The upmarket shoe retailer Kurt Geiger and Endless, the turnaround firm which owns Bathstore, are among a pack of suitors circling Jones Bootmaker as the footwear chain hovers on the brink of administration.
Sky News has learnt that the two prospective bidders are in discussions with advisers to Jones Bootmaker's owners about a rescue deal that could preserve hundreds of jobs.
It emerged earlier this week that Alteri Investors, which has owned Jones for two years, had filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators - a move that gives it breathing space from creditors until next week.
However, doubts persist about how many of the 1100 jobs at Jones would be saved after any deal, with Kurt Geiger's prospective bid predicated upon salvaging the Jones brand but not its high street shops.
Endless, which has successfully backed companies such as Crown Paints and was among the bidders last year for parts of Tata Steel's UK operations, is said to have lodged a bid for Jones ahead of a deadline on Monday.
The sale process, being run by the accelerated mergers and acquisitions team at KPMG, is also said to have attracted interest from several other parties.
Jones, which has been trading for more than 150 years, has been operating in an increasingly difficult high street environment.
Forthcoming increases in business rates, along with currency-related cost inflation and new Government taxes have hurt chains in every part of the retail sector.
Retail Week reported last week that one of Jones' creditors had filed a winding-up petition against the company.
The Jones brand is sold in just over 100 standalone stores and concessions.
Insiders believe that any rescue deal will initially involve Jones being put through a process called a pre-pack administration - used last week by a venture of the sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley to acquire Agent Provocateur.
Alteri bought Jones Bootmaker - alongside the Brantano brand in 2015, and then repurchased the latter's UK operations after putting them through an insolvency process.
An Alteri spokesman could not be reached for comment, while Endless and Kurt Geiger's owner, Cinven, both declined to comment.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Beyonce fans convinced she is having twin boys
Beyonce is expecting twin boys - according to her fans, anyway.
The singer posted photos on her website wearing a black velvet dress, a Gucci bag, black boots and a honeycomb choker.It was her earrings that caught the attention of fans, however.
They were the same silver patterned hoops she wore in the music video for her hit song If I Were A Boy in 2008.
Fans quickly seized on the picture and tweeted that the jewellery choice was Beyonce's way of dropping a hint about the sex of her babies.
"Beyonce is wearing the If I Were A Boy earrings again...does this mean she's having twin boys??" posted one admirer on Twitter.
"Beyonce is having twin boys!!! she is wore the same earrings from "If I Were A Boy" music video," said another, adding a string of hearts.
It would not be the first time that Beyonce, who announced in February that she and husband Jay Z are expecting, has given pregnancy clues.
Weeks before she officially announced she was having twins, the 35-year-old had posted a picture of herself flashing the peace sign - or possibly the number two - on Instagram.
And five years ago, while expecting her daughter Blue Ivy, she appeared on TV wearing bright blue leggings.
The singer posted photos on her website wearing a black velvet dress, a Gucci bag, black boots and a honeycomb choker.It was her earrings that caught the attention of fans, however.
They were the same silver patterned hoops she wore in the music video for her hit song If I Were A Boy in 2008.
Fans quickly seized on the picture and tweeted that the jewellery choice was Beyonce's way of dropping a hint about the sex of her babies.
"Beyonce is wearing the If I Were A Boy earrings again...does this mean she's having twin boys??" posted one admirer on Twitter.
"Beyonce is having twin boys!!! she is wore the same earrings from "If I Were A Boy" music video," said another, adding a string of hearts.
It would not be the first time that Beyonce, who announced in February that she and husband Jay Z are expecting, has given pregnancy clues.
Weeks before she officially announced she was having twins, the 35-year-old had posted a picture of herself flashing the peace sign - or possibly the number two - on Instagram.
And five years ago, while expecting her daughter Blue Ivy, she appeared on TV wearing bright blue leggings.
Exploding headphones injure sleeping woman on Beijing to Melbourne flight
A woman has spoken of her horror after her battery-powered headphones exploded on her face as she slept during a flight.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has issued a warning after the incident on a flight from Beijing to Melbourne, which left the woman with burns to her face and hands.
