US extends probe into $43bn ChemChina-Syngenta deal February 14, 2017 The US has asked for more information for its probe into China’s largest ever foreign acquisition. But Syngenta, the Swiss chemical company being taken over by ChemChina in a $43bn (£34bn) deal, said the transaction should still complete in the first half of this year. “We have received a second request but do not expect [...]
Could corporate spying be a larger threat to business security than cyber attacks? February 14, 2017 When a fresh-faced graduate reported promptly one morning for his first day at a financial institution, he offered up a passport as identification. Reception staff checked his name off a list of other new recruits and issued him with a building pass to join scheduled induction sessions. He never attended the meetings, and instead swept [...]
London boroughs ranked in order of house price growth (if you live in Hammersmith, look away now) February 14, 2017 Official data published this morning suggested UK house price growth has got its mojo back – but things are looking less encouraging in London, where growth fell to a weak (relatively speaking) 7.5 per cent in December. But analysis of the data by online estate agent Emoov suggests the story is not the same across the whole of [...]
The government just responded to a Donald Trump petition signed by 1.8m people February 14, 2017 Theresa May's government has just responded to an anti-Donald Trump petition signed by 1.8m people. The petition, launched in late January, called on the government to scrap plans to invite Trump to the UK for a state visit. MPs are set to debate the petition next week, but the government has today issued its own response, stressing [...]
Meet Prodigy Finance: The fintech firm that went global on day one February 14, 2017 With Trump in the White House and a hard Brexit on the horizon, protectionism is back on the menu. Many entrepreneurs are concerned about the implications for the free movement of goods, capital and people. But at a recent Leap 100 breakfast, chief executive and co-founder of Prodigy Finance, Cameron Stevens, sounded a note of [...]
Toshiba’s chairman resigns as the company delays reporting its earnings and a £5bn nuclear writedown February 14, 2017 Toshiba chairman Shigenori Shiga has resigned today as the firm revealed it expects its business to take a massive hit due to impairment charges on its US nuclear arm. After unexpectedly delaying its financial update this morning, the company said it expects a 712.5bn yen (£5.01bn) writedown, which would wipe out shareholder equity and drag the company to a full-year loss. Shiga will step down "to take management [...]
It looks like UK house price growth is getting its mojo back February 14, 2017 Are house prices bouncing back from their Brexit blip? UK house price growth ticked up to 7.2 per cent in December, official figures showed today – the highest annual growth rate since August last year. The Office for National Statistics' (ONS) UK house price index showed the average price rose to just under £220,000 in [...]
It’s full steam ahead for Tornado’s timetabled services on the Settle-Carlisle line February 14, 2017 For the first time in nearly 50 years, a steam train is to run a timetabled passenger service in England. The A1 Pacific Tornado will pull 12 Northern services on the line over the next three days, replacing diesel trains on the Settle to Carlisle line. The line crosses the Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines, [...]
Inflation rises closer to Bank of England’s target rate as factory gate prices soar February 14, 2017 Consumer prices growth accelerated at the fastest rate in 31 months in January, raising pressure on the Bank of England (BoE) to tighten monetary policy as inflation approaches its two per cent target, while a big jump in producer prices threatens to squeeze margins for manufacturers. The consumer price index (CPI) of inflation rose by [...]
35 psychiatrists have warned Donald Trump’s mental state makes him “incapable of serving safely as President” February 14, 2017 Donald Trump may not be the most popular President ever to set foot in the Oval Office – but now a group of psychiatrists have warned his mental state is so unstable, he shouldn't be in the White House at all. A letter to the New York Times signed by 35 psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers [...]