The curious link between Helen Mirren's garden and food prices
What do an Oscar-winning actress and your grocery bill have in common? More than you might think.

What do an Oscar-winning actress and your grocery bill have in common? More than you might think.

French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel has acquired a 16% stake in Vodafone for £4.4bn, becoming its largest shareholder. The stake was purchased from Emirati group e&, which sold its entire holding for 112.5p a share. Niel's investment vehicle, Vega, intends to be a long-term minority shareholder.

No-frills airline EasyJet has received a superior takeover proposal from US firm Apollo Management for £5.7bn, surpassing a previous agreement in principle with rival suitor Castlelake. Apollo's offer of £7.15 per share is higher than Castlelake's £6.90, with regulatory hurdles concerning EU ownership remaining.

easyJet's board is now "minded to recommend" a £5.7bn all-cash offer from Apollo, valuing the airline at £7.15p per share. This follows a previous agreement in principle with Castlelake for a £5.5bn deal, which was later deemed undervalued.

No-frills airline EasyJet has accepted a £5.7bn takeover proposal from US firm Apollo Management, surpassing a previous bid from Castlelake. Apollo's offer of £7.15 per share is superior to Castlelake's £6.90, leading EasyJet to withdraw its recommendation for the earlier bid.

UK music tourism reached a record £11.2bn in spending last year, attracting 24.7 million fans, including a 27% surge in overseas visitors. Major artists like Oasis, Coldplay, and Beyoncé contributed to the boom, with London seeing a significant rise in tourism revenue.

The High Pay Centre (HPC), known for its analysis of executive pay and the pay gap, is set to close due to the termination of its funding by the Financial Fairness Trust, now renamed Aberdeen Group Charitable Trust. This closure highlights a broader trend of reduced funding for social justice research, influenced by a shift away from DEI/ESG initiatives.