25 scholarships for food graduates
POTENTIAL future food industry leaders are asked to apply for this year's MSc in International Marketing Practice programme at the UCD Michael Smurfit Business School. Bord Bia is providing 25 scholarships for the MSc, which combines academic learning with a foreign industry placement to identify opportunities for Irish food and drink in overseas markets. The closing date for applicants is March 5. For information visit www.smurfitschool.ie/bordbia.
'Kilkenny Advertiser' prints final edition
MEDIA
THE 'Kilkenny Advertiser', which has been operating since 2006, called a meeting to inform staff of the closure on Thursday after its final edition had been published. It's the latest in a string of closures for local newspapers as advertising revenue drops. The weekly freesheet, which was delivered door-to-door, had been competing with the 'Kilkenny People' and 'Kilkenny Reporter' titles.
Doughty Hanson to buy USP Hospitales
ACQUISITION
DOUGHTY Hanson & Co, a British private-equity firm, agreed to buy Spanish hospital operator USP Hospitales for €355m. The firm is buying Spain's third-largest chain of hospitals from Barclays.
Spain's home sales slump by a quarter
ECONOMY
SPANISH home sales declined in December for a 10th month as the number of transactions fell 25.3pc from a year earlier. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is battling to turn around a slump in the real-estate industry as unemployment rose to a 15-year high of 22.9pc in the last quarter of 2011 and the Bank of Spain sees the economy shrinking 1.5pc this year. The government approved sweeping labour market reforms yesterday.
Total's net income rises 7pc to €2.73bn
OIL
FRENCH oil giant Total said net income in the fourth quarter, excluding one-offs and unrealised gains or losses on fuel inventories, rose 7pc to €2.73bn. That was ahead of a Reuters poll average forecast of €2.56bn in a poll of 16 analysts. In dollar terms the underlying profit was 6pc higher, compared with a 14pc rise at rival BP and an 18pc increase at Shell.
Irish Independent
