed a new chief financial officer days after the
departure of a senior director raised concerns that other executives may
leave the troubled retailer.
Woolworths rocked as senior director...
One of Woolworths’ most senior directors has quit only a month after the high
street retailer’s new chief executive savaged the poor performance of the
group.
Woolworths in crisis rescue talks
THE management of Woolworths was locked in crisis talks this weekend about securing a revised rescue deal to save the group from imminent collapse into administration.
Potential buyers emerge to save Woolworths staff
The new management of Woolworths today revealed it has already received several expressions of interests from parties about buying parts of the business which collapsed last night after 99-years of trading. 
Babcock & Brown shares dive on fee...
Babcock & Brown, the worst- performing stock on the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index, fell on concerns that credit market turmoil may cut proceeds from asset sales to reduce debt.
CEO of Australia's Fairfax Media resigns
The chief executive of Fairfax Media, publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald, quit Friday after three years at the helm of a company that has lost advertising dollars to the...
Qantas, British Airways say no merger...
British Airways PLC and Qantas Airways Ltd. called off their merger talks Thursday after failing to agree on the terms of a potential deal. The move left the British airline...
British Airways and Qantas halt...
British Airways and Qantas on Thursday called off their merger plans after
failing to agree terms.
North Dakota State's Ben Woodside...
The Bison's 5-11 senior guard scored 60 points in a game last week, averages 25.9 a game and could be a handful for USC on Saturday.
...
Woolworths may plunge into a retail...
If Steve Johnson wondered what he had let himself in for by agreeing to be the
new chief executive of Woolworths, it was laid bare yesterday. According to
one City analyst, he...