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Aly Raisman drug test started trend online when news brokeout about the World Anti-Doping Agency will show up anywhere to give Olympic athletes random drug tests. That includes on the set of Access Hollywood Live. That’s where Aly Raisman was promoting Dancing With the Stars when she was met by an official from the World Anti-Doping Agency, according to the show’s website. Raisman said she hadn’t been tested since the Olympics and didn’t know why it had to come on such a busy week. “They haven’t [tested me] since the Olympics, and they choose the finale week of Dancing With the Stars to come,” Raisman said. “Out of all the days since the Olympics, they choose like, the craziest week.” Raisman is confident she’ll pass. The results will come back in four-to-six weeks. When her interview finally got underway, Raisman said she feels like she's "transformed from a girl into a woman" thanks to competing on Dancing. She also confirmed that she'll be participating in the 201

Deutsche Telekom will appoint Thomas Dannenfeldt as chief financial officer, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Wednesday, citing the company. _0"> Dannenfeldt, who currently is head of finance at Deutsche Telekom's German unit, will succeed Timotheus Hoettges, who will become Deutsche Telekom's new chief executive at the end of this year. Deutsche Telekom was not immediately available to comment. Deutsche Telekom's current Chief Executive Rene Obermann will become the new chief at Dutch cable company Ziggo .

HSBC will redouble its cost-cutting efforts, including axing up to 14,000 more jobs, but Europe's largest bank was forced to soften a key performance target in the face of muted revenue.   London-headquartered HSBC is seeking up to $3 billion in additional annual savings by 2016, on top of $4 billion already achieved, but sluggish growth outside Asia, particularly in Europe, means its target to get costs below 52 percent of revenue has been eased. The new goal is to keep the ratio near 55 percent, the level it was at in 2010 - the year before Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver took over and kickstarted a radical retrenchment at a bank that was criticised in the past for "planting flags" around the world. "We're clearly hitting on the costs, but we're missing on the cost efficiency ratio because of revenue, which is hard for us to control," Gulliver told reporters. "Top line growth is clearly a challenge." He added: "We need to have a co

Pamplona Capital Management said it acquired two U.S.-based companies -- Coinmach Service Corp, a provider of laundry services, and AIR-serv Group, which provides vacuum services and tyre inflation for cars -- for a combined $1.4 billion. _0"> The two companies will be combined to form CSC ServiceWorks Inc, London-based private equity fund Pamplona said in a statement on Wednesday.   The transaction was financed by a $795 million first-lien term loan, as well as a $325 million second-lien term loan that was fully underwritten by Pamplona. Morgan Stanley was the financial adviser and Kirkland & Ellis the legal adviser to Pamplona. Evercore Partners and Deutsche Bank were the financial advisers to CSC ServiceWorks and White & Case was the legal adviser.

Rewe, one of Germany's largest retailers, said it is looking to sell its ProMarkt chain of consumer electronics stores because it is unable to compete with competition from online retailers such as Amazon.com. _0"> Rewe said the stores had little prospect of a profitable future, and that with a market share of just 1.4 percent in Germany , restructuring was not appropriate.   A spokesman declined to comment on whether interest had been shown in the chain, which has 70 stores. Rewe would consider the sales of stores individually or as a package, he said. Other European electronics retailers to feel the heat from online competition include Metro AG's Media-Saturn and Darty, which is closing loss-making operations in Spain . ProMarkt saw sales drop 15.5 percent last year. By comparison, Media-Saturn, which finally started selling products online in 2011 with the acquisition of Redcoon, reported a 4 percent rise in sales in Germany for 2012. Metro declined to commen

HSBC will redouble its cost-cutting efforts, including axing up to 14,000 more jobs, but Europe's largest bank was forced to soften a key performance target in the face of muted revenue.   London-headquartered HSBC is seeking up to $3 billion in additional annual savings by 2016, on top of $4 billion already achieved, but sluggish growth outside Asia, particularly in Europe, means its target to get costs below 52 percent of revenue has been eased. The new goal is to keep the ratio near 55 percent, the level it was at in 2010 - the year before Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver took over and kickstarted a radical retrenchment at a bank that was criticised in the past for "planting flags" around the world. "We're clearly hitting on the costs, but we're missing on the cost efficiency ratio because of revenue, which is hard for us to control," Gulliver told reporters. "Top line growth is clearly a challenge." He added: "We need to have a co

