Tennis rocked as another Grand Slam winner gets anti-doping ban Sport Tennis has been rocked by another Grand Slam champion breaching anti-doping rules after Australian doubles star Max Purcell accepted an 18-month ban. Purcell, 27, who has won the Wimbledon and US Open men’s doubles titles, did not test positive for a banned substance but admitted to exceeding limits for intravenous vitamin infusions. He will be [...]
National Express owner’s chief executive runs out of road Transport and infrastructure Mobico’s chief executive is to step down as the group struggles to turnaround persistent financial struggles. Ignacio Garat will depart at the end of April after nearly five years in the top job, in which he oversaw the group’s rebrand from National Express in 2023. Mobico chair Phil White, who served as CEO of National [...]
High-tax Britain is losing the race for global talent Opinion High taxes, fiscal drag and the cost of living mean London is no longer the destination of choice for skilled employees – and competitors like the Basque Country are feeling the benefits, says Ivan Jimenez I’m a proud native of the Basque Country in northern Spain, but having spent a lot of time in the [...]
Cotswold Outdoor racks up a decade of losses April 29, 2025 The firm behind Cotswold Outdoor has failed to make a pre-tax profit for a decade but the retailer did significantly cut its losses in 2024, it has been confirmed. The Wiltshire-headquartered retailer has posted a pre-tax loss of £380,000 for its latest financial year, down from the £7.3m it reported for 2023. The last time [...]
BP shares plummet as firm chops buyback amid weakened oil market April 29, 2025 British energy giant BP chopped its quarterly share buyback after President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff agenda sent the price of oil tumbling. BP cuts its buyback to $750m (£559m), compared to $1.75bn the previous quarter. The firm’s shares dropped nearly four per cent in early trading on Tuesday. This comes after the cost of a [...]
Gymshark: Record sales as brand continues global expansion April 29, 2025 Gymshark, the activewear brand co-founded by self-made billionaire Ben Francis, has seen its revenue pass the £600m for the first time. The Solihull-headquartered business has posted sales of £607.3m for the year to 31 July, 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House have revealed. The latest total comes after Gymshark reported a revenue of £556.2m [...]
ABF weighs closing Yorkshire plant after accusing government of ‘undermining’ viability April 29, 2025 More than 100 jobs could be at risk after the owner of a Yorkshire bioethanol plant said it was considering shutting down the facility, blaming the move on the government “undermining” its viability. The Salt End, Kingston upon Hull-based plant, which is operated by Vivergo and employs around 150 staff, has swung to a loss [...]
Puregym bulks up in US market as membership soars April 29, 2025 UK-based gym operator Puregym is set to expand into the US after a bumper 2024. The firm increased revenue by 10 per cent to £605m as membership soared. The British gym franchise ended 2024 with 2.25m customers, adding 400k in the last year – a jump of 21 per cent. The group’s total gyms rose [...]
HSBC shares jump as lender ups bad loan provisions after tariff chaos April 29, 2025 HSBC shares rose in early trading after the lender increased provisions for loan losses in its first-quarter report. The FTSE 100 giant’s stock jumped two per cent as trade war woes clouded the lender’s results. The bank raised expected credit losses to $876m (£653m), from $202m in a stark indication of firm’s outlook on the [...]
London yet to fire starting gun on 2040 Olympic bid despite Khan backing April 29, 2025 Talk of a London bid to host the 2040 Olympic Games is premature and faces competition from Saudi Arabia, despite the enthusiasm of Mayor Sadiq Khan, City AM understands. Khan this week reiterated his ambition for the capital to become the first city to host the event four times, saying that it would “knock it [...]