JD Sports expands US footprint with purchase of Shoe Palace for $325m December 15, 2020 JD Sports has agreed to buy California-based sportswear brand Shoe Palace in an all-cash deal worth $325m (£243.7m), the company has announced. Genesis, the US owner of JD Sports, will acquire the 100 per cent of both Shoe Palace shares, plus members’ interests in youth-focused subsidiary Nice Kicks. Around $100m of the cash consideration, which [...]
Netherlands enters strict second lockdown for five weeks December 15, 2020 The Netherlands will enter its second national lockdown for at least five weeks, the country’s Prime Minister has announced. In a televised address last night, Mark Rutte told the nation: “The Netherlands is closing down. We realise the gravity of our decisions, right before Christmas.” Households will be banned from welcoming more than two visitors over the [...]
New coronavirus mutation spreading in southeast of England December 14, 2020 A new variant of coronavirus has been identified in the southeast of England that could present problems for the UK’s vaccination programme, the health secretary has announced. Speaking in the Commons, Matt Hancock said: “Over the last few days, thanks to our world-class genomic capability in the UK, we have identified a new variant of coronavirus which may be [...]
Capital Punishment: London to enter Tier 3 on Wednesday December 14, 2020 London is set to enter Tier 3 from midnight tomorrow, as the government scrambles to contain a sharp spike in coronavirus cases in the capital. The capital will enter the highest level of restrictions at 0.01am on Wednesday morning, the health secretary has announced. Parts of Essex and Hertfordshire including Basildon, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Epping Forest [...]
City of London to host ‘back to work’ week in bid to revive Square Mile December 14, 2020 The City of London will call on office workers to return to the Square Mile in a “back to work” week in April, in a bid to help resuscitate the bars, restaurants and hospitality venues hammered by empty streets during the pandemic. William Russell, lord mayor of London and a former Merrill Lynch investment banker, [...]
UK housing market ‘to grow four per cent’ in 2021 December 14, 2020 British house prices are set to grow an average of four per cent in 2021, according to property website Rightmove, despite the looming end of a tax break and forecasts of rising unemployment. Rightmove said asking prices for property first advertised between 8 November and 5 December were 6.6 per cent higher than a year [...]
EA to buy UK game developer Codemasters for $1.2bn December 14, 2020 Gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) has reached a deal to buy British firm Codemasters for $1.2bn (£900m), gatecrashing US rival Take-Two Interactive’s earlier offer. Codemasters said it has “shared ambitions to lead the video game racing category” with California-based EA. “The board of Codemasters firmly believes the company would benefit from EA’s knowledge, resources and [...]
Sadiq Khan urges PM to shut all London schools as cases spiral December 14, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called on the government to consider shutting all schools and colleges in London until January, following a “significant” spike in coronavirus cases among teens. In a letter to Boris Johnson, the mayor of London said “urgent consideration must… be given to closing secondary schools, sixth form and FE colleges a few days [...]
London retains finance jobs as Brexit fails to deliver blow to the City December 14, 2020 Warnings that Brexit would deliver a major shock to the City’s financial services jobs have failed to pay off, with international banks maintaining the bulk of their UK staff since the 2016 referendum. A survey of 24 major international banks and asset managers by the Financial Times found that the majority had increased their London [...]
Astrazeneca to buy US drugs firm Alexion for $39bn December 12, 2020 Astrazeneca has agreed to buy US drugmaker Alexion in a $39bn (£29.5bn) cash and share deal, as the British pharmaceuticals giant bolsters its presence in the immunology field. The Cambridge-headquartered firm, which is currently one of the frontrunners in the Covid vaccine arena, announced this afternoon that Alexion shareholders would receive $60 in cash and [...]
