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The figures showed better-than-expected profit growth, which was quickly disseminated around the global investment community, immediately boosting shares in Orange and France Telecom.The company initially tried to retract the e-mail, urging analysts to disregard it, but France Telecom was yesterday forced into an embarrassing turnaround, having to admit that a draft document containing the data had been released “as a result of a computer error”.France Telecom said that “in order to achieve maximum transparency for the entire market”, it was forced to publish the data, which showed it had increased first-half earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation by 14 per cent to 6.066bn euros (£3.8bn) from 5.319bn euros a year earlier. Within that figure, Orange recorded a first-half Ebitda of 1.634bn euros, substantially ahead of analysts’ forecasts, which lay in a range of 1.46bn euros to 1.57bn euros. Charles Manso, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, described the Orange figures as having come in “significantly ahead” of forecasts and some 5 per cent better than his own estimates.Shares in Orange finished up 4.3 per cent at 475.5p last night while shares in France Telecom ended down 5.5 per cent to 36.95 euros.. Ladbrokes, Britain’s biggest bookmaker, has threatened to stop showing British horseracing broadcasts in its betting shops from next year in an attempt to challenge a proposed 66 per cent increase in the cost of racing data and pictures. Ladbrokes, Britain’s biggest bookmaker, has threatened to stop showing British horseracing broadcasts in its betting shops from next year in an attempt to challenge a proposed 66 per cent increase in the cost of racing data and pictures.
David Michels, chief executive of Hilton Group, which owns Ladbrokes, called the suggested hike in charges for live pictures from 1.5 per cent of turnover to 2.5 per cent “untenable”.Mr Michels said: “At nearly 3 per cent [including VAT] we will revert to alternative content, such as greyhound racing and South African horseracing.”Ladbrokes, which controls a quarter of the British betting market, said that the move from the British Horseracing Board, the sport’s governing body, could cost the betting industry £184m rather than the £61m it currently pays for the pictures.The comments came as Hilton Group reported a 33 per cent leap in first-half pre-tax profit before goodwill and exceptionals to £144.3m from £108.8m.

Profits at Hilton International, the hotels division, rose to £126.3m compared with £111m last time. Turnover was £1.91bn compared with £1.93bn a year earlier.The results were buoyed by a strong performance from the group’s European betting operations and an earlier move into profit from eGaming than expected, and good trading at its hotels.Profits at the gaming unit increased by 24.4 per cent, despite the cancellation of 169 race meetings due to bad weather and foot-and-mouth. Ladbrokes made up for the lack of British racing pictures by covering races in Italy, Dubai and South Africa.The gross margin in UK retail betting increased by 2.1 percentage points to historic highs of around 20 per cent.Shares in Hilton Group closed up 1.5p at 243.25p.. Japanese electronics manufacturer Hitachi said today it was trimming its global work force by 14,700 people, by April. Japanese electronics manufacturer Hitachi said today it was trimming its global work force by 14,700 people, by April. The cuts affect 10,200 workers in Japan, or about 4 per cent of the domestic work force, and 4,500 overseas workers, or 6 per cent of the employees abroad, Hitachi said The company employs about 341,000 people worldwide. Hitachi also revised its forecast for the fiscal year, saying it now predicts a loss of 140 billion yen (£857m) instead of its earlier forecast of 90 billion yen (£540 million) in profit.

Hitachi said its business was hurt by the weak demand for electronic devices such as semiconductors and displays. Hitachi’s announcement comes in the wake of similar news from other Japanese electronics makers. NEC, Toshiba, and Fujitsu have all announced job cuts, citing the falling demand for electronics and other information technology products around the world Japan is locked in a decade-long recession. But the decline in electronics demand at home and elsewhere has dealt a heavy blow on Japanese companies..