No deal? No problem. Institute of Economic Affairs report urges UK to turn down “bad deal” with EU August 18, 2017 A failure to strike a trade deal with the EU would not be a “disaster” for the UK, according to a report out today. While an EU agreement would be “desirable” it is judged to be “not essential” by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). Instead, Britain should focus on securing a policy that would [...]
Singaporean fund and KKR join £6bn Unilever spreads auction August 17, 2017 Competition over Unilever’s spreads business is hotting up as Singapore’s wealth fund enters the fray. The Sinagaporean state’s Government Investment Corporation (GIC) has agreed to back KKR, one of the world’s biggest buyout firms, in its bid for the operation according to Sky News. Unilever’s spreads include some of the world’s most well-known brands such [...]
Outright fake news on Facebook is rare in the UK, Enders Analysis research says August 17, 2017 The issue of “outright” fake news spreading on Facebook is rare in the UK, according to new research, but “misinformation” was found to be more widespread and distributed by traditional media. “Our analysis of the most shared news and opinion content on Facebook shows clearly that especially in the UK, outright ‘fake news’… was both [...]
Government insists UK will make “sufficient progress” in Brexit talks by October to push on with next phase August 17, 2017 The government has insisted it will have made “sufficient progress” in Brexit talks with the EU by October to move on to the “next phase” of negotiations. The assertion, from the Department for Exiting the European Union (DexEU), comes after reports suggested talks on the future UK-EU relationship may be delayed. The parties are due [...]
British Airways owner IAG launches mobile pay on new Barcelona-based airline Level August 17, 2017 British Airways owner IAG is rolling out mobile pay on new low-cost, long-haul airline Level so passengers can browse and buy products on board from their personal devices. IAG said the platofrm was a universal one that it is looking at rolling out across its other airlines in the future. The new carrier, which started [...]
Bendy buses could return to London as Transport Committee says they boost capacity and speed up journey times August 17, 2017 London mayor Sadiq Khan has been urged to consider bringing back the “bendy buses” by London Assembly’s Transport Committee. In a new report assessing how to improve bus usage in the capital out today, the committee said the reintroduction of the buses could cut journey times and provide better disabled access if they were rolled [...]
The death of presenteeism is the birth of flexible working August 17, 2017 As you’re reading this article, perhaps trundling along in a crowded Tube carriage, try to imagine a saner, less stressful way of working. Imagine working in an environment where you are measured on what you deliver, rather than the number of hours you sit at your desk. If your company had a flexible working option, [...]
Quarto turns the page as talks with mystery buyer end August 16, 2017 Shares in book publisher Quarto closed down 18 per cent today, after a brief flirtation with a mystery potential buyer came to an abrupt end. Just last week, the London-listed company announced that it was in talks with an unnamed potential bidder following an unsolicited approach. But this morning it said that discussions had been [...]
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy’s largest warship, has arrived home in Portsmouth August 16, 2017 The Royal Navy’s largest ever warship, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, sailed into her home port of Portsmouth for the first time today. Sailors lined the flight deck while the ship was greeted with a flypast from the Fleet Air Arm, including Wildcat and Merlin helicopters and Hawk jets. At 280m, the ship is longer than [...]
Peace at last? AkzoNobel and Elliott Advisors agree three-month litigation truce after long-running takeover troubles August 16, 2017 Activist investor Elliott has finally reached an agreement in its long-running spat with AkzoNobel over a €27bn takeover approach from rival PPG Industries. After a prolonged back and forth regarding the proposed takeover, including a new legal challenge to try and oust Akzo’s chairman last month, the firms said they had struck a standstill agreement, [...]