Offer

British carrier says it hopes to receive ‘more attractive proposal that better reflects’ its valueBusiness live – latest updatesEasyJet has opened talks with Castlelake, despite rejecting a fourth takeover offer worth £4.9bn from the US investment firm, with the airline saying it would open its books in the hope of receiving a higher bid.The British budget carrier unanimously rejected the latest proposal, of 650p a share, saying it still “substantially” undervalued the company while flagging “significant questions of deliverability”. Continue reading...

Allies of Reeves lobby to keep her as chancellor as the ‘stable’ choice while Wes Streeting and Ed Miliband also in the pictureUK politics live – latest updatesRachel Reeves has given her support to Andy Burnham to be the next prime minister, despite reports that she is likely to be moved out of the role of chancellor if he becomes the next Labour leader.The chancellor told the BBC she and Burnham were friends and did not appear to rule out accepting a more junior cabinet position. “I’m supporting Andy to be prime minister,” she said. Continue reading...

The US president told reporters the former Manchester mayor ‘probably won’t open up the North Sea’ for oil explorationDonald Trump has labelled Andy Burnham “extremely liberal”, in his first public comments about the former Greater Manchester mayor since he emerged as the frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer.The US president told reporters Burnham “probably won’t open up the North Sea” for oil exploration, and that “the UK is dying”, signalling that the newly elected Labour MP could face a rocky relationship with Trump. Continue reading...

FTSE 100 firm says Prologis all-share proposal turned down as it falls long way short of its own views on valueThe UK warehouse landlord Segro is at the centre of the latest transatlantic takeover battle after rejecting a £12.6bn takeover approach from the US rival Prologis.Prologis has gone public with its offer for the FTSE 100 company after it was “unequivocally rejected” by Segro’s board on Tuesday despite valuing the company at almost 25% more than its market value at that day’s close. Continue reading...

• Archaeologists conducting a routine excavation in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula uncovered an ancient ritual platform and a series of buried offerings. • The discovery provides physical evidence of how ancient Mesoamerican societies integrated architectural construction with spiritual ceremonies and belief systems. • This find is significant as it offers new insights into the specific ritualistic behaviors and cultural practices of the region's early inhabitants.

• Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are scheduled to visit the UK next month with their children. • This marks their first return to the country since 2022, when they last saw King Charles III during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. • The couple has been offered royal accommodation for the duration of their stay to facilitate the visit.

• In 2018, researcher Guillermo de Anda discovered a previously unknown, sealed cave located within the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico. • Inside the cave, de Anda found a collection of Maya offerings that had remained untouched for centuries, hidden away from the site's well-known plazas and the El Castillo pyramid. • This discovery is significant because it proves that even world-famous archaeological sites like Chichen Itza still contain hidden secrets and unexplored structures.

Information commissioner issues formal caution after London private hospital treating royal reported breachA former healthcare worker at a private hospital in London has been formally cautioned by the UK privacy and data watchdog over the deliberate misuse of the Princess of Wales’s private medical records and offering to disclose them for financial gain.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) launched a criminal investigation into the unlawful obtaining and disclosure of medical information to a third party without the consent of the data controller after the London Clinic reported a breach in March 2024. Continue reading...

Former health secretary Wes Streeting also threatened to launch a leadership contest if the prime minister did not set out a timetable to step downGood morning. Keir Starmer is still in France for the G7 summit but – as Margaret Thatcher discovered on a trip to Paris in November 1990 – acting as a statesman on the world stage does not protect a PM from a leadership challenge at home and, on that front, there has been a small development overnight; Starmer is now being told explicitly he will face a leadership challenge next week if he does not agree a timetable to stand down after the Makerfield byelection tomorrow.This has always been implicit, but last night Wes Streeting, the former health secretary who wants to launch a leadership bid, said it out loud.We can’t go on with this uncertainty. I think we will inevitably end up in a contest.I’ve given you my answer.Well, I’m sure I’ll talk to Andy after the weekend, of course I will. I’ve spoken to him many times in recent weeks. And when I came into politics in 2015, it was Andy Burnham’s team that I joined, and we worked very well together.He’s a huge asset, he’s been a fantastic mayor in Manchester and if he comes back into parliament – I hope he wins in the byelection – he’ll be a fantastic asset for our party and for the country. Continue reading...

