Wetherspoon will pour €100m into Irish pub network

In an interview with the Irish Independent, the Belfast-born multimillionaire said his British pub chain was pouring money into Ireland. Mr Martin said designs overhauls of around €1.5m, along the lines of what has just been completed at its Blackrock, Co Dublin...

Small business economic confidence grows

Its regular quarterly survey showed three-fifths of firms expect to grow in the next 12 months. All sectors reported they had a positive outlook for the seventh quarter in a row. North East England reported the most improved attitude, although the South East was most...

Heineken rejects takeover offer from SABMiller

Heineken said it had “consulted with its majority shareholder” before rejecting the approach. It said the Heineken family, the founding family which still owns half of the firm, wanted to preserve the firm as “an independent company”. Heineken...

TUI Travel and TUI agree to form tourism leader

“The merger will result in the creation of the world’s number one integrated leisure tourism business… with enhanced long-term growth prospects,” a joint statement from the two companies said. Today’s news follows an announcement in June...

World watches for first US interest rate hike in 8 years

As the US economy picks up pace its Federal Reserve is inching closer to raising interest rates, a move that will send ripples across the globe. The US is shaking off the hangover from the financial crisis that hammered Europe and even knocked mighty China off its...