Kraft Heinz, the worldwide food company behind favourites such as Heinz Tomato Ketchup and Philadelphia cheese, has approached consumer goods giant Unilever about a possible merger.
Unilever, an Anglo-Dutch company, is one of the biggest firms listed in Britain and owns well-known brands including Persil, Dove and Marmite.
It was recently involved in a disputewith supermarket Tesco due to attempts by the firm to raise wholesale prices by up to 10%, following the collapse in sterling after the Brexit vote.
The offer made by Kraft Heinz was worth over £115bn, but in a statement released on Friday Unilever said the terms of the bid "fundementally undervalues" the company.
"Their proposal represents a premium of 18% to Unilever's share price as at the close of business on 16 February 2017," the firm said.
"This fundamentally undervalues Unilever.
"Unilever rejected the proposal as it sees no merit, either financial or strategic, for Unilever's shareholders.
"Unilever does not see the basis for any further discussions."
But Kraft Heinz struck a more hopeful note, saying: "Kraft confirms that it has made a comprehensive proposal to Unilever about combining the two groups to create a leading consumer goods company with a mission of long-term growth and sustainable living.
"While Unilever has declined the proposal, we look forward to working to reach agreement on the terms of a transaction."
The firm warns however that agreeing a deal with Unilever is by no means assured.
Unite, the union representing many Unilever workers, urged Unilever to continue to resist the takeover attempt, saying that any change in management would lead to "job losses and poorer products for customers".
Unite national officer Rhys McCarthy said: "Unite is seeking an urgent meeting with Unilever senior management where we will seek assurances that the company will resist this predatory takeover by Kraft Heinz.
"Unite members make household products which are much loved by UK consumers.
"Kraft Heinz and their backers' reputation for cost cutting, we believe, will lead to great brands being harmed through job cuts and a never ending drive to push costs down.
"This takeover bid, is we fear, driven by a desire for a growth in sales, not through product innovation and maintaining great brands, but by gobbling up a major competitor and slashing costs to generate a quick buck."
Kraft Heinz, which is listed on the US stock market, has an estimated value of £85bn while Unilever is thought to be worth around £101bn.
If the two companies were to agree a deal it could represent the biggest takeover of a British company ever seen.
Heinz purchased Kraft in 2015, creating the third largest food and drinks company in North America at the time and the fifth largest worldwide.
The firm is controlled by a partnership between a company run by American business magnate Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Inc, and Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital.
Shares in Unilever rose 11% on the news, while Kraft Heinz shares jumped by more than 8% on the opening of the US markets.
Friday, February 17, 2017
Older vehicles face £10 'toxicity' charge in central London
Drivers of some of the oldest and most polluting vehicles will face an extra £10 charge for entering central London.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the "toxicity", or "T-charge", is essential as he announced his latest effort to crack down on pollution in the capital.
Vehicles will be charged if they do not meet Euro 4 emission standards, typically petrol and diesel cars registered before 2006.
Around 10,000 vehicles per weekday are expected to be charged when the charge is introduced on 23 October.
It will be imposed on top of the city's congestion charge, meaning it will cost £21.50 to drive one of the target vehicles in central London between 7am and 6pm on weekdays.
Mr Khan said: "It's staggering that we live in a city where the air is so toxic that many of our children are growing up with lung problems.
"If we don't make drastic changes now we won't be protecting the health of our families in the future."
As an example of London's pollution problems, one road in England's capital exceeded its allowed annual levels of nitrogen dioxide just five days into 2017.
Earlier this week the European Commission issued a "final warning" to the UK Government for repeated breaches of legal limits.
Pollutants - much of which come from traffic, particularly diesel vehicles - cause health problems such as asthma, heart and lung diseases and are also thought to affect children's health and development.
Air pollution is linked to 9,000 early deaths in the city each year.
Mr Khan called the T-charge the "toughest emission standard of any major city" and claimed it was overwhelmingly backed by Londoners because they wanted immediate action to tackle air pollution.
The mayor's ultimate goal is the world's first "ultra-low emission zone", which will charge more polluting cars, to come in from 2019, subjet to consultation.
Mr Khan, who last month issued the first-ever very high air pollution alert, repeated his call for the Government to bring in a national diesel scrappage fund and a new Clean Air Act.
He said the buses in the capital are being retrofitted to make them cleaner and from next year City Hall will stop buying diesel buses.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the "toxicity", or "T-charge", is essential as he announced his latest effort to crack down on pollution in the capital.