World leaders backed Ukraine’s defence of ‘its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity’Despite some early concerns about Donald Trump’s position, the G7 leaders meeting in France have agreed on a statement declaring their “unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”The statement, published overnight, says:“We commend Ukraine for its resilience and progress on the battlefield in recent months and emphasise there is now a new momentum.To support and accelerate this new momentum, we agree to increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities.“We commit to increase the pressure on the Russian war economy. In this context, we will strengthen our sanctions, including those on the oil and gas sectors. We consider this the right moment to proceed with additional measures, as president Trump has delivered a deal that we support in reopening the strait of Hormuz.” Continue reading...

Analysts say lengthy, painstaking negotiations over region’s root tensions are required to make ceasefire stickMiddle East crisis – live updatesIn much of the Middle East, news that the US and Iran had come to a fragile agreement was greeted with relief tempered with doubt that any deal would resolve the turbulent region’s deep problems or even prevent a future return to war.In Kuwait, a frequent target of Iranian drone strikes during the 15-week conflict, Iyad Joumma, a 37-year-old Jordanian engineer, spoke for many. Continue reading...

UK billionaire’s fashion group offers £166m for takeover of 77.1% of shares in shoe firm it does not already ownBusiness live – latest updatesThe retail billionaire Mike Ashley has launched his second takeover bid in a week, attempting to snap up Australian footwear business Accent Group, days after announcing a tilt at Hugo Boss.Ashley’s Frasers Group, which already owns the biggest single stake in Accent at 22.9%, said it will offer 65 Australian cents (34p) a share for the remainder of the business, at the same level as its closing price on Friday. Continue reading...

Last-minute offer to be put to members is understood to include an average 6.6% pay upliftResident doctors in England have called off strike action after the government made a new offer which will be put to members.They were set to stage a four-day walkout from 7am on Monday – the 16th round of strike action since 2023. Continue reading...

• SpaceX has launched the largest IPO in history, raising $75 billion and more than doubling the previous record. • CEO Elon Musk is leveraging the capital to accelerate the growth of Starlink and develop space-based AI centers. • The historic market debut is being analyzed by financial experts, including Barron’s Roundtable editor Josh Schafer, as a pivotal moment for the company's vision.

One-off programme to begin in July after recent MenB outbreaks in Kent, Dorset and Berkshire killed three peopleTeenagers in their final school year and young people starting university will be offered two doses of a vaccine to protect them against meningitis B, the government has announced.The one-off vaccination programme, which will begin in late July, comes after an unprecedented outbreak of meningitis B in Kent earlier this year along with clusters of cases in Dorset and Berkshire that, together, led to the deaths of three young people. Continue reading...

Mike Ashley retail group made near-€2bn takeover bid for fashion house, in which it already has 26% stakeBusiness live – latest updatesShares in Hugo Boss jumped nearly 7% on Thursday after it said it would “thoroughly examine” a near-€2bn takeover offer from Sports Direct owner Frasers Group.Mike Ashley’s fashion and sportswear group has pounced on the German fashion house, of which it already owns just over 26%, saying late on Wednesdaythat it was offering to pay about €1.98bn (£1.73bn) to take full control of the rest of the business. Continue reading...

• The UAE is positioning its energy transformation as a global model for balancing economic growth with long-term environmental sustainability. • The strategy focuses on reconciling the urgent need for energy security with accelerated climate action to meet international goals. • This approach serves as a development pathway for other nations seeking to transition from fossil fuel reliance to sustainable energy sources.

Fashion and sportswear group, which owns 26% of the German luxury brand, is now seeking full controlMike Ashley’s retail group, Frasers, has launched a near-€2bn takeover offer for the German luxury fashion brand Hugo Boss.The fashion and sportswear group, which owns 26% of Hugo Boss, said it is offering to pay about €1.98bn (£1.73bn) for the remainder of the business to take full control. Continue reading...

