(Sharecast News) - Andy Burnham has said the UK needs an "evidence‑based debate" on freedom of movement as he considers options for reshaping Britain's relationship with Brussels. The Prime Minister told The Telegraph that any future model - including single‑market membership or even full EU re‑entry - would require a frank discussion about migration flows. Burnham, who worked in Germany under free movement rules in the 1990s, said the system had "significant challenges" but noted that earlier patterns of "revolving‑door migration" were less disruptive than today's pressures. He argued that younger workers often stayed only a few years before returning home, and that the arrangement benefited British citizens too.
Ministers have been alerted to the risk of thousands of job losses at Poundland after owner Gordon Brothers unexpectedly put the discount chain up for sale, according to The Telegraph. Union officials have contacted Downing Street and the business department amid concerns that a break‑up of the retailer could leave suppliers exposed and threaten its roughly 12,000 workers across 600 stores. A number of potential buyers have emerged, though only a small group was said to have bid for the entire business. Irish investment firm Innovest Holdings has submitted a solvent offer for the full estate, The Telegraph reported, ahead of John Healey's first Budget next week.
Alimentation Couche‑Tard has made a cut‑price offer of around $7.5bn to $8bn for Cumberland Farms, the petrol‑station group founded by Mohsin and Zuber Issa, The Times reported. The bid represents a steep discount to Couche‑Tard's aborted $16bn swoop in 2022 and falls short of the $9bn valuation Cumberland Farms had targeted for a planned New York listing. The approach could leave co‑owner TDR Capital facing heavy losses, with the private‑equity firm already grappling with a sizeable debt load across its 3,300‑site network in Europe and the US. Sources told The Times that Cumberland Farms' management still intends to pursue a US flotation despite the setback.
Nut‑butter brand Pip & Nut has appointed advisers at Piper Sandler to explore strategic options, including a potential sale that could value the business at up to £100m, according to The Times. Founded in 2013 by Pippa Murray, the company has grown rapidly and now outsells long‑established supermarket rivals such as Sun‑Pat and Whole Earth. While no formal process has begun, City sources told The Times that the brand's strong market position and expanding product range make a nine‑figure valuation plausible.
Employees at Skydance are preparing for sweeping changes following the media group's $110bn merger of Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery, The Guardian reported. Executives said the deal, driven by chief executive David Ellison, had delivered the scale he sought but left the combined company facing an "eyewatering" $80bn+ debt pile that must be reduced within three years. The merger creates a vast entertainment empire spanning Paramount and WBD's century‑old studios, HBO, MTV, Discovery, CBS and CNN. But after fending off a rival Netflix bid and navigating political resistance, staff told The Guardian they now expect significant restructuring, asset sales and cost‑cutting across the group's 53,000‑strong workforce.
Elon Musk has claimed Ukraine violated Starlink's usage terms by employing the satellite network for "offensive drone strikes", saying on X that the loophole had been closed last week. Ukraine said Starlink and its military variant Starshield were now fully operational again after earlier restrictions. The comments came as the White House praised Melania Trump for helping secure a localised ceasefire in the Russian‑occupied city of Oleshky, where around 2,000 residents have been cut off and face starvation. Russia agreed to pause military action from 29 October to allow humanitarian aid and prepare an evacuation corridor, according to US officials cited by The Independent.