EU antitrust regulators are investigating whether Spain's plan to offer a 25.2 million euros ($32.71 million) grant to class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Ford Motor Co's plant will give the U.S. carmaker an unfair advantage. class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Ford is overhauling its European operations by cutting jobs and closing plants in Belgium and two British locations, as the economic downturn dampens consumer appetite for new cars and trucks. The company, which holds about 8 percent of the European market, expects to lose $2 billion in Europe this year. The sector in general is struggling with over-capacity.   Ford plans to produce a new model of Ford Transit Connect in Valencia in the east of Spain , with the cost of the project estimated at 419.9 million euros. Spain informed the European Commission of its grant last year. The European Commission said on Wednesday that a preliminary investigation showed that the project might exceed the authorised 5

Itaú Unibanco Holding SA's purchase of Citigroup Inc's Brazilian consumer finance division Credicard could bring in unexpected tax benefits for Brazil's largest bank by market value and protect a dominant position in the nation's burgeoning credit card market, an analyst said on Wednesday. Itaú's decision on Tuesday to pay 2.77 billion reais ($1.37 billion) for Banco Citicard SA and Citifinancial Promotora Ltda "makes all sense" from a strategic and financial standpoint, said Gustavo Schroden, senior banking analyst with Espírito Santo Investment Bank, in a phone interview.   Based on his own estimates, Schroden said Itaú paid the equivalent of 10.7 times estimated earnings this year for Credicard, or 2.3 times book value, both "very attractive multiples given the strategic synergies that could be extracted from the deal." If a tax benefit worth 690 million reais over six years was included, multiples would actually turn "even more at

Following are terms and conditions _0"> of a bond priced on Monday. Borrower FCE Bank Plc Issue Amount 500 million euro Maturity Date May 21, 2018 Coupon 1.75 pct   Reoffer price 99.456 Spread 105 basis points Underlying govt bond Over Mid-swaps, equivalent to 145.7bp Over the 0.25 pct 2018 OBL Payment Date May 21, 2013 Lead Manager(s) BAML, Barclays capital, Deutsche Bank & Royal Bank of Scotland Ratings Baa3 (Moody's), BBB- (S&P), BBB- (Fitch) Listing Lux _0"> Full fees Undisclosed _1"> Denoms (K) 100-1 _2"> Notes Launched under the issuer's EMTN programme _3"> ISIN XS0933505967 _4"> Security details and RIC, when available, will be _5"> on _6"> Customers can right-click on the code fo

Greece's second-largest lender Piraeus Bank said on Monday it planned to buy back 321 million euros ($416.4 million) of hybrid bonds as part of efforts to boost its capital base. _0"> The bond buy-back forms part of the country's bank recapitalisation scheme backed by the European Union and International Monetary Fund, under which its main four banks will receive 27.5 billion euros to restore their solvency levels.   Alpha Bank and National Bank have already launched a similar offer to repurchase hybrid bonds at a discount. Piraeus said that Barclays, BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank would manage its buyback offer, which aims to boost its Core Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio by up to 156 million euros. The buy-back offer is expected to run until May 24.

Investor TPG Capital and the private equity arm of Credit Suisse are speeding up preparations to divest Europe's biggest bathroom equipment maker Grohe, sources said. They are pursuing a so-called dual track process that may result in an initial public offering (IPO) or sale to a competitor or other investor and may take place in the third or fourth quarter, two people familiar with the transaction said.   Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are set to be mandated shortly as organisers of the flotation or sale, they said, adding Deutsche Bank, and UBS have also secured roles in the potential deal. Grohe, its owners and the banks declined to comment. Grohe, which last year posted sales of 1.4 billion euros ($1.8 billion) and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of 273 million euros in 2012, has an estimated global market share of about 8 percent. It is likely to have an equity value of more than 2 billion euros in a f

