One of the UK’s biggest insurers could become even bigger as Direct Line looks set to accept a sweetened £3.61bn takeover offer from Aviva. This is not the first time Aviva has attempted to buy Direct Line, which includes the Churchill and Privilege brands. Last month was £3.3bn bid was rejected for being “highly opportunistic” … Read more
Harland & Wolff (H&W), the owner of the shipyard that built the Titanic, is close to reaching a government-backed rescue deal with a Spanish shipping industry group. Sky News can reveal that Navantia has won approval from Downing Street to acquire H&W’s four UK shipyards in a deal which could be formally agreed as early … Read more
Fourteen new trains are to be built at a Hitachi factory in County Durham, securing hundreds of jobs. The plan saves 700 jobs with a £500 million investment for the Newton Aycliffe site. The factory and its workers faced an uncertain future with a looming break in their order book before work began. HS2 (High … Read more
Dale Vince, the activist and entrepreneur, has accused the Guardian’s owners of telling “a complete lie” about his interest in taking control of The Observer. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Vince, who has numerous interests in green energy and owns Forest Green Rovers football club, said his discussions with Guardian Media Group (GMG) had been … Read more
A music streaming service, whose shareholders include U2 bassist Adam Clayton and financier Guy Hands, is set to undergo a solvent restructuring that will pave the way for it to launch a series of new interactive TV channels in the UNITED STATES. Sky News has learned that the assets of MagicWorks, which trades as ROXi, … Read more
Across Europe, carmakers are cutting jobs and closing factories – to the point where some are questioning their very existence. So it’s worth asking the question: what’s wrong with the European (and for that matter American) auto industry? While some will draw their own conclusions (Brexit! Electric vehicle time limit ! Government regulations!) in practice, … Read more
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 25% of new car registrations in November, an increase of almost 60% year-on-year – and well beyond the government’s target, manufacturers have called on ministers to relax. BEVs were the only sector of the auto market to see an increase in sales in November, with new registrations falling almost … Read more
Thames Water’s largest group of creditors has failed to secure a veto over whether a £3bn emergency cash injection would be used to settle regulatory fines imposed over a series of breaches in terms of environment and performance. Sky News can reveal a clause stipulating the company’s A lenders – who account for well over … Read more
Fraser’s Group, the retail giant controlled by Mike Ashley, and discounter B&M are to be relegated from the UK’s blue chip share index. FTSE Russell, which operates the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices, confirmed on Wednesday evening that its latest quarterly review would see the Sports Direct-led Frasers drop to the bottom tier for … Read more
False information spread on social media is blamed for soaring teenage abortion rates, experts have warned. Abortions among girls aged 15 to 17 have increased by a record 12 percent in just one year, following a dramatic drop in the number of girls using contraception, according to a new study. Experts attribute the shocking increase … Read more