Author: Loveworld UK

Guy Hands, the private equity tycoon, is exploring a £2.5bn bid for Quintain, the London-based property group, in an effort to establish an £8bn UK-wide real estate empire. Sky News has learnt that Mr Hands’ buyout firm, Terra Firma Capital Partners, is examining an offer for Quintain‎ through Annington, the giant residential property group it has controlled since 2012.Initial bids are due for Quintain, which is owned by Lone Star Funds, another private equity firm, early next month, and City sources expect a deluge of interest in it.The company has planning permission ‎for thousands of rental homes in the area…

Sir Richard Branson has said he is undergoing astronaut training and is just months away from being catapulted into space. The 67-year-old Virgin boss has set his sights on turning commercial space travel into a reality since he founded Virgin Galactic and hopes to be among the first space tourists.”We’re talking about months not years – so it’s close. There are exciting times ahead,” he told BBC Radio 4’s You And Yours, to be broadcast on Monday.”I’m going for astronaut training, I’m going for fitness training, centrifuge and other training so that my body will hopefully cope well when I…

“All changed, changed utterly,” wrote the Irish poet William Butler Yates. He was referring to the aftermath of the Easter Rising over British rule in 1916. A century later, his homeland has undergone a social and cultural upheaval. The place they once called “Catholic Ireland” has shaken off its past.Contraception, divorce and same-sex relations were all still illegal in 1980. By the mid-nineties, they had legalised contraception and voted for divorce.They had to wait another 20 years for a referendum on same-sex marriage. People described that result – 62% for and 38% against – as “a watershed”.Others dared to suggest…

The family of legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly have urged Jurgen Klopp not to change his attacking philosophy ahead of tonight’s Champions League final against Real Madrid. The Anfield club have scored the most goals in this season’s competition, averaging over three a game, and stand on the brink of securing their sixth European Cup in Kiev.Within the club’s 125-year history it is Shankly who is credited with transforming their fortunes laying the foundations for domestic and then European glory through the 60s, 70s and 80s. Image: Shankly celebrates his team’s 1965 2-1 win over Leeds Utd As a young…

Exit polls on Ireland’s abortion referendum show more than two thirds of voters want to change the country’s strict law. Two polls on behalf of national broadcaster RTE and the Irish Times suggest a landslide victory for those campaigning to liberalise the law and open up access to abortion.The RTE/Behaviour and Attitudes poll showed 69.4% are in favour, while the Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll put the figure just slightly lower at 68%.The Irish Times poll surveyed 4,000 voters at 160 polling stations in every constituency in Ireland, while the RTE surveyed 3,800 people at 175 stations across the country.:: Analysis…

Asos, the online fashion retailer, is seeking a new chairman as Brian McBride prepares to step off the catwalk after nearly six years at the helm.‎ Sky News has learnt that the company, which is now Britain’s biggest listed internet start-up, is interviewing candidates to replace Mr McBride.The search, which is said to have been under way for some time, is thought to be being led by headhunting firm Russell Reynolds.The chairmanship of Asos has become one of the most prestigious roles in the British fashion industry as a result of its stellar stock market performance.Set up just 18 years…

At least 1,000 Liverpool fans have had their hopes of watching their team play live in the Champions League final dashed in what the city’s mayor Joe Anderson has called an “utter shambles”. The cancellation of four flights due to insufficient landing spots at Ukraine’s Boryspil Airport means that many fans are now be unable to get to the match which will take place in the city of Kiev in Ukraine on Saturday.Operator Worldchoice Sports cancelled three flights and Liverpool said a further flight booked through Myriad Travel and Crown Travel was also called off. Image: Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson…

Tax rises to fund the NHS have been given their strongest support yet by Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt. He piled pressure on the Treasury to up public contributions to help the health service cope with an ageing population.Prime Minister Theresa May also understood the need for a “multi-year settlement” of finances, he added. Image: Mr Hunt said Theresa May backed a ‘multi-year settlement’ Mr Hunt was speaking at the launch of a report warning that tax may need to rise by £2,000 per household to maintain NHS services at their current level.It was released by the Health…

Donald Trump has said next month’s highly-anticipated summit with North Korea could be back on, tweeting that “very productive talks” were ongoing with Pyongyang. The announcement comes just days after the US president cancelled the meeting in Singapore with Kim Jong Un that was scheduled for 12 June.Donald Trump had blamed the Pyongyang regime’s “tremendous anger and open hostility” as he pulled out of the talks, saying the world had “lost a great opportunity for lasting peace”.But late on Friday, Mr Trump tweeted: “We are having very productive talks with North Korea about reinstating the Summit which, if it does…

Struggling hardware chain Homebase has been sold to retail turnaround specialist Hilco Capital for £1.  Homebase was put up for sale by its Australian owner earlier this year, just two years after completing a £340m takeover.Sky News learnt on Thursday that Hilco Capital had edged ahead of rivals after convincing management about its plan for Homebase, which is losing about £20m a month.Australia’s Wesfarmers said it expects to record a loss on the disposal of £200m to £230m.Its been a disastrous foray into the UK market for Westfamers, which was hoping to use the purchase of Homebase to take on…