Commerzbank is offering shares at a deep discount in a 2.5 billion euro ($3.3 billion) capital increase aimed at repaying funds it owes to the German government and insurer Allianz.   Germany's second-biggest lender said on Tuesday it was offering 556 million new shares at a subscription price of 4.50 euros per share, a discount of 55 percent to Monday's closing price of 9.94 euros. That is equivalent to a 38 percent discount on the share price when excluding the value of subscription rights, set at 2.65 euros per share, and in line with expectations. Current shareholders will be entitled to receive 20 new shares for every 21 shares they now hold. The subscription period starts on Wednesday and runs until May 28. Commerzbank shares were indicated to open 2.6 percent lower in pre-market trade on Tuesday. As part of the transaction, German bank bailout fund Soffin will sell Commerzbank shares worth 625 million euros, reducing its stake to roughly 17 percent from 25 percent

The International Airlines Group said on Tuesday it had sold 390 million euros ($506 million) in convertible bonds maturing on May 31, 2018. _0"> In a statement, IAG said the bonds, to be used to fund the purchase of low-cost carrier Vueling, would be converted into shares at 4.25 euros each, representing a 35 percent premium to Tuesday's average share price.

The following corporate finance -related stories were reported by media on Wednesday: _0"> * Actavis Inc received and rejected a takeover offer from Mylan Inc last week that valued the generic drugmaker at more than $15 billion, a person familiar with the situation told Reuters on Tuesday. * State-owned China Galaxy Securities Co Ltd priced its initial public offering at the lower end of the indicative price range, raising $1.1 billion, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.   * State-rescued German bank Hypo Real Estate Holding AG is preparing to sell its public finance specialist Depfa, with Citigroup Inc appointed to organise the sale, two people familiar with the situation said on Tuesday. * The parent of Dongfeng Motor Group Co, China's second-largest automaker, will take an over-40 percent stake in Fujian Motor Industry Group, a local newspaper said on Wednesday, the latest consolidation in the country's fragmented auto market

Russian oil company Rosneft and Italian refiner Saras could be interested in buying the Italian petrol distribution network Royal Dutch Shell is thinking of selling, Saras managing director said on Wednesday. _0"> "I think they (Rosneft) are probably going to take a look (at the Shell assets) and we hope to be able to cooperate with them," Dario Scaffardi said in a conference call. Saras is controlled by the Italian Moratti family but in April Russia's Rosneft agreed to take a stake of up to 21 percent. Scaffardi also said the refiner could consider a sale of its wind power assets if the right offer came along but added it was not a priority.   Saras's chief financial officer, Corrado Costanzo, also said the group's buyback programme, announced last year, would not involve "a massive purchase" of shares.

Britain's top share index rose in early deals on Tuesday to a fresh 5-1/2 year high, led up by a surge in Severn Trent after it received a takeover approach, lifting the utilities sector. _0"> Severn Trent surged 18.1 percent after it confirmed that it has received an approach with a view to making a proposal by a consortium led by Canadian infrastructure investor Borealis and the Kuwait Investment Authority. Peer United Utilities rose 4.6 percent to be the second-top gainer and both firms were traded heavily. By 0709 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up 16.44 points, or 0.3 percent, at 6,648.20, with utilities adding 5.5 points to the index. (Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Simon Jessop)  

Ghana's bourse is up more than 50 percent so far this year, but the reluctance of key companies to list in the West African market may be blunting its economic impact. The country is the world's second biggest cocoa producer and the continent's number two gold miner after South Africa. It began producing oil in 2010 and investors, accordingly, have paid increasing attention. But only 34 companies are listed on the primary market and that lack of participation deprives firms of access to capital that could generate growth, employment and tax revenue. At the same time, few small- and medium-sized companies list because they are wary of the scrutiny it would entail, regulators and bourse authorities said in interviews.   "We have been successful to some extent but we still have not become very visible in the development of the economy. To be able to do that we need to get more companies raising money using the capital market," said Ekow Afedzie, deputy managing

