pharmacies

High-street chemist chain Boots has been sold in a deal valued at around £7bn to a Canadian billionaire family, according to BBC News. The transaction ends years of uncertainty over the pharmacy retailer's ownership, and the news is being widely shared across business, retail and finance circles.

The owner of US pharmacy chain Walgreens has sold British high-street chemist Boots for $8.9 billion, according to Crain's Chicago Business. The reported sale marks a major change for the well-known UK pharmacy brand, which has been part of the same group as Walgreens for years. Details on the buyer and what it means for Boots stores and staff were not given in the report.

Israeli prosecutors have indicted a pharmacy student from East Jerusalem accused of planning a mass-casualty attack using poison. The indictment follows an investigation into the alleged plot, with authorities citing the suspect's pharmaceutical studies as enabling access to toxic substances. The case has drawn attention amid heightened security concerns in Jerusalem and the wider region.

Pharmacy chain Boots has been sold to Canada's Weston family in a £6.7 billion deal, according to The Independent. The takeover hands ownership of one of Britain's best-known high street retailers to the family behind Selfridges and George Weston Limited. The sale ends a lengthy ownership saga for Boots and is drawing significant attention in the UK, where its future under new ownership is the focus of discussion.

A Crain's Cleveland Business opinion piece argues that pharmacies should be treated as essential healthcare infrastructure rather than retail amenities. The author's point speaks to ongoing concerns about pharmacy closures and access to medication, especially in communities where a local drugstore may be the most accessible point of care. The argument is that policymakers and businesses should weigh pharmacy access the way they weigh hospitals or clinics.

Canada's Weston family, one of the country's wealthiest business dynasties, has agreed to buy UK high-street chemist chain Boots in a deal valued at $8.9bn. The acquisition hands the pharmacy retailer to new owners and is being closely watched as a signal of confidence in British retail.

The Arkansas Court of Appeals has sided with Walmart, upholding a lower court ruling that the company's insurers are obligated to defend it against opioid-related lawsuits. The decision means insurance carriers cannot avoid covering Walmart's legal costs in ongoing opioid litigation. The ruling is being closely watched as retailers and pharmacies across the United States face a wave of opioid liability claims.

The ransomware group RunSomeWares has listed Morton LTC Pharmacy, a US healthcare provider, as a new victim on its leak site. The claim, flagged by cyber threat intelligence monitors, adds the pharmacy to a growing list of healthcare organisations targeted by ransomware crews. Healthcare attacks are closely watched because of the risk to patient data and care services.