Vehicles will be charged if they do not meet Euro 4 emission standards, typically petrol and diesel cars registered before 2006.
Around 10,000 vehicles per weekday are expected to be charged when the charge is introduced on 23 October.
It will be imposed on top of the city's congestion charge, meaning it will cost £21.50 to drive one of the target vehicles in central London between 7am and 6pm on weekdays.
Mr Khan said: "It's staggering that we live in a city where the air is so toxic that many of our children are growing up with lung problems.
"If we don't make drastic changes now we won't be protecting the health of our families in the future."
As an example of London's pollution problems, one road in England's capital exceeded its allowed annual levels of nitrogen dioxide just five days into 2017.
Earlier this week the European Commission issued a "final warning" to the UK Government for repeated breaches of legal limits.
Pollutants - much of which come from traffic, particularly diesel vehicles - cause health problems such as asthma, heart and lung diseases and are also thought to affect children's health and development.
Air pollution is linked to 9,000 early deaths in the city each year.
Mr Khan called the T-charge the "toughest emission standard of any major city" and claimed it was overwhelmingly backed by Londoners because they wanted immediate action to tackle air pollution.
The mayor's ultimate goal is the world's first "ultra-low emission zone", which will charge more polluting cars, to come in from 2019, subjet to consultation.
Mr Khan, who last month issued the first-ever very high air pollution alert, repeated his call for the Government to bring in a national diesel scrappage fund and a new Clean Air Act.
He said the buses in the capital are being retrofitted to make them cleaner and from next year City Hall will stop buying diesel buses.
Princess Cristina of Spain acquitted in fraud case as husband jailed
Princess Cristina of Spain has been found not guilty of being an accessory to tax fraud following a year-long trial.
However, her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, was found guilty of fraud and tax evasion, and sentenced to six years and three months in prison.
Despite being cleared, Cristina has been ordered to pay a €265,000 fine (nearly £230,000) as the court believed she had indirectly benefited, albeit unknowingly, from her husband's fraud.
Her husband was also fined €512,000.
Neither were called to appear in court to hear the verdict.
Princess Cristina, King Felipe VI's sister, was the first ever member of Spain's royal family to face criminal charges and could have faced up to eight years in jail.
She was stripped of her official title - Duchess of Palma - by her brother the King ahead of her trial.
The case first came to light in 2010 as part of an inquiry into corruption among regional government officials in the Balearics.
The investigation has seen a total of 18 people tried for embezzlement, fraud and several other charges, nine of whom have now been acquitted.
Her husband, a former Olympic handball player, was accused of using his royal connections to win public contracts for his charity the Noos Institute before embezzling €6m (£5.1m) in public money.
Princess Cristina was co-owner of a real estate consultancy, one of several used to assist in the laundering of the skimmed off money.
The couple, who have lived in Switzerland with their four children since 2013, have always denied any wrongdoing.
Urdangarin, who had faced a maximum jail term of 19-and-a-half years, will be able to appeal the ruling in the country's Supreme Court.
Public opinion of the Spanish monarchy is at an all-time low, with many believing the royals are drastically out of touch with ordinary people.
Since the banking crisis of 2008, the country has also been hit by various high-level political and banking corruption cases.
King Juan Carlos, the father of Princess Cristina, abdicated after 40 years on the throne in favour of Felipe, his youngest son, in 2014.
Princess Cristina is sixth in succession to the throne.
However, her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, was found guilty of fraud and tax evasion, and sentenced to six years and three months in prison.
Despite being cleared, Cristina has been ordered to pay a €265,000 fine (nearly £230,000) as the court believed she had indirectly benefited, albeit unknowingly, from her husband's fraud.
Her husband was also fined €512,000.
Neither were called to appear in court to hear the verdict.
Princess Cristina, King Felipe VI's sister, was the first ever member of Spain's royal family to face criminal charges and could have faced up to eight years in jail.
She was stripped of her official title - Duchess of Palma - by her brother the King ahead of her trial.
The case first came to light in 2010 as part of an inquiry into corruption among regional government officials in the Balearics.
The investigation has seen a total of 18 people tried for embezzlement, fraud and several other charges, nine of whom have now been acquitted.
Her husband, a former Olympic handball player, was accused of using his royal connections to win public contracts for his charity the Noos Institute before embezzling €6m (£5.1m) in public money.
