| CGI award protested by rival
A CAD 400m ($354m) Canadian public sector outsourcing contract that has reportedly been awarded to CGI Group is under fire from the incumbent contractor that lost out in the most recent round of bidding. Ottawa-based TPG Technology Consulting is calling for a public inquiry into Public Works and Government Services Canada's decision to give the contract to CGI, Canada's top services provider. TPG alleges that Public Works changed the proposal evaluation process to favor large firms, and that CGI's ties to the agency may have had something to do with the award. .
Italy confirms Alitalia bidding shakeup
ROME, April 2 (Reuters) - The Italian government confirmed a shakeup in prequalified bidders for airline Alitalia on Monday, including the addition of Russian carrier Aeroflot (AFLT.MM: Quote, Profile, Research). It also confirmed that two of the bidders previously shortlisted separately, U.S. private equity fund TPG [TPG.UL] and MatlinPatterson, have joined forces and that Italian investment bank Mediobanca (MDBI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) will make an offer with them. The interested parties had until April 2 to announce additions or changes to previously shortlisted bidders. ((Rome newsroom +39 06 8522 4350; fax +39 06 854 0568; rome.newsroom@news.reuters.com)) (C) Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution ofReuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expresslyprohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.
Christie`s auctions prehistoric objects
On Monday, Christie's auction house in Paris, which usually sells fine art and furniture, is hosting an unusual auction of paleontological curiosities, including several prehistoric mammals.
Skeletons of a 10,000-year-old, 13.5-foot-long rhinoceros and a 7.5-foot-high cave bear are also going under the hammer. The skeletons are currently owned by a private collector, but buyers may include museums or artists, said Christie's spokeswoman Capucine Milliot.
The auction is not to all paleontologists' liking. Pascal Tassy, professor at Paris' Natural History Museum, has decried the selling off of specimens that could be useful to science.
"It is a pernicious consequence of the Jurassic Park effect," he said. "In the past, private collectors donated to museums, it was a great time of patronage.
KOREA: Bidding to build giant IT media tower to open soon
Seoul City will open bidding early next month to build a skyscraper in an information technology and media industry center under construction in western Seoul. The bidding for the high-rise building fell through in late 2004 as all bidders failed to pass the evaluation. The building, named Land Mark, will be the centerpiece for the Digital Media City complex in Sangam-dong to be established by 2010. Seoul City will resume the bidding process in May, officials said. The city government will collect project plans from the bidders between July and August and will select a preferred negotiator by the end of the year, city officials said. Seoul City officials are looking into lowering the height of the building from the previously proposed 540 meters (about 130 stories) and increasing the number of residential spaces.
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Holds Record-Breaking Auctions
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/09/07 -- Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (TSX: RBA)(NYSE: RBA), the world's largest auctioneer of industrial equipment, announces the results of two large unreserved auctions held last week. The largest was a two-day auction in North East, Maryland, which saw buyers make purchases of over US$42 million in gross auction sales - beating the previous Company Maryland record of US$30 million. The other large auction held last week was the Company's grand opening auction in their new permanent auction facility in Denver, Colorado. Gross auction sales at that two-day auction were more than US$29 million, beating the previous Company Colorado record of US$22 million. NORTH EAST, MARYLAND (April 4 & 5, 2007) The two-day auction in North East, Maryland broke a number of Company records for that region, including the highest gross auction sales, the most registered bidders - both in-person and on the internet - the highest online gross auction sales, and the most auction lots sold.
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