BT sells Spanish business as it ploughs ahead with transformation plan December 16, 2019 BT today said it has agreed the sale of its Spanish assets to private equity firm Portobello Capital, as the telecoms giant slims down its international business. The FTSE 100 firm said it will continue to have access to the ICT infrastructure, which provides network services to roughly 600 major Spanish companies, through a wholesale [...]
Hong Kong tycoon snaps up £65m penthouse after Boris Johnson victory December 16, 2019 A Hong Kong tycoon has splashed out £65m on a penthouse apartment in Belgravia just hours after Boris Johnson’s landslide election victory was confirmed. It is understood that the deal, which is the most expensive penthouse sale this year, was completed as investors celebrated the huge Tory win. Read more: Chinese property firms in plans [...]
Pearson bags Home Office contract to provide English language tests December 16, 2019 Publishing and education firm Pearson today said it has won a Home Office contract to provide English language tests for people seeking to work or live in the UK. The FTSE 100 company said it has secured a deal lasting a minimum of three years to provide Secure English Language Tests (SELTs), which are used [...]
Boris Johnson sets sights on BBC licence fee as bias row heats up December 15, 2019 Boris Johnson is reportedly ramping up plans to decriminalise non-payment of the BBC licence fee, in a move that could spark a showdown between No 10 and the broadcaster. The Prime Minister has asked aides to launch an urgent review into whether viewers should face prosecution for failing to pay the £154.50 fee, which applies [...]
M&C Saatchi board ‘blocked investigation’ into accounting crisis December 15, 2019 The board of M&C Saatchi has reportedly been accused of backtracking on its promise to hold an investigation into the firm’s £11.6m accounting crisis. The advertising stalwart was plunged into chaos last week when founder Lord Maurice Saatchi and three other directors resigned following a fierce row over the scandal. Read more: M&C Saatchi shares [...]
Watchdog steps up probe into tech giants over digital ad dominance December 15, 2019 The competition watchdog is set to publish its initial findings into the dominance of tech giants in the digital ad market this week, paving the way for a possible in-depth investigation. In July the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a market study into Google and Facebook, amid concerns the so-called duopoly could be stifling [...]
Sky scuppers hopes of Britbox deal in blow for new streaming service December 15, 2019 ITV and the BBC have suffered a major setback to their plans for Britbox, as the chances of securing a highly sought-after distribution deal with Sky have all but disappeared. The streaming service, jointly run by the public service broadcasters, has already bagged partnerships with the likes of BT, Freeview and Samsung to deliver its [...]
Uber launches appeal over TfL London ban December 13, 2019 Uber has today submitted an appeal against Transport for London’s (TfL) decision to ban the ride-hailing app from operating in the capital. TfL last month stripped Uber of its licence, stating that a “pattern of failures” left passengers at risk. Read more: Uber says it received 6,000 reports of sexual assault over two-year period The [...]
Topshop boss Sir Philip Green bags £310m loan for Oxford Street store December 13, 2019 Sir Philip Green has bagged a £310m deal to remortgage the flagship Topshop store on Oxford Street, securing the future of a crucial asset in his struggling retail empire. Topshop parent company Arcadia Group today said it had completed a four-year refinancing deal with US investment giant Apollo Management. Read more: Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia [...]
Hollywood Bowl investors strike gold as firm pays out after profit rise December 13, 2019 Shares in Hollywood Bowl rose almost nine per cent this morning as investors were bowled over by a sharp rise in full-year profit and a special dividend. Read more: Hollywood Bowl strikes double figure profit growth The figures Revenue rose 5.5 per cent on a like-for-like basis to £129.9m in the 12 months to the [...]