Princess Cristina was co-owner of a real estate consultancy, one of several used to assist in the laundering of the skimmed off money.
The couple, who have lived in Switzerland with their four children since 2013, have always denied any wrongdoing.
Urdangarin, who had faced a maximum jail term of 19-and-a-half years, will be able to appeal the ruling in the country's Supreme Court.
Public opinion of the Spanish monarchy is at an all-time low, with many believing the royals are drastically out of touch with ordinary people.
Since the banking crisis of 2008, the country has also been hit by various high-level political and banking corruption cases.
King Juan Carlos, the father of Princess Cristina, abdicated after 40 years on the throne in favour of Felipe, his youngest son, in 2014.
Princess Cristina is sixth in succession to the throne.
EastEnders star Danny Dyer on 'short break' from show
Actor Danny Dyer is taking a break from the hit TV show EastEnders, following media reports of "exhaustion".
The BBC has denied reports the actor had been urged to take time off from the show to "sort his life out", but confirmed he is taking a short break.
"Danny is on a short break from EastEnders," a BBC spokesman said.
"This was not enforced by bosses, nor has he quit the show."
The 39-year-old actor plays pub landlord Mick Carter in the soap and has been praised as one of the show's most popular actors.
Dyer has won two National Television Awards for serial drama performance for his role in the show.
Before EastEnders' success, the actor appeared in films such as Mean Machine and The Football Factory. He also fronted his own show, Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men.
Former EastEnders star John Partridge, who played Christian Clarke for four years until 2012, said Dyer was likely to be under a great deal of pressure.
"But it is relentless, the schedule there can be relentless, and I should imagine if he has got any problems, or anything like that, to try and deal with life outside of that," he said.
"When you're there 12, 13, or 15, 16 hours a day sometimes - that can be difficult."
It is not yet clear how long Dyer will be absent for.
The BBC has denied reports the actor had been urged to take time off from the show to "sort his life out", but confirmed he is taking a short break.
"Danny is on a short break from EastEnders," a BBC spokesman said.
"This was not enforced by bosses, nor has he quit the show."
The 39-year-old actor plays pub landlord Mick Carter in the soap and has been praised as one of the show's most popular actors.
Dyer has won two National Television Awards for serial drama performance for his role in the show.
Before EastEnders' success, the actor appeared in films such as Mean Machine and The Football Factory. He also fronted his own show, Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men.
Former EastEnders star John Partridge, who played Christian Clarke for four years until 2012, said Dyer was likely to be under a great deal of pressure.
"But it is relentless, the schedule there can be relentless, and I should imagine if he has got any problems, or anything like that, to try and deal with life outside of that," he said.
"When you're there 12, 13, or 15, 16 hours a day sometimes - that can be difficult."
It is not yet clear how long Dyer will be absent for.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Sky Views: Is calling Trump mentally ill unfair?
Breaking news: Donald Trump probably isn't mentally ill.
There. Feel reassured?
For months, many Americans have openly wondered if their new leader suffers from something called Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
In fact, if you Google "Trump" and "NPD", you get about half a million results.
Respected magazines have quoted eminent psychiatrists as calling Trump "remarkably narcissistic" - and top TV psychiatrists on daytime shows have entertainingly listed the symptoms that define NPD.
The bible of the psychiatric business in the US is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, currently in its fifth edition, and therefore sensibly referred to as DSM-5.
And one of the professors who wrote the definition of NPD for the DSM has lashed out at all this Trump analysis.
Allen Frances wrote to The New York Times to say: "He may be a world-class narcissist, but this doesn't make him mentally ill.
"Mr. Trump causes severe distress rather than experiencing it and has been richly rewarded, rather than punished, for his grandiosity, self-absorption and lack of empathy."
He's referring to symptoms of NPD, so here they are: an exaggerated sense of self-importance, fantasies of success, power, brilliance or beauty, belief in being "special", requiring excessive admiration, a sense of entitlement, selfish in taking advantage of others, lacking empathy, envious of others, arrogant, haughty, patronising or contemptuous.
Any five of those indicates the disorder.
Everyone can make up their own minds, but Professor Frances says "psychiatric name-calling" is misguided.
And here's the thing: if Donald Trump or anyone else did suffer from a mental disorder, wouldn't they deserve compassion and understanding?
Alleging he has a mental health disorder and then mocking him? Is that any different from, say, mocking a disabled reporter?
It is a lot to expect from those on the rough end of Mr Trump's policies to show him compassion, but it all demonstrates the weird complexity of what's happening in the US.
