AstraZeneca rejects new Pfizer offer May 19, 2014 Shares in US drugs giant Pfizer have slumped by 14 per cent after the company's £69bn takeover offer was rejected by the board of AstraZeneca. Last night Pfizer revealed that it had raised its offer for AstraZeneca to £55 a share, after having an earlier offer of £53.50 turned down on Friday night. Chairman of [...]
GAY-TMs and London’s French Riviera May 19, 2014 ANYONE using one of Barclays’ ATMs come the last week in June could be in for a colourful surprise. The bank has announced it’ll be sponsoring the Pride in London festival again this year, becoming headline sponsor for the first time. In celebration, it plans to create a gaggle of GAY-TMs along the parade route. [...]
Asian markets slide after Chinese house prices disappoint May 19, 2014 Asian markets have suffered declines as weak housing data from China renewed fears that the slowdown in the world's second largest economy could be getting worse. House prices for new homes rose in 44 of 70 cities surveyed last month, compared with 56 cities is March. The People's Bank of China has instructed financial institutions [...]
Astra to reject final Pfizer bid May 19, 2014 ASTRAZENECA’S board is set to reject a new £69bn takeover offer from US drugs giant Pfizer, potentially putting to an end an increasingly contentious takeover tussle that has become the subject of intense political and scientific debate. Late last night Pfizer revealed that it had raised its offer for AstraZeneca to £55 a share, after [...]
London beats New York to best city title in PwC’s Cities of Excellence report May 19, 2014 London has knocked New York from the top spot to claim the title of best city in the world in an international survey. In a global comparison of the 30 most influential centres, the UK capital was ranked first overall and also for economic clout, technology readiness and as a city gateway; meaning it is [...]
Carney warns housing is biggest threat to UK recovery May 19, 2014 BRITAIN’S huge shortfall of housing supply is the biggest risk to the UK’s burgeoning economic recovery, Bank of England governor Mark Carney said yesterday. “The biggest risk to financial stability, and therefore to the durability of the expansion, those risks centre in the housing market,” said Carney. He added that the housing market has “deep, [...]
North London streets turn red as Arsenal celebrate FA Cup victory May 19, 2014 HUNDREDS of thousands of jubilant Arsenal supporters lined the streets of Islington yesterday to celebrate the north London team’s 3-2 victory over Hull City in Saturday’s FA Cup final. The Gunners’ victorious players were driven on open-top buses between the club’s Emirates stadium and Islington Town Hall on Upper Street, a day after they secured [...]
Failure to build puts UK behind Carney’s Canada May 19, 2014 BANK of England governor Mark Carney said yesterday that the UK’s massive housing shortfall was a major threat to the UK economy – but why is it such an issue? There is nearly unanimous agreement about the cause of the UK’s high house prices, with groups as far apart as the Labour party and the [...]
Swiss vote down plan for highest minimum wage May 19, 2014 THE SWISS public yesterday rejected a policy which would have made the country’s minimum wage the highest in the world. More than three quarters of the electorate voted against the proposal, which would have driven the minimum wage to SwFr22 per hour (£14.67), giving every full time worker an annual equivalent income of well over [...]
DirectTV sold to AT&T for $48.5bn in US mega deal May 19, 2014 DIRECTTV, the No. 1 US satellite TV operator, said last night it has agreed to sell itself to AT&T for $48.5bn, in the second mega-deal to shake up the US television landscape this year. AT&T said it is offering $95 per DirecTV share in a combination of stock and cash, a 10 per cent premium [...]