International Business News - Virgin http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif British Airways PLC and American Airlines, seeking antitrust immunity for a trans-Atlantic alliance, dispute a rival carrier's claims that they dominate traffic in and out of London's Heathrow Airport. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080903/ba-american-dispute-their-dominance-at-heathrow.htm Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:38:56 EDT Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., the privately owned British airline controlled by billionaire Richard Branson, said Tuesday it would be interested in bidding for London's Gatwick Airport as part of a consortium. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080902/virgin-interested-in-gatwick.htm Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:42:55 EDT Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., the privately owned British airline controlled by billionaire Richard Branson, said Tuesday that a record number of business travelers sent profits skyrocketing more than sevenfold. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080826/uk-airline-virgin-posts-rise-in-annual-profits.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:50:26 EDT Virgin Mobile USA Inc. said Friday it completed its acquisition of struggling cellular carrier Helio LLC for $38 million in stock. Under the terms of the buyout, announced June 27, Helio owners EarthLink Inc. and SK Telecom, a South Korean carrier, received limited partnership units and shares equivalent to 13 million shares of Virgin Mobile USA stock. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080822/virgin-mobile-closes-38m-helio-acquisition.htm Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:29:46 EDT A judge has imposed a life sentence on a U.S. Virgin Islands man convicted of strangling a 12-year-old girl. Daniel Castillo also was sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated child abuse. Police say he killed Laquina Hennis last year and dumped her body in a wooden shed near the capital. She died as report cards were being distributed and never found out she had made the school's honor roll for the first time. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080821/usvi-man-sentenced-to-life-for-strangling-of-girl.htm Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:01:57 EDT Australian airline Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd. reported Tuesday a nearly 55 percent drop in annual net profit, hurt by record jet fuel costs. Virgin Blue is Australia's second largest airline, after national carrier Qantas Airways Ltd. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080819/virgin-blue-sees-profit-plunge-55-percent.htm Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:17:19 EDT Two former government officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands face prison after being found guilty of running a million-dollar bribery and kickback scheme. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080815/former-usvi-officials-face-prison-for-kickbacks.htm Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:34:33 EDT Two former government officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands face prison after being found guilty of running a million-dollar bribery and kickback scheme. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080814/former-usvi-officials-face-prison-for-kickbacks.htm Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:51:15 EDT Wireless service provider Virgin Mobile USA Inc. said Wednesday its second-quarter profit dropped sharply as revenue declined and the company lost net subscribers. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080813/virgin-mobile-usa-2q-profit-declines.htm Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:27:15 EDT Virgin Atlantic Airways president Richard Branson has written to both U.S. Presidential candidates to warn that a proposed alliance between British Airways PLC and American Airlines would severely damage competition on trans-Atlantic routes. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080811/virgin-warns-against-planned-ba-american-deal.htm Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:45:16 EDT A U.S. Virgin Islands hospital fired four board members on Thursday after a U.S. government audit found alleged financial mismanagement and the use of taxpayer money to fund lucrative pay packages for top administrators. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080731/usvi-hospital-fires-4-board-members-amid-probe.htm Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:09:17 EDT EMI Group PLC, the London-based music giant taken private last year, has named scouting and talent development expert Rob Stevenson as president of its Virgin music label in the United States. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080730/stevenson-to-head-virgin-music-label-in-us.htm Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:08:03 EDT The U.S. Virgin Islands may build a pipeline to replace diesel-generated power with natural gas brought in from a bigger grid in the nearby U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the head of the islands' utility company said Thursday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/virgin-islands-weighs-gas-pipeline-to-puerto-rico.htm Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:54:01 EDT The U.S. Virgin Islands may build a pipeline to replace diesel-generated power with natural gas brought in from a bigger grid in the nearby U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the head of the islands' utility company said Thursday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/usvi-weighs-gas-pipeline-to-puerto-rico.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:51:22 EDT Australian airline Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd. said Friday it would introduce new baggage fees and withdraw two aircraft from service, its second capacity cut in a month in response to rising fuel costs. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080718/virgin-blue-adds-bag-fees-cuts-capacity.htm Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:27:50 EDT The major stockholder in Australia's second-largest airline said Monday it would dispose of almost all of its shares, cutting its exposure to an industry that is recoiling from soaring fuel prices. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080714/virgin-blues-top-shareholder-opts-out.htm Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:43:55 EDT The U.S. Virgin Islands has agreed to issue $165 million in bonds to help build a rum distillery. The bonds will also help subsidize the cost of molasses used to produce bulk rum at the St. Croix facility that is expected to open in 2011. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080710/us-virgin-isles-to-issue-bonds-for-rum-distillery.htm Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:49:04 EDT Richard Branson, the adventuring chairman of the Virgin Group of companies, says his two private Caribbean islands have a higher purpose than serving as ultra-luxury retreats for entertainment and business A-listers. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080630/branson-plans-eco-resort-in-british-virgin-islands.htm Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:29:01 EDT Virgin Mobile USA Inc. is buying Helio LLC, a struggling cell phone carrier that was founded to bring the advanced features of South Korean phones to the U.S. market. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080627/virgin-mobile-to-buy-helio-for-39m.htm Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:16:03 EDT Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson said Tuesday he is willing to pay carbon emissions taxes on his aviation business to fight climate change. Branson said industry leaders running a polluting business should pay the price for polluting the atmosphere. He referred to the aviation and shipping industry as well as to the coal industry. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080624/branson-would-pay-aviation-carbon-emissions-tax.htm Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:19:07 EDT