As far as we know, none of those pontificating have actually examined Mr Trump, and the psychiatric profession has traditionally thought it unethical to offer an opinion without examination.
Professor Frances was responding to a letter from mental health professionals "suggesting that Mr Trump is incapable, on psychiatric grounds, of serving as president".
He is clearly no Trump fan, but made this point: "It is a stigmatising insult to the mentally ill (who are mostly well behaved and well meaning) to be lumped with Mr Trump (who is neither).
"The antidote to a dystopic Trumpean dark age is political, not psychological."
What is - probably - certain is that Mr Trump won't change. How many 70-year-old men do you know who have radically altered their life direction?
Unless, of course, Mr Trump opts to visit one of the psychiatric professionals who are so keen to help.
But then, as he once famously said: "I don't like to analyse myself because I might not like what I see."
There. Feel reassured?
For months, many Americans have openly wondered if their new leader suffers from something called Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
In fact, if you Google "Trump" and "NPD", you get about half a million results.
Respected magazines have quoted eminent psychiatrists as calling Trump "remarkably narcissistic" - and top TV psychiatrists on daytime shows have entertainingly listed the symptoms that define NPD.
The bible of the psychiatric business in the US is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, currently in its fifth edition, and therefore sensibly referred to as DSM-5.
And one of the professors who wrote the definition of NPD for the DSM has lashed out at all this Trump analysis.
Allen Frances wrote to The New York Times to say: "He may be a world-class narcissist, but this doesn't make him mentally ill.
"Mr. Trump causes severe distress rather than experiencing it and has been richly rewarded, rather than punished, for his grandiosity, self-absorption and lack of empathy."
He's referring to symptoms of NPD, so here they are: an exaggerated sense of self-importance, fantasies of success, power, brilliance or beauty, belief in being "special", requiring excessive admiration, a sense of entitlement, selfish in taking advantage of others, lacking empathy, envious of others, arrogant, haughty, patronising or contemptuous.
Any five of those indicates the disorder.
Everyone can make up their own minds, but Professor Frances says "psychiatric name-calling" is misguided.
And here's the thing: if Donald Trump or anyone else did suffer from a mental disorder, wouldn't they deserve compassion and understanding?
Alleging he has a mental health disorder and then mocking him? Is that any different from, say, mocking a disabled reporter?
It is a lot to expect from those on the rough end of Mr Trump's policies to show him compassion, but it all demonstrates the weird complexity of what's happening in the US.
As far as we know, none of those pontificating have actually examined Mr Trump, and the psychiatric profession has traditionally thought it unethical to offer an opinion without examination.
Professor Frances was responding to a letter from mental health professionals "suggesting that Mr Trump is incapable, on psychiatric grounds, of serving as president".
He is clearly no Trump fan, but made this point: "It is a stigmatising insult to the mentally ill (who are mostly well behaved and well meaning) to be lumped with Mr Trump (who is neither).
"The antidote to a dystopic Trumpean dark age is political, not psychological."
What is - probably - certain is that Mr Trump won't change. How many 70-year-old men do you know who have radically altered their life direction?
Unless, of course, Mr Trump opts to visit one of the psychiatric professionals who are so keen to help.
But then, as he once famously said: "I don't like to analyse myself because I might not like what I see."
Trump vows to introduce overhauled travel ban
US President Donald Trump said he will issue a new executive order to replace his controversial directive suspending travel to the United States by citizens of seven mainly-Muslim countries.
At an extraordinary White House news conference on Thursday, Trump said the new order would seek to address concerns raised by federal appeals court judges, who temporarily blocked his original travel ban.
"The new order is going to be very much tailored to what I consider to be a very bad decision," Trump said.
"We had a bad court. I will not back down from defending our country. I got elected on defence of our country. I keep my campaign promises, and our citizens will be very happy when they see the result.
"We're issuing a new executive action next week that will comprehensively protect our country."
Trump gave no details about the replacement order. Legal experts said a new directive would have a better chance of withstanding courtroom scrutiny if it covered some non-Muslim countries and exempted non-citizen immigrants living in the U.S. legally.
The original order, issued on January 27, triggered chaos at some U.S. and overseas airports, led to international protests, complaints from US businesses and drew more than a dozen legal challenges.
At his first solo press conference, Trump insisted there was "zero chaos" in his crisis-buffeted White House and railed against enemies in the media, politics and the courts.
