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Lego to buy discovery centres from Merlin for £200m

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Lego to buy discovery centres from Merlin for £200m


Lego has announced a £200 million deal to acquire 29 entertainment venues from theme park operator Merlin Entertainments.

The Danish toy giant stated the purchase of the Lego and Legoland branded discovery centres is part of its strategy to expand the brand’s retail presence.

Merlin, which also owns Alton Towers, currently manages these sites, featuring Lego building zones, creative workshops, and retail outlets.

These centres are located across nine countries, including two in the UK (Birmingham and Manchester), with a significant presence in the US, attracting approximately five million visitors annually.

The deal is anticipated to conclude by the end of the year.

It does not include Legoland Resorts, such as Legoland in Windsor, which will continue to be operated by Merlin under licence.

Lego is to buy Lego and Legoland discovery centres from Merlin (Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester) (Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester)

Lego Group chief executive Niels B Christiansen said: “We are excited to welcome the discovery centres to the Lego Group and appreciate all that Merlin Entertainments has done to bring the Lego brand to life through these attractions.

“They will be an important addition to our global network of retail stores and allow us to offer fans of all ages even more memorable hands-on brand and shopping experiences.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the dedicated discovery centre teams who inspire visitors bring to life their imagination and creativity through the power of Lego Play.”

Fiona Eastwood, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said: “For 20 years, Merlin has partnered with the Lego Group to bring its beloved brand to life through experiential play, including in the discovery centres.

“It is now a natural next step for the centres to become part of the Lego Group, allowing Merlin to strengthen its focus on driving the growth and success of Legoland Resorts alongside our other attractions worldwide.

“Together with the Lego Group, we look forward to the opportunities ahead as we build on our shared commitment to delivering exceptional experiences for families across the globe.”



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Bank holiday on Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary: Will banks remain shut on January 12? Check state-wise list – The Times of India

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Bank holiday on Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary: Will banks remain shut on January 12? Check state-wise list – The Times of India


Bank holiday on Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary: Banks will be observing multiple holidays in January 2026, ranging from regional festivals to nationwide observances. On January 12, some banks will remain closed to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Keeping track of bank holidays is essential for planning financial activities, as physical banking services will be unavailable on these days and customers are advised to schedule branch visits accordingly.

Where are banks closed on January 12?

On January 12, the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, banks will remain closed in West Bengal.

Upcoming holidays in January:

January 14: Banks in Gujarat, Odisha, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will remain closed on account of Makar Sankranti and Magh Bihu. January 15: Banks in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will shut for Uttarayana Punyakala, Pongal, Maghe Sankranti and Makara Sankranti. January 16 and January 17: Tamil Nadu will see additional banking holidays, in observance of Thiruvalluvar Day and Uzhavar Thirunal.January 23: Banks in Tripura, Odisha and West Bengal will shut to mark the birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Saraswati Puja (Shree Panchami), Vir Surendrasai Jayanti and Basanta Panchami. January 26: Banks across the country will remain closed for Republic Day. In addition to these holidays, banks will also be closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, as per the standard banking schedule. While physical branches will not be operational on these days, customers will still be able to access online banking services, ATMs, mobile banking applications and UPI for routine transactions such as fund transfers and bill payments. However, services requiring an in-person visit, including large cash deposits, cheque clearances and the issuance of demand drafts, will not be available during closures. Customers are advised to plan essential banking activities in advance to avoid inconvenience and make use of digital banking options during holiday periods.



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Has Govt Proposed Measure To Force Smartphone Manufacturers To Share Their Source Code? Check Truth Behind The Claim

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Has Govt Proposed Measure To Force Smartphone Manufacturers To Share Their Source Code? Check Truth Behind The Claim


New Delhi: The government has refuted media report that said the center is proposing to force smartphone makers to share source code with the government. 

A Reuters report has said that India has proposed to force smartphone manufacturers to share their source code as part of a security overhaul. 

Fact-checking agency PIB has refuted the media claim. PIB has stated that the claim being made in this post is misleading.

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“This claim is FAKE. The Government of India has NOT proposed any measure to force smartphone manufacturers to share their source code,” PIB has tweeted.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has started the process of stakeholders’ consultations to devise the most appropriate regulatory framework for mobile security. This is a part of regular and routine consultations with the industry for any safety or security standards. Once a stakeholder consultation is done, then various aspects of security standards are discussed with the industry.

No final regulations have been framed, and any future framework will be formulated only after due consultations, it added.

How to get messages fact-checked by PIB

If you get any such suspicious message, you can always know its authenticity and check if the news is for real or it is a fake news. For that, you need to send the message to https://factcheck.pib.gov.in. Alternatively you can send a WhatsApp message to +918799711259 for fact check. You can also send your message to pibfactcheck@gmail.com. The fact check information is also available on https://pib.gov.in.





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‘They’re playing cute’: Trump ‘inclined’ to keep ExxonMobil out of Venezuela — here’s why – The Times of India

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‘They’re playing cute’: Trump ‘inclined’ to keep ExxonMobil out of Venezuela — here’s why – The Times of India


US President Donald Trump said that he may bar ExxonMobil from operating in Venezuela, criticising the oil giant after its leadership questioned the viability of investing in the country after the capture of former president Nicolas Maduro by US forces. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday as he departed West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said he was unhappy with the company’s stance. “I didn’t like Exxon’s response,” he said. “They’re playing too cute.” The remarks came days after Trump met oil executives on Friday in an effort to calm industry concerns about Venezuela. During the meeting, he told companies that any engagement would be handled directly with the United States rather than through the Venezuelan government. However, not all executives were reassured. Darren Woods, chief executive of ExxonMobil, described the current situation in stark terms. “If we look at the commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela, today it’s uninvestable,” he said. On the same day, Trump also signed an executive order aimed at protecting Venezuelan oil revenues from being used in judicial proceedings. The order, released publicly on Saturday, warned that allowing such funds to be seized could “undermine critical US efforts to ensure economic and political stability in Venezuela.” The country has long faced state asset seizures, US sanctions and prolonged political uncertainty. Securing investment from US oil companies to help rebuild Venezuela’s infrastructure has become a key objective of the Trump administration following Maduro’s capture. The White House has presented the approach as an economic strategy, with Trump already having seized tankers transporting Venezuelan oil, announced that the US is taking control of the sale of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned crude, and stated plans to oversee those sales globally on an indefinite basis.



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