Britain's top share index held near 5-1/2 year highs on Tuesday as a jump in water company Severn Trent following a takeover approach was balanced by fresh worries for miners, including a South African strike.   Shares in Severn Trent leapt 15.1 percent after it confirmed it had been approached by a consortium led by Canadian infrastructure investor Borealis and the Kuwait Investment Authority. Rival United Utilities - which has also been the subject of bid speculation - was up 4.1 percent and traders said it could attract further interest. "The focus this morning is on the prospect of a bid for Severn Trent from Canada, and you wonder if Britain is going to be left with any utilities that haven't been taken over," Knight Capital director Ioan Smith said. "Particularly with the collapse of the Betfair deal, the market can get excited about some fresh M&A activity in the works." Mid-cap Betfair fell 6.7 percent after it ended takeover discussions wi

Britain's top share index held near 5-1/2 year highs on Tuesday, with a broad selloff in miners offset by takeover talk in the utility sector after a bid for Severn Trent.   Shares in Severn Trent jumped 14.4 percent after the water company reported a takeover approach from a consortium led by Canada's Borealis and the Kuwait Investment Authority. The news also boosted rival United Utilities, with traders betting on more deals in the sector. As corporate confidence recovers, investors are generally looking for merger activity to become a market driver. Britain's utilities sector is the most expensive in Europe, trading at 15.3 times expected earnings for this year, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine. But it also enjoying forecast upgrades, the lowest debt to equity ratio and the highest returns on equity. However, with utilities accounting for less than 4 percent of the FTSE 100, the broader index was pegged back by weakness in miners, which weigh in at nearly 10

Trainers and sportswear maker Puma SE warned of shortfalls in sales and profit on Tuesday as its performance faltered in Europe and China , highlighting the challenge in store for its new chief executive. The group is undergoing its biggest reorganisation in 20 years after suffering a 70 percent drop in net profit last year and last month hired a new chief executive from Danish jeweller Pandora to inspire its recovery. For the first quarter of this year it posted a 2.3 percent decline in group sales, along with shrinking profit margins and a bigger than expected 23 percent fall in operating profit, forcing it to downgrade its targets for the year. The results contrast with those of rival Adidas AG , which earlier this month reported its highest ever gross profit margin amid strong sales of higher-priced products, such as its new Boost running shoe. "It was a rough quarter," said Chief Financial Officer Michael Laemmermann, who is acting CEO following the departure of Fr

Oil and gas group BG will focus on exploration, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and selling or partnering more of its discoveries as part of a new emphasis on profitability after being forced to cut ambitious output targets.   The gas-focused British company, whose main growth assets are in Australia and Brazil, said the proportion of its production with a profit margin of more than $50 per barrel of oil equivalent (boe) would triple over the next five years, and that its heavy capital spending budget would peak in 2015, allowing it to return surplus cash to shareholders from then. In a keenly-awaited strategy statement under new management and after a crisis of investor confidence in the final quarter of 2012, the company said it would "manage its portfolio more actively" in future, partly through asset sales, and partly by bringing in partners to ramp up output more quickly. The aim is for 50 percent of its discovered resources to be either sold or produced in the next 10

Britain's top share index scaled fresh 5-1/2 year highs on Tuesday, taking heart from a handful of upbeat earnings and with a bid for Severn Trent fanning expectations of more takeovers of utilities. Severn Trent jumped 13.8 percent after the water company reported a takeover approach from a consortium led by Canada's Borealis and the Kuwait Investment Authority. The news also boosted rival United Utilities, with traders betting on more deals in the sector. As corporate confidence recovers, investors are generally looking for merger activity to become a market driver. "That's one story that has been a bit slow to come through this year ... That's another little ingredient to the cocktail of bullishness," said Ian Williams, strategist at Peel Hunt.   "Given the cost of financing and valuations, which are not as compelling as they were 6-12 months ago, but still (attractive) in the historic perspective, for companies looking from overseas for UK tar

