Halfords goes for a spin with Tredz and Wheelies May 24, 2016 Halfords has bought premium bike business Tredz and specialist insurance firm Wheelies Direct from founders Keith and Michael Jones for £18.4m. Tredz and Wheelies are based in South Wales, and employ around 250 people across the UK. Keith Jones and his senior team will continue to manage the businesses "on a standalone basis" The two businesses generated revenue of around £32m for the [...]
Why it’s time to start taking Donald Trump seriously May 23, 2016 Despite his stunning victory in the Republican primaries, a new conventional wisdom has already settled around Donald Trump’s chances of winning the White House. He can’t do it, we’re told, because he’s an offensive show-off who has alienated women, the well-educated, and non-white voters. While not an inaccurate description, as so often, the conventional wisdom [...]
Night Tube is go: Launch date and launch lines for London’s first 24-hour service May 23, 2016 The Night Tube is go. London's new mayor Sadiq Khan has formally announced the 24-hour service will begin on Central and Victoria lines from 19 August, with Piccadilly, Jubilee and Northern lines to follow in the autumn. The launch – almost exactly a year to the date that it was due to go live – means that London [...]
Bayer’s share price falls on $62bn bid for Monsanto May 23, 2016 German drugs and chemicals giant Bayer has made a formal offer for US seeds company Monsanto, offering $62bn (£42.7bn) in a deal that will create the world's biggest agricultural supplier. Bayer said the all-cash offer for $122 was "immediate and certain value at a substantial premium for Monsanto shareholders", of 37 per cent above the closing share [...]
Sajid Javid: Brexit warnings are “not a conspiracy” – it will cost 500,000 UK jobs May 23, 2016 Leaving the European Union would cost the UK economy 500,000 jobs, a new Treasury report will say today, according to Sajid Javid. Speaking on Radio 4's The Today Programme, the business secretary warned of an "immediate and profound" economic shock in the event of a Brexit. "The Bank of England, the IMF, the OECD, the London [...]
Aegon sells £3bn annuity portfolio to Legal & General May 23, 2016 Legal & General has acquired a £3bn annuity portfolio from Aegon, as part of the latter's major review of its UK operations. The deal covers around 27,000 of in-payment policyholders, who will remain customers of Aegon until the transfer becomes effective, which is subject to regulatory and court approval. Alex Wynaendts, chief executive of Aegon, said: "I am very pleased that [...]
Here’s what got us talking this week May 20, 2016 We had a glimpse of the future (at least as far as house prices are concerned) and found some of us would be in a fight to the end with robots. And we learned stress wasn't always a bad thing – which is just as well because it's not just prosecco that's getting more expensive just in [...]
Police carry out controlled explosion outside ITV’s Southbank studios May 20, 2016 Police have carried out a series of controlled explosions on a car parked just outside ITV's Southbank studios. Bomb disposal experts were called in early afternoon along with a robot which carried out the detonations. Witnesses said they had been asked to move away from windows while the police conducted the operation, which reportedly focused on a white [...]
Woman suffering life threatening injuries, three others injured, after West London knife attack May 20, 2016 One woman has sustained "life-threatening" injuries and three others injured during an apparently unprovoked attack in west London this morning. Officers were called to The Avenue, in Hampton just after 10:30am, where they found three women suffering from knife wounds in a Sainsbury's car park. A fourth woman was subsequently found at a nearby property – she was [...]
Ladbrokes takes step closer to Coral takeover – but it could be forced to shut 400 shops first May 20, 2016 Shares in Ladbrokes were up almost 12 per cent this morning, after the competition watchdog suggested its takeover of Gala Coral was nearing the final furlong. But first the betting chain could be forced to close as many as 400 shops. Shares in the bookie hit 133.3p in mid-morning trading after the Competition and Markets [...]
