ITV share price jumps on report of Comcast’s NBCUniversal bidding to takeover home of Downton Abbey December 21, 2015 The prospect of a takeover of the maker of Downtown Abbey has re-emerged with a fresh report that ITV is considering a sale to the US giant NBCUniversal, owned by Comcast, following meetings between the two broadcasters' bosses. Speculation that the British broadcaster is ripe for takeover has been rife for years, becoming a lucrative target since transforming under the stewardship [...]
Bank of England’s Martin Weale says an interest rate rise is less urgent December 21, 2015 Bank of England rate setter Martin Weale has signalled a less hawkish tone on interest rates, saying the need for them to rise was "less immediate". Downward pressure on inflation, weak wage growth and falling commodity prices has given the monetary policy committee (MPC) more breathing space than expected, Weale told the Daily Telegraph. "I initially thought that the weak [...]
Has your train been delayed? Consumer group Which? calls for an investigation into how train operators refund passengers for delayed services December 21, 2015 If you are reading this on your phone on the train, and even if you aren't, the chances are you’ve not only suffered from service delays but also struggled to get a refund from the train companies. Consumer group Which? today launched a super-complaint asking the government’s office of road and rail to investigate how rail [...]
Countdown to Christmas: Ways the world changed in 2015, from the refugee crisis and climate change deal to time travel and New Horizons trip to Pluto December 21, 2015 It’s been a tumultuous year, that’s for sure. From the Charlie Hebdo attacks that shocked Paris and the world in January to the historic climate change deal signed not two weeks ago, the world is many ways a different place today than it was a year ago. Although there are still some weeks to go [...]
Quindell, aka Watchstone Group, resumes trading on Aim – and share price jumps more than 150 per cent December 21, 2015 Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, so shares in Watchstone Group, the company formerly known as Quindell, jumped more than 150 per cent as they resumed trading this morning. At one point shares in the troubled insurance claims processor were up more than 180 per cent, at 197p. Last week, shares in the company were [...]
Sir Ken Morrison has taken a £6m stake in rival Sainsbury’s December 21, 2015 The outspoken former chairman of Morrisons has taken a £6m stake in rival supermarket Sainsbury's. Sir Ken Morrison now owns 2.6m share in Sainsbury, while his son William owns 2.1m, giving the pair a combined £11.9m stake. The man who once told Morrisons' chief executive Dalton Phillips his strategy was "bulls***" has gone further than just implied support. [...]
Miss Universe car crash which killed one, injured 37 was “intentional” – but not terrorism, say Las Vegas police December 21, 2015 A woman who drove a car into a pavement on the Las Vegas Strip near to the Miss Universe pageant, killing at least one person, did so intentionally, police have told local media. The driver is reported to have ploughed the car onto the pavement, where pedestrians were walking, a number of times, killing one person and injuring [...]
Government accused of doing too little to protect UK steel industry December 21, 2015 A committee of MPs has accused the UK government of taking “little action” to safeguard the nation's steel industry. The group said unlike other European nations, Britain was not alert enough to the implications of falling prices, and as a result didn't do enough to stop the crisis from escalating. Thousands of jobs have been slashed [...]
Customer incident and signal failure causing severe delays on Piccadilly Line December 21, 2015 There was no service on parts of the Piccadilly Line line this morning, with severe delays throughout, because of an earlier customer incident and signal failure. The line between Arnos Grove and King's Cross was shut off early this morning, because of a person on the track. By the start of rush hour, the line was [...]
Eurotunnel services are back to normal following overnight delays December 21, 2015 Eurotunnel and Eurostar services are now operating as usual, following overnight delays caused by damage to the track. On Sunday night, passengers travelling from Folkstone in the UK to Calais faced delays of up to eight hours, while there were also disruptions to Eurostar services between London and The continent. According to Eurotunnel, this was [...]