IN BRIEF (Page 16)

A380 service

The world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, will begin scheduled service on October 28 between Singapore and Sydney, Singapore Airlines said yesterday.

The double-decker super jumbo will have 471 seats, including 399 in economy class, the carrier said. It said the A380 will operate a daily return flight, replacing one of three Boeing 747-400 aircraft on the route.

Bid rejected

Russia's anti-monopoly watchdog rejected Siemens AG bid to buy a controlling stake in OAO Power Machines because the offer threatened competition.

Siemens, which already owns 25 percent of Moscow-based Power Machines, would have controlled about 50 percent of the Russian market of energy equipment if the bid had been successful, the Federal Antimonopoly Service said in a statement on its website yesterday.

Exploration plans

Videocon Industries Ltd, the Indian oil explorer that is partnering Australia's Oilex NL, said it will spend $1 billion to look for reserves in the Middle East, Indonesia and Australia.

The investment, planned over the next five years, will boost production from 50,000 barrels a day, Videocon Chairman Venugopal Dhoot said yesterday, without giving a target. The Mumbai-based company earns as much as $120 million profit each year from its oil business, he said, without being more specific.

Ford undecided

Ford Motor Co is still undecided whether to sell its Volvo Car Corp unit, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing the US automaker's European operations chief, Lewis Booth (above).

The prospects of selling Volvo are complicated by the level of parts that the Swedish automaker shares with Ford, Booth told the newspaper. Booth also serves as chairman of Volvo's board. He was speaking at a trade show in Frankfurt.

Rain lifts sales

Home Retail Group Plc, the owner of almost 1,000 stores in the United Kingdom, said first-half sales gained at its Argos chain as record British rainfall encouraged consumers to buy televisions and other forms of indoor entertainment.

Sales at Argos stores open at least a year rose 1.8 percent in the 13 weeks ended September 1, the Milton Keynes, England-based company said yesterday.

Investment fund

Partners Group, the Swiss manager of buyout and hedge funds founded by three former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. money managers, said it raised 400 million euros for a private equity fund.

The fund will be able to invest worldwide, Zug, Switzerland- based Partners, said yesterday.

Ad firm's profit

JCDecaux SA, the world's second- biggest seller of outdoor advertising, said first-half profit rose 7.3 percent as the company lifted earnings in its billboard and transport units.

Net income in the first six months of 2007 rose to 114.1 million euros from 106.3 million euros a year earlier, the company, based in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, said in an e-mailed statement.

ITV to boost output

ITV Plc, the United Kingdom's biggest commercial television broadcaster, will expand its Internet and program business to lure viewers and advertising clients.

ITV plans to "double overall content revenues, including internal production," to around 1.2 billion pounds by 2012, the company said yesterday.

Agencies-Bloomberg News

(China Daily 09/13/2007 page16)