Union steps in as £360m pension row at FirstGroup escalates May 10, 2021 Union Unite has spoken out against FirstGroup’s biggest investor, which wants to see proceeds for a recent sale at First Group given to shareholders, rather than used to plug the company’s pension deficit. FirstGroup recently sold its US division First Bus for £3.3bn to EQT Infrastructure, a year after putting the business up for sale. [...]
Record label Believe follows Universal with €2bn listing plan May 10, 2021 French record label Believe is gearing up for a €2bn (£1.7bn) stock market float as the music industry looks to cash in on a streaming-induced boom. The startup, which offers distribution services to help artists get discovered on platforms such as Spotifty and Apple Music, is hoping to raise €500m through a listing on the [...]
Vaccine patents: When does free for all become a free-for-all? May 10, 2021 As the UK begins to see the light at the end of the Covid tunnel, at least in terms of mass vaccination and the lifting of most personal restrictions, the virus has hit the headlines anew elsewhere in the world. Its virulent spread in India has been the most eye-catching and heart-rending, with deaths topping [...]
Begbies Traynor makes fourth acquisition this year May 10, 2021 Begbies Traynor has bought Midlands-based finance broker MAF Property, marking its fourth acquisition of the year as the group continues to focus on growth. The London-listed professional services firm will pay a maximum of £11.75m for MAF Property, with an initial cash payment of £3m, followed by the potential for an additional £8.75m subject to [...]
Rolls Royce puts Norwegian unit back up for sale after Oslo blocked deal with Russians May 10, 2021 FTSE blue-chip Rolls Royce’s Norwegian maritime engine unit Bergen is back up for sale, less than two months after Oslo blocked a previous deal for it to be sold off to a Russian company. “The sale process has restarted,” a source told Reuters today. Norway in March stopped Rolls Royce from selling Bergen for €150m [...]
UK downgrades Covid-19 threat level May 10, 2021 Chief medical officers have lowered the UK’s Covid threat level from four to three, meaning the virus is in general circulation but not rising exponentially. In a joint statement, the chief medical officers said it was thanks to the efforts of the general public with social distancing, and the impact of the vaccination programme, that [...]
Climate change brews trouble for Brits beloved tea May 10, 2021 The British cup of tea is at risk, a new report has warned, as climate change prompts extreme weather and rising temperatures in tea-growing regions. The UK and Ireland drink more tea per person than any other country in the world. Meanwhile, the world’s biggest tea exporter, Kenya, which produces half of the black tea [...]
Ethereum drives through $4,000 – but can it hold ground? May 10, 2021 The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency moved into fresh territory with some conviction as it barely hesitated to cross the $4k line and claim a new all-time high at $4,176.
Town & Country UK magazine to close as publisher Hearst slashes jobs May 10, 2021 Town & Country UK magazine is set to fold as part of cost-cutting operation at publisher Hearst that will see up to a fifth of UK staff made redundant. The luxury title, the British version of which was first published in 2014, is set to be scrapped as the company adapts to a decline in [...]
Boris Johnson to outline ‘levelling up’ plans in Queen’s Speech tomorrow May 10, 2021 Boris Johnson is expected to outline more of his plans to “level up” the North and the Midlands in tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech fresh off the back of winning a crucial by-election in Hartlepool. The Tories also made ground in traditional Labour heartlands of Sunderland, Durham and Newcastle in local elections as it won hundreds of [...]