The passenger, who has not been named, said she fell asleep two hours into the flight, only to be woken when the headphones exploded.
She said: "As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face. I just grabbed my face which caused the headphones to go around my neck.
"I continued to feel burning so I grabbed them off and threw them on the floor.
"They were sparking and had small amounts of fire."
Flight attendants poured water on the headphones and placed them in a bucket at the back of the plane.
However, the battery and its cover had both melted and stuck to the floor near the woman.
The ATSB said fellow passengers "endured the smell of melted plastic, burnt electronics and burnt hair" for the remainder of the flight.
The woman, who was pictured with a blackened face and neck and blisters on her hands, added: "People were coughing and choking the entire way home".
The ATSB said the headphone battery "likely caught fire", adding: "As the range of products using batteries grows, the potential for in-flight issues increases."
A spokesperson for the authority said it was the first report of headphones catching fire in Australia, but there have been a number of other phone and device battery incidents.
Last year, a flight due to leave Sydney had to be evacuated when smoke was seen coming from a passenger's hand luggage. It was later found that lithium batteries had caught fire.
In the UK, a train was evacuated and several people were injured when a workman's drill overheated and sparked a fire last month.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has issued a warning after the incident on a flight from Beijing to Melbourne, which left the woman with burns to her face and hands.
The passenger, who has not been named, said she fell asleep two hours into the flight, only to be woken when the headphones exploded.
She said: "As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face. I just grabbed my face which caused the headphones to go around my neck.
"I continued to feel burning so I grabbed them off and threw them on the floor.
"They were sparking and had small amounts of fire."
Flight attendants poured water on the headphones and placed them in a bucket at the back of the plane.
However, the battery and its cover had both melted and stuck to the floor near the woman.
The ATSB said fellow passengers "endured the smell of melted plastic, burnt electronics and burnt hair" for the remainder of the flight.
The woman, who was pictured with a blackened face and neck and blisters on her hands, added: "People were coughing and choking the entire way home".
The ATSB said the headphone battery "likely caught fire", adding: "As the range of products using batteries grows, the potential for in-flight issues increases."
A spokesperson for the authority said it was the first report of headphones catching fire in Australia, but there have been a number of other phone and device battery incidents.
Last year, a flight due to leave Sydney had to be evacuated when smoke was seen coming from a passenger's hand luggage. It was later found that lithium batteries had caught fire.
In the UK, a train was evacuated and several people were injured when a workman's drill overheated and sparked a fire last month.
Twitter accounts hacked by 'Turkish government supporters'
Twitter accounts, including that of Amnesty International, have been hacked by a group claiming to support the Turkish government.
The tweets, which began with a swastika, linked to a YouTube video entitled: "Nazi Germany, Nazi Holland, see you April 16" (the date of a constitutional referendum in Turkey).
Other accounts hacked included ones belonging to Unicef USA, the Atlanta Police Department, French politician Alain Juppe, the UK's Department of Health, Die Welt, Forbes and Central Bedfordshire Council.
The European Parliament was also affected, tweeting: "Good morning. We briefly lost control of this account earlier, but everything is now back to normal."
A Twitter spokesperson said they had "quickly located the source which was limited to third party app. We removed its permissions immediately. No additional accounts are impacted."
It comes as people in the Netherlands vote in a parliamentary election.
The final days of campaigning were overshadowed by a diplomatic crisis between the Dutch and Turkish governments.
Over the weekend, police used water cannon, horses and dogs to break up the pro-Turkey demonstration attended by hundreds as some activists threw bottles and stones.
The protest came after two Turkish ministers were stopped from campaigning in the Netherlands in favour of giving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more powers in the forthcoming referendum.
In response, Mr Erdogan has suspended diplomatic talks with the Netherlands and described the country's citizens as "Nazi remnants".
The tweets, which began with a swastika, linked to a YouTube video entitled: "Nazi Germany, Nazi Holland, see you April 16" (the date of a constitutional referendum in Turkey).
