AA plans to raise £200m through share placing March 24, 2015 Roadside recovery business the AA is preparing to raise £200m through a share placing, as part of a refinancing plan aimed at reducing its debt of £2.7bn. The company will also refinance £735m of its senior debt facilities, in plans that could be announced today. Investors who have been approached about the placing are thought [...]
Vegas bout set to break record March 24, 2015 THE long-awaited clash between undefeated American Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is set to be the most expensive boxing match in UK pay-per-view history. Sky Sports Box Office has been awarded the rights to show live coverage of the fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday 2 May. The channel will charge [...]
Mayweather v Pacquiao: Mega-fight will cost UK viewers £19.95 on Sky Sports Box Office March 24, 2015 UK boxing fans will be able to watch the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao on pay-per-view TV after Sky Sports Box Office won exclusive rights to show the historic event. The fight will be available to Sky customers for the relatively standard price of £19.95 if ordered before 2 [...]
Good news for stargazers: UK light pollution is falling March 23, 2015 Good news for people who enjoyed last week’s eclipse: viewing the skies could get a whole lot easier in future. New research by blind maker Hillarys has revealed that light pollution in the UK has been reduced by 28 per cent since 1992. In fact, light pollution in the UK peaked in 1993 and has [...]
Deal reached on TV election debates as broadcasters release dates and format March 21, 2015 Britain's broadcasters have finally reached a deal with the political parties on General Election TV debates. After what seemed like a never-ending series of concessions and argument the number of debates and their format has been agreed. One seven-way election debate that will be held on 2 April, hosted by ITV and moderated by Julie [...]
From the solar eclipse and the Budget to the FTSE 100 hitting 7,000: Here’s what got us talking this week March 20, 2015 There was a solar eclipse and toxic smog. There was a red box. And there was a lesser-spotted yellow box. Here's what got us talking this week. 1. The FTSE 100 hit 7,000 for the first time After what felt like weeks of playing hard to get, the FTSE 100 finally gave it [...]
Here’s what time the solar eclipse will reach its peak in London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Belfast and Aberdeen March 20, 2015 As today's total solar eclipse begins, the Met Office has produced a handy guide to what time it will reach its peak across the UK, in cities from Penzance and Southampton to London, Birmingham, Norwich, Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen and Belfast. What time could you see #eclipse2015 this morning? See our [...]
Watchers of the skies March 19, 2015 LONDONERS preparing to see the near total eclipse of the Sun this morning may be left disappointed due to cloudy weather. The solar eclipse, which has not happened since August 1999, will begin in London at 8.25am, with the most coverage occurring at 9.32am. The eclipse will have passed by 10.41am. The amateur astronomists among [...]
Saga moves to offload Allied Healthcare arm March 19, 2015 SAGA has appointed the investment bank Greenhill in a bid to speed up its attempt to sell off the public sector operations of Allied Healthcare. The move to offload the homecare and healthcare provider, first reported by Sky News, comes amid the increased prospect of local authority budget cuts. Saga, a leading travel and financial [...]
BT hits back at Ofcom over new broadband rule March 19, 2015 Telecoms giant BT slammed its industry regulator for taking a “lopsided” approach to the UK market. Industry watchdog Ofcom yesterday confirmed it was going ahead with a new pricing rule, coming into effect on 1 April. The rule means BT must maintain a sufficient margin between its wholesale and retail superfast broadband fees, in order [...]