The 70-year-old US president vented frustrations, insisted he is "not a bad person" and wondered out loud about a "nuclear holocaust", in a remarkable one hour, 16 minute ask-me-anything appearance.
At an extraordinary White House news conference on Thursday, Trump said the new order would seek to address concerns raised by federal appeals court judges, who temporarily blocked his original travel ban.
"The new order is going to be very much tailored to what I consider to be a very bad decision," Trump said.
"We had a bad court. I will not back down from defending our country. I got elected on defence of our country. I keep my campaign promises, and our citizens will be very happy when they see the result.
"We're issuing a new executive action next week that will comprehensively protect our country."
Trump gave no details about the replacement order. Legal experts said a new directive would have a better chance of withstanding courtroom scrutiny if it covered some non-Muslim countries and exempted non-citizen immigrants living in the U.S. legally.
The original order, issued on January 27, triggered chaos at some U.S. and overseas airports, led to international protests, complaints from US businesses and drew more than a dozen legal challenges.
At his first solo press conference, Trump insisted there was "zero chaos" in his crisis-buffeted White House and railed against enemies in the media, politics and the courts.
The 70-year-old US president vented frustrations, insisted he is "not a bad person" and wondered out loud about a "nuclear holocaust", in a remarkable one hour, 16 minute ask-me-anything appearance.
I'll retake 'every inch' of Syria, vows Assad
Syrian President Bashar al Assad has pledged to regain control of "every inch" of his country.
In an interview with French media, Mr Assad talked confidently about ending the six-year civil war - but claimed the fight in Raqqa was not a special priority for his forces.
The city is the so-called Islamic State's de-facto capital and has been a focus for coalition forces led by the US.
Mr Assad, however, insisted IS were "everywhere".
"Everywhere is a priority depending on the development of the battle," he said.
"They are in Palmyra now and in the eastern part of Syria. For us it is all the same. Raqqa, Palmyra, Idlib, it's all the same."
He also denied his regime engaged in torture after Amnesty International claimed that as many as 13,000 men have been executed in a jail called "the slaughterhouse" near Damascus.
The charity said inmates were allegedly hanged after a "sham trial" lasting no more than a couple of minutes.
Mr Assad insisted the allegations were not true and said Amnesty's "childish report" contained "not a single fact (or) evidence".
"They said they interviewed few witnesses, who are opposition and defected. So it's biased," he said.
"We don't do this, it's not our policy. Torture for what? For sadism? To get information? We have all the information.
"If we commit such atrocities it's going to play into the hands of the terrorists, they're going to win.
"It's about winning the hearts of the Syrian people, if we commit such atrocities... we wouldn't have (popular) support (through) six years of war."
Meanwhile, international negotiations to end the conflict that has claimed more than 300,000 lives are continuing.
Representatives from the Syrian government and rebel groups were holding fresh talks in Kazakhstan on Thursday with Russia, Turkey and Iran to bolster a fragile six-week ceasefire.
In an interview with French media, Mr Assad talked confidently about ending the six-year civil war - but claimed the fight in Raqqa was not a special priority for his forces.
The city is the so-called Islamic State's de-facto capital and has been a focus for coalition forces led by the US.
Mr Assad, however, insisted IS were "everywhere".
"Everywhere is a priority depending on the development of the battle," he said.
"They are in Palmyra now and in the eastern part of Syria. For us it is all the same. Raqqa, Palmyra, Idlib, it's all the same."
He also denied his regime engaged in torture after Amnesty International claimed that as many as 13,000 men have been executed in a jail called "the slaughterhouse" near Damascus.
The charity said inmates were allegedly hanged after a "sham trial" lasting no more than a couple of minutes.
Mr Assad insisted the allegations were not true and said Amnesty's "childish report" contained "not a single fact (or) evidence".
"They said they interviewed few witnesses, who are opposition and defected. So it's biased," he said.
"We don't do this, it's not our policy. Torture for what? For sadism? To get information? We have all the information.
"If we commit such atrocities it's going to play into the hands of the terrorists, they're going to win.
"It's about winning the hearts of the Syrian people, if we commit such atrocities... we wouldn't have (popular) support (through) six years of war."
Meanwhile, international negotiations to end the conflict that has claimed more than 300,000 lives are continuing.
Representatives from the Syrian government and rebel groups were holding fresh talks in Kazakhstan on Thursday with Russia, Turkey and Iran to bolster a fragile six-week ceasefire.
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