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MONTREAL -- Canadians who watched nervously as Alcan Inc. moved to foreign control likely have nothing to fear from the proposed US$149-billion takeover of Rio Tinto by mining giant BHP Billiton, industry analysts say. Commitments by London-based Rio Tinto ahead of its purchase of Alcan -- including upgrades to smelters in Kitimat, B.C., and Saguenay, Que. -- won't likely be affected by BHP's pitch for Rio Tinto, mining analyst Charles Bradford of Soleil-Bradford Research said. "When you buy something you don't want to sell off the good things or close the good things," he said from New York. "And in this case, I think there is relatively little they want to dispose of." Bradford said he believes BHP would abide by Rio Tinto's commitment to honour the Quebec government energy agreement.
Local bank celebrates state’s centennial
First National Bank, 510 N. Main St. and 2215 Chandler Road, will mark Oklahoma's centennial Friday with cake and punch. Employees will dress in 1900s attire. There will be free centennial coloring books for the first 100 children. Certificate of deposit and loan specials will be offered. Centennial shirts, puzzles, plates and coins will be given away in drawings. There will be a free magic show for children at 3 p.m. at the downtown location only. .
UK Government To Strengthen Individual Rights
The UK Government will review a number areas of legislation relating to individual rights, including the right to protest outside Parliament and access information more freely, the British PM has said. In a speech on liberty at the University of Westminster recently, Gordon Brown said that the Home Secretary was today publishing a consultation document on protests held "at the heart of our democracy". Such demonstrations should be able to take place without "unnecessary restrictions". .
Chinese banks entering India through StanChart?
London, Nov 19 (PTI) UK's Standard Chartered, the largest foreign bank in India, is being courted by three of China's state-run banks for a significant stake, but the British banking giant termed media reports to this effect as speculative.
However, the deal, if it goes through, has the potential to give the Chinese government a significant presence in the Indian banking space, where StanChart has the biggest branch network among overseas banks.
According to separate reports today in The Times and Financial Times dailies, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China (BoC) and China Construction Bank (CCB) have evinced interest in purchasing a 17 per cent stake in the UK bank held by Singapore government's investment arm Temasek.
When asked for comments on the development, StanChart's External Communications Head Tim Baxter told PTI: "This is speculation from an unnamed source and we do not comment on market rumours." StanChart has 81 branches in India with licenses to open two more branches.
GILROY POLICE ARRESTS
Tommy Catano Gonzalez, 23, transient, 10:44 p.m. Monday, on the 7400 block of Monterey Street on an outstanding warrant. Resisting a peace officer Krystal Elizabeth Cervantes, 21, of the 8800 block of Morey Street, 3:25 p.m. Wednesday, at her residence. Leaving an accident scene Maria Nansi Oviedo, 19, of the 800 block of Cumberland Drive, 4:27 p.m. Wednesday, near the intersection of Sixth and Eigleberry streets for leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license. Driving without a license Jose Luis Aguilar, 23, of the 7600 block of Santa Paula Drive, 5:23 p.m. Wednesday, near the intersection of Wren Avenue and First Street on outstanding warrants for driving without a license, failure to appear in court and driving an unregistered vehicle, and on an outstanding warrant for driving without a license.
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