Number of takeovers and mergers halved in 2022 but ‘bargain basement prices’ to turn tide in 2023 December 27, 2022 The number of big takeovers and mergers involving UK-listed companies nearly halved this year as investors were deterred by market volatility, political instability and recession fears. But the tide is set to turn in 2023, with buyers eyeing up quality British companies trading at “bargain prices”, experts said. There were 49 bids for London-listed firms [...]
Beefy Brexit row: Deal with Australia is ‘success’ says envoy Lord Botham, after ex minister’s criticism December 27, 2022 Lord Ian Botham, the government’s trade envoy to Australia, is at loggerheads with a former minister over the success of the post-Brexit deal. The ex cricket star, affectionately known as ‘Beefy’, hit out at George Eustice who branded the agreement signed in 2021, who said he “no longer has to put such a positive gloss [...]
4 Reasons You Should Look For A New Job In 2023 December 26, 2022 It’s safe to say the job for life model of yore that your parents probably aspired to is about as relevant today as ping-pong and pool tables in an office where most of the workforce are doing their daily duties remotely. Redundant perks aside, there are lots of reasons why the start of the new [...]
Show of strength? China sends dozens of aircraft into Taiwanese airspace December 26, 2022 Seventy-one Chinese air force aircraft including fighter jets and drones entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone in the past 24 hours, the island’s government said on Monday, the largest reported incursion to date. Of the aircraft, 43 also crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides that lies within the [...]
End of the exodus? Number leaving London begins to fall December 26, 2022 Moves away from London appear to have passed a peak, with estimates suggesting around 20,000 fewer properties being bought outside the capital this year than in 2021. In a year which has seen strong house price growth outside London, just over a quarter (26%) of “London leavers” in 2022 bought properties with at least four bedrooms, down from 30% [...]
Boxing Day trains: Cancellations leave football fans and shoppers facing chaos December 26, 2022 Shoppers hoping for a Boxing Day bargain could face traffic jams as rail strikes see train services brought to a halt. Thousands of people planning to travel by train have been forced to make alternative plans amid continued industrial action. Hundreds of departures usually run on December 26 after the Christmas Day shutdown. But Network [...]
One Chinese province faces a MILLION new Covid-19 cases every day December 25, 2022 China’s Zhejiang, a big industrial province near Shanghai, is battling around a million new daily COVID-19 infections, a number expected to double in the days ahead, the provincial government said on Sunday. Despite a record surge of cases nationwide, China reported no COVID deaths on the mainland for the five days through Saturday, the Chinese [...]
Red-faced Putin: Russia now ready to ‘negotiate’ over Ukraine war December 25, 2022 President Vladimir Putin said Russia was ready to negotiate with all parties involved in the war in Ukraine but that Kyiv and its Western backers had refused to engage in talks. Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most deadly conflict in Europe since World War Two and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since [...]
Gantry McGantryface? Competition to redesign motorway architecture begins December 25, 2022 National Highways is seeking an “elegant” and “innovative” new design for motorway gantries in England. The Government-owned company is holding a competition to replace existing designs for the structures, which a leading architect described as “cumbersome”. The display of information to drivers has evolved over several decades from basic signs at the side of carriageways [...]
Central London footfall collapses in run-up to Christmas as strikes hit December 25, 2022 Christmas Eve footfall in central London was almost 15 per cent down on the week before as rail strikes effectively wiped out last-minute shopping plans. December 24 is usually a bumper day for retailers as Londoners rush to pick up last-minute gifts before getting trains home, whilst Brits also flock into the capital for a [...]