Other accounts hacked included ones belonging to Unicef USA, the Atlanta Police Department, French politician Alain Juppe, the UK's Department of Health, Die Welt, Forbes and Central Bedfordshire Council.
The European Parliament was also affected, tweeting: "Good morning. We briefly lost control of this account earlier, but everything is now back to normal."
A Twitter spokesperson said they had "quickly located the source which was limited to third party app. We removed its permissions immediately. No additional accounts are impacted."
It comes as people in the Netherlands vote in a parliamentary election.
The final days of campaigning were overshadowed by a diplomatic crisis between the Dutch and Turkish governments.
Over the weekend, police used water cannon, horses and dogs to break up the pro-Turkey demonstration attended by hundreds as some activists threw bottles and stones.
The protest came after two Turkish ministers were stopped from campaigning in the Netherlands in favour of giving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more powers in the forthcoming referendum.
In response, Mr Erdogan has suspended diplomatic talks with the Netherlands and described the country's citizens as "Nazi remnants".
Saudi Arabia: Trump meeting 'historical turning point'
Saudi Arabia has hailed a "historical turning point" in relations with the United States after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.
The meeting on Tuesday was the first since Trump's January 20 inauguration with a prince who is leading the kingdom's efforts to revive state finances and is also its defence minister.
"The meeting today restored issues to their right path and form a big change in relations between both countries in political, military, security and economic issues," a senior adviser to Prince Mohammed said in a statement.
The talks appeared to signal a marked difference from Riyadh's often fraught relationship with the previous administration of Barack Obama, especially in the wake of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
The deputy crown prince viewed the nuclear deal as "very dangerous", the senior adviser said, adding that both leaders had identical views on "the danger of Iran's regional expansionist activities".
The Trump White House has said the deal was not in the best interests of the US.
OPINION: What will Trump do with the Iran nuclear deal?
Referring to a US travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries, the adviser said Prince Mohammed did not regard it as aimed at "Muslim countries or Islam".
Earlier this month Trump signed a revised executive order banning citizens from Yemen, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and Libya from travelling to the US but removed Iraq from the list, after a first attempt was blocked in the courts.
The senior adviser said Prince Mohammed "expressed his satisfaction after the meeting on the positive position and clarifications he heard from President Trump on his views on Islam."
The two leaders also discussed opportunities for US companies to invest in Saudi Arabia.
OPINION: How Muslim Ban incites vigilante Islamophobic violence
Obama late last year suspended the sale of US-made precision-guidance munitions to the Saudis, a reaction to thousands of civilian casualties from Saudi-led air raids in Yemen.
US officials said Trump was considering ending that ban and approving the sale of guidance systems made by Raytheon Co.
The US State Department has approved the move, which awaits a final White House decision, the officials said.
The meeting on Tuesday was the first since Trump's January 20 inauguration with a prince who is leading the kingdom's efforts to revive state finances and is also its defence minister.
"The meeting today restored issues to their right path and form a big change in relations between both countries in political, military, security and economic issues," a senior adviser to Prince Mohammed said in a statement.
The talks appeared to signal a marked difference from Riyadh's often fraught relationship with the previous administration of Barack Obama, especially in the wake of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
The deputy crown prince viewed the nuclear deal as "very dangerous", the senior adviser said, adding that both leaders had identical views on "the danger of Iran's regional expansionist activities".
The Trump White House has said the deal was not in the best interests of the US.
OPINION: What will Trump do with the Iran nuclear deal?
Referring to a US travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries, the adviser said Prince Mohammed did not regard it as aimed at "Muslim countries or Islam".
Earlier this month Trump signed a revised executive order banning citizens from Yemen, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and Libya from travelling to the US but removed Iraq from the list, after a first attempt was blocked in the courts.
The senior adviser said Prince Mohammed "expressed his satisfaction after the meeting on the positive position and clarifications he heard from President Trump on his views on Islam."
