Bloomberg Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is in exclusive discussions to buy the B&B Hotels chain from European buyout firm PAI Partners. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of this year, PAI Partners said in a statement on Monday, without providing any financial details. Goldman Sachs is doing the deal through its merchant banking division, according to …

Bloomberg Czech banks have avoided a threat of special taxes for the industry by agreeing in principle to contribute a portion of their profits to a national development fund proposed by Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Babis said on Monday he wants the units of Societe Generale SA, Erste Group Bank AG, KBC Groep NV, and UniCredit SpA, to pay an …

Bloomberg The race to lead the Bank of England could turn on who heads the government by the time the decision is made in October. Much has been made of Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond’s comments that he seeking a governor with international stature, prompting a flurry of speculation around former Reserve Bank of India chief Raghuram Rajan. Still, …