DoSomethingDifferent.com unveils month-long booking incentive
The incentive is for bookings made by 31 July. Booking references should be emailed to WIN@DoSomethingDifferent.com with EPIC in the subject line before 8th August to be counted.
A Universal Orlando 3 Park Explorer PLUS 1-Day Universal Epic Universe Ticket for 2025 visits is from £465 per adult and £456 per child, based on November arrivals. For customers booking ahead for 2026, the new Universal All Parks Ticket for 14 days admission to all four parks including Universal Epic Universe, costs from £482 per adult and £473 per child based on late January visits.
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Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Americans swoop on yet another UK fintech champion: Corpay to buy FTSE 250 Alpha Group in £1.8bn deal
Another British fintech champion is to be bought by American predators – in a deal worth £1.8billion. The board of Alpha Group – led by former Virgin Money boss Jayne-Anne Gadhia – has accepted a bid from US payments giant Corpay. Shares in the FTSE 250 payments company soared more than 25 per cent after bosses recommended that investors back a sweetened 4250p-per-share offer. The deal comes amid a mounting crisis as a takeover frenzy accelerates. Research from broker Peel Hunt shows the UK is on course for the biggest year of takeovers since 2021, after £74billion of offers in the first half of 2025. Scientific testing firm Spectris has agreed to be bought by American private equity firm KKR for £4.7billion in the biggest deal of the year after a bidding war with Advent International. US semiconductor group Qualcomm is to buy British chipmaker Alphawave for £1.8billion and Deliveroo was swooped on by DoorDash with a £2.9billion offer. Another takeover battle saw Primary Health Properties beat KKR to buy GP surgery owner Assura for £1.8billion. And companies are switching listings to New York, with fintech darling Wise the latest planning to defect. Meanwhile, a lack of fresh listings through initial public offerings means they are not being replaced. Alpha turned down Corpay's initial £1.2billion offer in May but, after talks, the latest bid is a 55 per cent premium to Alpha's undisturbed share price of 2745p on May 1, before news of the takeover interest became public. Dan Coatsworth, an investment analyst at AJ Bell, said: 'The market completely misjudged how much Corpay would offer, judging by the share price jump on the formal bid. 'While the shares enjoyed a little bump on the initial approach, the market didn't price in a successful bid. The fact Alpha rejected a proposal made it clear to Corpay that it would have to dig a lot deeper or walk away. 'It got the message loud and clear and Corpay looks to have gone in with its best offer. 'The 55 per cent bid premium is much more generous than the 40 per cent average seen across UK-listed takeovers so far in 2025.' Corpay, an S&P 500 company with a market capitalisation of around £17billion, has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Following the sale, Alpha will continue to be based in London. But there could be 'possible role overlaps' in some administrative and head office functions, the companies have warned. If job cuts are made solely within Alpha's business, it could affect up to 13 per cent of staff. The takeover, which must be approved by 75 per cent of shareholders, is expected to complete in the final quarter of the year. Alpha chairman Gadhia said: 'I am delighted Corpay has made an offer which the board considers to be in the best interests of shareholders, clients and staff.' Corpay boss Ronald Clarke said: 'We couldn't be happier to acquire Alpha.'
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Deloitte probed over Glencore audits after commodities giant is hit by bribery and corruption lawsuits
Deloitte is being investigated by the UK accounting watchdog over its audits of Glencore's finances. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) will probe the Big Four firm's work for the Swiss commodities giant over an eight-year period. It will look into whether Deloitte gave 'sufficient consideration to the risk of non-compliance with laws and regulations' when signing off accounts between 2013 and 2020. Glencore has been rocked by bribery and corruption lawsuits in the last few years. The FRC noted that the FTSE 100 commodities trader and miner and a UK subsidiary had been 'subject to investigations by government agencies into misconduct'. In total Glencore, which produces coal, copper, nickel, zinc and cobalt, has had to pay out over £1billion after legal action in Brazil, the UK, and US. Probe: Big Four accountancy firm Deloitte is being investigated by the Financial Reporting Council over its audits of Glencore's finances In 2022, it was fined £281million following an investigation by the UK's Serious Fraud Office. The SFO found Glencore paid nearly £21million in bribes to gain preferential access to oil in Africa. It flew cash to Africa and falsified documents. In 2022 Glencore admitted bribery and failure to prevent bribery after transactions in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and South Sudan. Six former executives have been charged with bribery. A trial is yet to begin. Regulators are probing Deloitte's work on four audits, including for bus operator Go-Ahead, fashion brand Joules, car seller Lookers and fintech Stenn. Deloitte UK said: 'We are committed to the highest standards of audit quality and will fully co-operate.' The FRC can impose fines and non-financial penalties if it finds wrongdoing. In 2019 Deloitte was fined £4.2million for its audit of outsourcing firm Serco, which had paid more than £20million to settle fraud and false accounting charges. This year PwC was hit with a £4.5million fine for 'serious failings' in its 2019 audit of Wyelands Bank. Big Four peer KPMG paid out £4.5million after 'serious failures' in its audit of Rolls-Royce's 2010 accounts. In January, the FRC probed KPMG's audit of Ladbrokes-owner Entain's 2022 accounts. The gambling giant paid a £615million settlement to resolve a probe into alleged bribery at its former Turkish online betting business.
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Footsie hits new high on hopes EU will follow Japan in striking a trade deal with the US
London's FTSE 100 hit a new record yesterday as global stock markets rallied on hopes Europe will follow Japan in striking a trade deal with the US. On another positive day for savers with money in shares through pensions, ISAs and other investments, the index rose 0.4 per cent, or 37.68 points, to 9061.49. The Nikkei 225 was up 3.5 per cent in Tokyo while the Dax rose 0.8 per cent in Frankfurt and the Cac climbed 1.4 per cent in Paris. Washington and Tokyo signed a deal for Japan to invest £400billion in the US while its goods will face tariffs of 15 per cent – below the 25 per cent Donald Trump had threatened. The US president called it 'the largest trade deal in history'. It fuelled hopes that Europe may secure better terms with the US after Trump threatened levies of 30 per cent. Britain's deal means most exports face a tariff of 10 per cent. 'Global markets are in buoyant mood as the US and Japan secured a trade deal,' said Neil Wilson, UK investor strategist at Saxo Bank. The Footsie has now risen nearly 11 per cent this year. 'News of a trade agreement between the US and Japan is fostering optimism among investors that further deals might be reached before punishing tariffs come into force,' said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. 'The news helped drive the FTSE 100 to a new record high and saw gains in other markets across mainland Europe, with focus likely to now turn to the prospects of an agreement being forged between the Trump administration and EU.'