The two leaders also discussed opportunities for US companies to invest in Saudi Arabia.
OPINION: How Muslim Ban incites vigilante Islamophobic violence
Obama late last year suspended the sale of US-made precision-guidance munitions to the Saudis, a reaction to thousands of civilian casualties from Saudi-led air raids in Yemen.
US officials said Trump was considering ending that ban and approving the sale of guidance systems made by Raytheon Co.
The US State Department has approved the move, which awaits a final White House decision, the officials said.
Sir Mo Farah fronts appeal for millions facing starvation in East Africa
Sir Mo Farah has thrown his support behind a charity appeal to help the millions of people who face starvation in East Africa.
The four-time Olympic champion has been named ambassador for Save the Children, one of 13 UK aid agencies under the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
The committee's new East Africa Food Crisis Appeal is hoping to bring aid to more than 16 million people in the region "on the brink of starvation and in urgent need of flood, water and medical treatment".
Video appeals for donations to help those affected in the crisis - caused by droughts and conflict - will air on Sky, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
Sir Mo, who spent his early childhood in Somalia, said he was "completely devastated" by the crisis.
He said: "As a father-of-four, it hurts to see children without food and water, but this is a reality being faced by parents in East Africa right now.
"The drought is really bad and there are millions of children at risk of starvation.
"I was born in Somalia and it breaks my heart to hear stories of how families are suffering."
Money raised by the DEC appeal will go to those affected in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan, with the Government pledging to match public donations up to £5m.
Around 800,000 children aged up to five need treatment for severe acute malnutrition in the four countries, according to the committee.
In February, the UN formally declared a famine in parts of South Sudan - the first time in six years such an announcement has been made.
Priti Patel, International Development Secretary, said: "Britain has acted without hesitation - UK aid-funded food, water and emergency healthcare is being delivered across East Africa right now, but more support is urgently needed to prevent a catastrophe.
"The international community must now follow Global Britain's lead to save lives and stop the famine before it becomes a stain on our collective conscience.
"The world cannot afford to wait."
DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said: "We are hearing that families are so desperate for food that they are resorting to eating leaves to survive.
"This is something no family should have to endure. Unless we act now the number of deaths will drastically increase."
:: To donate to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal, visit www.dec.org.uk or call 0370 60 60 610.
The four-time Olympic champion has been named ambassador for Save the Children, one of 13 UK aid agencies under the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
The committee's new East Africa Food Crisis Appeal is hoping to bring aid to more than 16 million people in the region "on the brink of starvation and in urgent need of flood, water and medical treatment".
Video appeals for donations to help those affected in the crisis - caused by droughts and conflict - will air on Sky, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
Sir Mo, who spent his early childhood in Somalia, said he was "completely devastated" by the crisis.
He said: "As a father-of-four, it hurts to see children without food and water, but this is a reality being faced by parents in East Africa right now.
"The drought is really bad and there are millions of children at risk of starvation.
"I was born in Somalia and it breaks my heart to hear stories of how families are suffering."
Money raised by the DEC appeal will go to those affected in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan, with the Government pledging to match public donations up to £5m.
Around 800,000 children aged up to five need treatment for severe acute malnutrition in the four countries, according to the committee.
In February, the UN formally declared a famine in parts of South Sudan - the first time in six years such an announcement has been made.
Priti Patel, International Development Secretary, said: "Britain has acted without hesitation - UK aid-funded food, water and emergency healthcare is being delivered across East Africa right now, but more support is urgently needed to prevent a catastrophe.
"The international community must now follow Global Britain's lead to save lives and stop the famine before it becomes a stain on our collective conscience.
"The world cannot afford to wait."
DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said: "We are hearing that families are so desperate for food that they are resorting to eating leaves to survive.
"This is something no family should have to endure. Unless we act now the number of deaths will drastically increase."
:: To donate to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal, visit www.dec.org.uk or call 0370 60 60 610.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Headscarves can be banned at work, European court rules
Employers will be able to ban Muslim staff from wearing headscarves at work, the European Court of Justice has ruled.