The 700 projects include wind and solar farms, battery storage, gas and hydro plansMore than half the renewable energy projects needed to meet the government’s clean power targets by 2030 are now able to plug into the electricity grid after years of delay, according to the system operator.The National Energy System Operator (Neso) has offered more than 700 clean energy projects in Great Britain a grid connection date since the start of the year, after a two-year process to unblock a bottleneck that threatened to delay projects into the 2030s. Continue reading...

• Deloitte released a new M&A Pulse Survey featuring insights from 500 corporate and private equity (PE) leaders regarding current market trends. • The findings reveal a sense of "cautious optimism" for deal activity leading into 2026, with leaders emphasizing a more disciplined approach to acquisitions. • Cross-border acquisitions are highlighted as a primary strategic path for growth as dealmakers seek new opportunities.

ChatGPT maker expected to be valued at more than $850bn, one of most highly valued listings in market historyOpenAI has filed confidentially to go public on the US stock market, according to a company blogpost published on Monday. The artificial intelligence giant’s debut on Wall Street is expected to be one of the most highly valued listings in market history with a valuation at more than $850bn.“We recently submitted a confidential S-1. We expect it to leak so we’re just announcing it,” the company’s post reads. “We have not decided on timing yet; it may be a while because there are things we want to do that are likely easier as a private company. But it’s a complicated set of tradeoffs and this gives us the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best.” Continue reading...

Former investment star was banned from holding senior manager roles after collapse of popular equity fund The UK financial regulator is taking legal action against the former investment star Neil Woodford for allegedly offering unauthorised investment advice online, months after being banned from the City.The Financial Conduct Authority said it was seeking an injunction against Woodford and W4.0, a United Arab Emirates-registered company, to stop them carrying out “potentially unlawful activities”. Continue reading...

Patients in Washington and Hawaii will be able to obtain medication before pregnancy in expansion of early accessPlanned Parenthood clinics in Washington and Hawaii will now offer “just in case” abortion medication, bringing wider attention to the option of receiving the pills in advance of pregnancy amid growing challenges to access.Leaders at the organization hope their name recognition will help community members understand their options for accessing care despite federal, state and personal challenges to getting abortion care. Continue reading...

Russian president describes letter from his Ukrainian as rude and says he can no point in face-to-face talksVladimir Putin has rejected an offer from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hold a face-to-face meeting, insisting instead that Russia will achieve its war goals in Ukraine, including seizing all of the eastern Donbas region.Speaking at the Saint Petersburg economic forum, the Russian president described the open letter from his Ukrainian counterpart containing the offer as rude. He refused to use Zelenskyy’s name, referring to him only as its author. Asked if they could meet to discuss an end to the conflict, Putin replied: “So far I see no point.” Continue reading...

Johnson tells BBC documentary he played tennis in early 2016 with then prime minister to discuss EU referendumUK politics live – latest updatesDavid Cameron offered Boris Johnson a senior Cabinet position in return for campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum, it has been revealedIn the event, and with four months to go before the vote, Johnson transformed the terms of the debate by announcing in February 2016 that “after a huge amount of heartache” he was throwing his weight behind the campaign to take Britain out of the EU. Continue reading...

• Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is reportedly preparing to resign from his position following the conclusion of this week's local elections. • The resignation is intended to facilitate Kim's bid for the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). • This move signifies a strategic shift for Kim, transitioning from his executive role in government to a leadership position within the party.

Focusing in on the casino operator is a sharp departure from media for Diller at a time when markets remain volatileMedia mogul Barry Diller’s People Inc said on Monday it has proposed to buy MGM Resorts, valuing the casino operator at more than $18bn.The offer comes just weeks after Diller, the digital media company’s chair, told shareholders in a 28 April letter that People would sharpen its focus on its MGM stake, calling the stock “wildly undervalued”. Continue reading...

• SoftBank plans to invest up to $87 billion to develop AI data centers in France, leveraging the country's robust nuclear energy grid. • The initial phase involves a $52 billion investment to establish 3.1 GW of capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031. • This move highlights a growing global trend of AI infrastructure shifting toward regions with stable, low-carbon power, contrasting with energy shortages in the US.