LONDON, August 1, 2008 (AFP) - British advertising giant WPP said Friday it had posted its formal hostile takeover bid for Taylor Nelson Sofres to shareholders of the market research company.

'WPP announces that the offer document containing the formal offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of TNS is being posted today,' WPP said in a brief statement.

ROME, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - The Italian competition authority said on Monday it had imposed a 54,100-euro (85,000-dollar) fine on Irish low-cost airline Rynair for false fare advertising.

The authority cited an April 2007 advertisement on the Ryanair website offering flights starting at 10 euros, one way, taxes included to several foreign destinations.

PARIS, July 25, 2008 (AFP) - French advertising group Havas on Friday reported first half sales rose 3.6 percent to 755 million euros (1.18 billion dollars) and it would have done better still if it were not for a strong euro.

Havas said it achieved organic growth of 8.0 percent, up from 7.1 percent in 2007 and coming in at 10.6 percent on a constant exchange rate basis.

LONDON, July 9, 2008 (AFP) - German market research group Gfk said Wednesday that it was mulling a takeover bid for British peer Taylor Nelson Sofres after the pair ended their plans to merge.

Gfk and TNS announced they were scrapping their planned tie-up, in a statement issued Wednesday a few hours after British advertising giant WPP launched a hostile takeover bid for TNS.

PARIS, June 27, 2008 (AFP) - A US actor paid 600 euros (950 dollars) for the use of his deep voice in ads for Uncle Ben's rice is now seeking 180 million euros from French TV stations he says broadcast the commercials without his consent.

HONG KONG, June 10, 2008 (AFP) - Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific on Tuesday hit back at criticism that its latest advertising campaign pandered to ethnic and gender stereotypes.

Cathay said accusations that its adverts only valued its male passengers and played to cliches of Asians serving western clients were 'misleading and unfair.'

LONDON, April 25, 2008 (AFP) - WPP, the world's second-biggest advertising group, said on Friday that sales jumped in the first quarter, despite the uncertain global economic backdrop.

BERLIN, April 24, 2008 (AFP) - German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck has pressed Irish low-cost airline Ryanair to donate 25,000 euros (40,000 dollars) to a secret police memorial after the carrier used his image in advertising, a press report said Thursday.

LONDON, March 29, 2008 (AFP) - British Airways has been forced to pull an advertising campaign for its expensive new terminal at London Heathrow because of the chaos there since it opened, the Financial Times said Saturday.

LONDON, Feb 29, 2008 (AFP) - WPP, the world's second-biggest advertising group, said on Friday that net profit increased by almost seven percent last year and that 2008 would be better as it shook off the global credit crunch.