BlackBerry announced plans on Tuesday to offer its popular instant messaging system on rival devices and introduced a new mid-tier smartphone targeted at countries where its faded brand remains strong. Tapping into its still robust popularity outside North America, BlackBerry said the new Q5 smartphone would be available starting in July in selected markets in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The Q5 includes the tiny qwerty keyboard that still sets BlackBerry apart from most rivals. It gave no prices, but as BlackBerry opens the latest chapter of its turnaround attempt, it will clearly target a younger, more price-sensitive crowd with the device, which will be available in colors including pink, red and white. "BlackBerry is clearly aiming to replicate the success of the BlackBerry Curve in emerging markets," Ovum analyst Adam Leach said, referring to the company's Curve smartphone, which has been popular in India and other developing countr

Profit at Cyrela SA outperformed rivals in the first quarter as Brazil's largest homebuilder cut expenses and boosted sales during a tough period for the sector. Cyrela reported a 52 percent jump in first-quarter profit to 179 million reais ($88.6 million) as expenses dropped and pre-sales rose. While profit missed the average estimate of 186 million reais by six analysts in the poll, management predicted sales cancellations to fall in coming quarters. Shares of Cyrela rallied on Tuesday while those of peers MRV Engenharia e Participacoes SA, Brookfield Incorporações SA, PDG Realty SA and Gafisa SA - all of which reported earnings misses in recent days - fell. Cyrela's stock gains reflect growing enthusiasm by investors for the plans by Chief Executive Elie Horn to bolster the company's balance sheet. "Cyrela continues to post the highest-quality numbers among its peers," said Marcello Milman, an analyst with BTG Pactual Group. Local homebuilders have gra

Australian shares are seen rising on Wednesday, likely buoyed by Wall Street's rally to fresh record highs overnight and on gains for companies with large exposure to the U.S. market after the Australian dollar slid to an 11-month low. _0"> * Local share price index futures rose 0.6 percent, a 34-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark edged 0.2 percent higher to notch a fresh five-year closing high on Tuesday.   * New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index was trading mostly flat in the early morning. * Australia's struggling Labor government on Tuesday used the last budget before national elections to delay a long-promised return to surplus, blaming a stubbornly high Australian dollar and lower commodity prices for a dramatic fall in revenues. * The Aussie extended losses to $0.9896 after touching a new 11-month low overnight. The currency has fallen about 4 percent in the past 10 days. * U.S. Stocks rallied to fresh highs

Australian shares rose 0.4 percent early on Wednesday, buoyed by Wall Street's rally to record highs and gains for companies with exposure to the U.S. market after the Australian dollar slid to an 11-month low against the greenback. _0"> BHP Billiton Ltd and Rio Tinto Ltd dropped 1.0 percent and 1.3 percent respectively, after the two largest miners said on Tuesday that they would slash billions of dollars of spending.   The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 22.5 points to 5,243.5 by 0012 GMT. The benchmark edged 0.2 percent higher to notch a five-year closing high on Tuesday. Stocks which benefited most from the softer Australian dollar included QBE Insurance Group Ltd, which added 2.0 percent, and pharmaceutical products maker CSL Ltd, which gained 2.2 percent. The market ignored the struggling Labor government's budget on Tuesday night, which delayed a long-promised return to surplus due a dramatic fall in revenues attributed to the stubbornly high Australian dollar

Australian shares pared earlier gains and dropped 0.7 percent in late morning trade on Wednesday, as miners deepened their losses on weaker metal prices and offset gains in companies likely to benefit most from weakness in the Australian dollar. BHP Billiton Ltd and Rio Tinto Ltd dropped 2.2 percent and 3.1 percent respectively, after the two largest miners said on Tuesday that they would slash billions of dollars of spending. "My view is that they are creating a store of wares so that they can practise some capital management, and pay the long-suffering shareholders," said Stuart Smith, a senior client advisor at Bell Potter Securities. "That should be a big plus, (but) the only determinant is that the copper price was down," he added. Copper fell more than 2 percent on Tuesday as poor factory output data from China , the top user of the metal, fed fears that demand growth was stalling even as inventories rose. The S&P/ASX 200 index lost 36.2 points to 5