The court said that companies were able to ban "the visible wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign".
The ruling made clear that if the ban was only applied to Muslim members of staff it could still constitute discrimination.
Companies would need to already have a policy in place prohibiting the wearing of religious symbols and would not be able to ban staff from wearing headscarves on the "wishes of a customer".
The judgment was sparked by the cases of two women - one living in France and one in Belgium - who were dismissed from work after refusing to remove their headscarves.
Samira Achbita, a receptionist for security company G4S, was dismissed after insisting on wearing her Islamic headscarf to work.
The company told her there was an unwritten rule prohibiting employees from wearing visible signs of religion in the workplace.
Ms Achbita challenged the decision in the Belgian courts, claiming she was being discriminated against on grounds of her religion.
In the second case, design engineer Asma Bougnaoui was fired from consultancy company Micropole, after a customer complained about her wearing of the Islamic headscarf.
Ms Bougnaoui - who had refused to stop wearing her veil - had taken her case to the Court of Cassation in France.
The Open Society Justice Initiative, a group which had supported the women, said it was disappointed by the ruling which it said "weakens the guarantee of equality that is at the heart of the EU's anti-discrimination directive."
Nick Elwell-Sutton, employment partner at law firm Clyde & Co, said: "The judgment demonstrates to employers how critical it is for a businesses to have a well-documented policy and to apply it consistently across the workforce."
In 2013, British Airways employee won a landmark legal battle over her right to wear a cross at work.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Nadia Eweida, a Coptic Christian, had been discriminated against under freedom of religion laws.
Three other Christian claimants, who launched similar action, lost their cases.
In France - a secular country that insists on the separation of church and state - school staff and those delivering a public service are banned from wearing clothes or emblems displaying a "religious allegiance".
But last year, France's highest administrative court overturned a controversial burkini ban, forbidding Muslim women from wearing full-body swimsuits on beaches.
France is currently preparing to vote for its next president, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, leader of anti-immigrant party Front National, riding high in opinion polls.
The court said that companies were able to ban "the visible wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign".
The ruling made clear that if the ban was only applied to Muslim members of staff it could still constitute discrimination.
Companies would need to already have a policy in place prohibiting the wearing of religious symbols and would not be able to ban staff from wearing headscarves on the "wishes of a customer".
The judgment was sparked by the cases of two women - one living in France and one in Belgium - who were dismissed from work after refusing to remove their headscarves.
Samira Achbita, a receptionist for security company G4S, was dismissed after insisting on wearing her Islamic headscarf to work.
The company told her there was an unwritten rule prohibiting employees from wearing visible signs of religion in the workplace.
Ms Achbita challenged the decision in the Belgian courts, claiming she was being discriminated against on grounds of her religion.
In the second case, design engineer Asma Bougnaoui was fired from consultancy company Micropole, after a customer complained about her wearing of the Islamic headscarf.
Ms Bougnaoui - who had refused to stop wearing her veil - had taken her case to the Court of Cassation in France.
The Open Society Justice Initiative, a group which had supported the women, said it was disappointed by the ruling which it said "weakens the guarantee of equality that is at the heart of the EU's anti-discrimination directive."
Nick Elwell-Sutton, employment partner at law firm Clyde & Co, said: "The judgment demonstrates to employers how critical it is for a businesses to have a well-documented policy and to apply it consistently across the workforce."
In 2013, British Airways employee won a landmark legal battle over her right to wear a cross at work.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Nadia Eweida, a Coptic Christian, had been discriminated against under freedom of religion laws.
Three other Christian claimants, who launched similar action, lost their cases.
In France - a secular country that insists on the separation of church and state - school staff and those delivering a public service are banned from wearing clothes or emblems displaying a "religious allegiance".
But last year, France's highest administrative court overturned a controversial burkini ban, forbidding Muslim women from wearing full-body swimsuits on beaches.
France is currently preparing to vote for its next president, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, leader of anti-immigrant party Front National, riding high in opinion polls.
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