Today's other stories in briefs
Regulator's website wins internet award
The financial regulator's website itsyourmoney.ie has won the award for best non- commercial internet site at the 7th Digital Media Awards, held in Dublin last night.
There were 20 different award categories for creative and innovative excellence in digital media with over 100 entries from 60 companies. Advertising agencies accounted for seven of the winners.
Eircom won the best online advertising category for “Eircom Busted”, a campaign designed by Ican.
The Irish Times-sponsored Business to Business Innovation award was won by netExpo Online.
Stephen Stuart, from the Huston School of Film and Digital Media in Galway, won the award for student digital storytelling for his film An Appeal to the People of Africa. UPC Ireland was judged best internet service provider for the second consecutive year while AIB won the best financial services website award.
Online wine retailer curiouswines.ie was judged best commercial website.
Air France-KLM to cut 2,000 jobs
Air France-KLM Group, Europe’s biggest airline, said it will eliminate as many as 2,000 jobs after lower ticket revenues and dwindling cargo volumes pushed it to a third-quarter loss. The cuts, comprising 3 per cent of the Air France unit’s workforce, will be achieved this fiscal year as people leave and are not replaced, spokesman Nicolas Petteau said.
The company had a €505 million net loss in the three months ended December 31st versus a year-earlier profit of €139 million. – (Bloomberg)
Opec may cut world oil supply
World oil demand will contract more sharply than expected this year due to the economic crisis, Opec said, an outlook that may bolster the case for further supply cuts.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said global demand will fall by 580,000 barrels a day (bpd) in 2009 to average 85.13 million bpd. Its previous forecast was for demand to contract by 180,000 bpd.
Oil use is falling this year and in 2008, the first drop in more than 20 years, as recession triggered by the banking crisis spreads through all continents. As demand shrinks, crude prices have fallen below $40 a barrel from a record high near $150 last year.
Car sales in Europe down 27% last month
European car sales plunged 27 per cent in January to the lowest level in two decades as the global recession and tight credit markets reduced demand for General Motors, Renault SA and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG models.
Registrations fell to 958,517 last month from 1.31 million a year earlier, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said in a statement yesterday.
In 2008, sales fell 7.8 per cent, the biggest decline since 1993.
"The markets are even worse than the numbers indicate, because of all the discounting that's going on," said Simon Empson, managing director of UK automotive retailing website Broadspeed.com.– (Bloomberg)