Australian shares fell 0.6 percent on Wednesday, backing off from a fresh five-year high reached in the morning, as miners deepened their losses on falling iron ore prices. Weakness in resources shares offset gains in companies likely to benefit most from weakness in the Australian dollar. BHP Billiton Ltd and Rio Tinto Ltd dropped 1.9 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, after the two largest miners said on Tuesday that they would slash billions of dollars of spending. Spot iron ore prices fell on Wednesday to match their lowest level for the year as a soft Chinese steel market and expectations of increased supply pressured the steelmaking raw material. The S&P/ASX 200 index lost 29.3 points to 5,191.7, according to the latest data. The benchmark edged 0.2 percent higher to a five-year closing high on Tuesday. Stocks which benefited most from the softer Australian dollar included QBE Insurance Group Ltd, which added 0.8 percent, and the world's second-biggest wine com

Australian shares fell 0.6 percent on Wednesday, backing off from a five-year high reached in the morning, as miners slid further on lower iron ore prices and a cut in spending plans. Weakness in resources shares offset gains in companies likely to benefit most from a drop in the Australian dollar. The S&P/ASX 200 index lost 29.3 points to 5,191.7, according to the latest data. The benchmark edged 0.2 percent higher to a five-year closing high on Tuesday. BHP Billiton Ltd and Rio Tinto Ltd dropped 1.9 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, after the two largest miners said on Tuesday that they would slash billions of dollars of spending. The top two miners had sent a negative message across the mining sector, analysts said, citing broad losses in miners. "When the biggest company comes up with some sort of announcement or at least plans for something, it might affect the tone for the rest of sector," said Steven Daghlian, an analyst at Commonwealth Securities in Sy

Britain's benchmark index was little changed in early deals on Wednesday, in a day marked by mixed corporate results and a number of companies trading without their dividend entitlements. _0"> Low-cost airline Easyjet and exchange operator London Stock Exchange topped the index after their updates but their gains were offset by falls in broadcaster ITV and engineer Wood Group, whose reports disappointed the market. This left FTSE 100 flat at 6,684.02 points, consolidating a 5-1/2 year closing high hit in the previous session. Gains on the index were also curbed by a number of companies, including supermarket chain Sainsbury, going ex-dividend and taking 9.59 points off the index according to Reuters calculations. (Reporting By Francesco Canepa; Editing by Alistair Smout)

British blue chips traded a touch lower on Wednesday, in a day marked by weak economic data from the euro zone , mixed corporate results and a number of companies trading without their dividend entitlements.   Britain's FTSE 100 was down 0.1 percent at 6,679.48 points, consolidating a 5-1/2 year closing high hit in the previous session. Investor appetite in the globally-focussed FTSE was curbed by the threat to world growth from a slowing euro zone, with Germany's economy growing less than expected in the first quarter and France entering a shallow recession. "The FTSE was looking at new highs today but it has been tempered slightly with Germany's and France's GDP being slightly disappointing," Andy McLevey, head of dealing at stockbroker Interactive Investor, said. "But I can see us pushing on from here. We have seen clients who had been sitting on the sidelines starting to get involved." He added the index could test its 2007 high at 6,759

German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp took another writedown on the value its Steel Americas business, driving it to an unexpected quarterly loss but raising hopes it is closer to selling the troubled asset. The firm said on Wednesday it was cutting the book value of Steel Americas, which comprises a mill in Brazil and another in the United States, to 3.4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) from 3.9 billion, which analysts said showed it was ready to accept a lower price and could be nearing a long-anticipated deal. "The precise figure of 683 million euros (for the writedown) indicates that the deal is imminent," analyst Heino Ruland of Ruland Research said. At 0820 GMT, ThyssenKrupp shares were up 4 percent at 15.715 euros, among the biggest rises by a European blue-chip stock . Steel Americas has been a thorn in ThyssenKrupp's side for years, as the project cost more than expected to set up and then racked up losses as steel prices and demand were weakened by a faltering glob