THE DAILY BRIEFING

PRESS DEAL Newspaper group Trinity Mirror is on the brink of a £130m takeover of the Express and Star titles, it is claimed.

Express owner Richard Desmond will become one of Trinity Mirror’s biggest shareholders if the tie-up goes ahead. He will reportedly pick up more than £100m in cash from the deal.

MESSAGING FUNDS Secretive messaging app Telegram is seeking to raise a record £1.4bn from investors on the digital currency markets.

It will be a key test of cryptocurrencies, which have plunged in value since shortly before Christmas amid fears of a regulatory crackdown on bitcoin and rival digital money.

Telegram is said to have 180m users across the world, attracted by its boast to be hacker-proof. TRUMP TARIFF US President Donald Trump is understood to be plotting tariffs on American imports of aluminium as a fresh step in his protectionist agenda.

American producers are pushing for a 20pc levy – but manufacturers fear this would cause prices to rocket. GREETINGS SURGE Online greetings card business Moonpig saw sales jump 17pc to £85.8m in the year to the end of April.

Profits at the business, which is owned by private equity companies Electra and Exponent, were up slightly on last year at £18.5m. SPORTS BOOST Sportswear company Playerlayer has raised £7m to boost overseas expansion.

The business designs strips for the likes of British speed skaters and the England lacrosse side.

It secured the cash from backers including Pembroke Venture Capital Trust, which has previously supported burger bar Five Guys.