PRESS DIGEST - British Business =4

Sun May 18, 2008 11:36pm EDT
 
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The Guardian

BRUSSELS GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO GLAXO'S BID FLU VACCINE

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) is set to become the first drug manufacturer to be granted approval for its pre-pandemic influenza vaccine, called Prepandrix. The European Commission has approved the drug for use in all 27 EU member states, GSK said. Jean-Pierre Garnier, chief executive, said the immune systems of populations would be boosted if their governments gave them the vaccine. "It's like training for the Olympics - it doesn't mean you're going to win the gold medal but if you train you'll be a much better system. [Our vaccine] can make you much more resistant to the pandemic."

STRIKE THREAT AT THOMSON REUTERS AS FURTHER JOB CUTS ANNOUNCED

Thomson Reuters (TRIL.L)(TRI.TO) will announce further job cuts on Monday, with the National Union of Journalists bracing for the newly merged company to axe at least five percent of its 2,600-strong editorial staff. More than 100 journalist jobs are expected to go by the end of the year, on top of news of cuts elsewhere in the group affecting the content, technology and operations division, and sales and technical support teams.

ORANGE TURNS TO INTERNET RADIO IN FIGHT WITH RIVALS

Orange (FTE.PA), the mobile phone and residential broadband provider, is looking for a larger slice of the home entertainment market in Britain by launching itself into the internet radio market. From Monday the company will be selling its LiveRadio device, which allows users to listen to up to 4,000 internet radio stations through a connection to a home broadband line. "For us it's a lot more than a radio. We really see this as a gateway to other services that we offer," said François Mahieu, Orange UK device director.

Prepared for Reuters by Durrants

 
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