Amazon to close its online store in China after failing to gain a foothold April 18, 2019 Amazon is set to close its online in store in China after failing to gain a real foothold in the country where JD.com and Alibaba reign supreme. The e-commerce giant will shut its operations in China down from 18 July, it announced today. Read more: Unilever shares rise on first quarter sales growth Rivals JD.com [...]
Extinction Rebellion protests: Climate change activists denied bail after DLR protest as police make 428 arrests April 18, 2019 Three climate change activists have been denied bail after being charged in connection with a protest blocking a Docklands Light Railway train at Canary Wharf station yesterday. Cathy Eastburn, 51, of Gerards Close, Lambeth, Mark Ovland, 35, of Keinton Mandeville, Somerset and Luke Watson, 29, of Manuden, Essex pleaded not guilty with obstructing trains or carriages [...]
Intu cuts debt as it sells 50 per cent stake in Derby shopping centre to Kuwait firm April 18, 2019 UK property owner Intu has sold a 50 per cent stake in its Derby shopping centre to Cale Street Investments, a Kuwait-backed real estate investment firm. The stake was acquired for £186.3m as the two firms enter a joint venture at the East Midlands shopping centre, which is visited by 22m people each year. Read [...]
Euro falls as data suggests Eurozone economy will grow just one per cent in 2019 April 18, 2019 The euro suffered today as economic data dealt a fresh blow to hopes for the Eurozone economy. Read more: Eurozone construction sector bounces back in February after weak January Germany and France’s manufacturing industries are contracting, a closely-followed index revealed, with both staying lower than the 50 measure representing growth. Overall, both the Eurozone’s leading [...]
No Brexit is now more likely than no-deal Brexit, economists predict April 18, 2019 Britain remaining in the EU is now more likely than a disorderly Brexit, according to a Reuters survey of economists. The poll found that Britain leaving with a free trade deal of some description was still the most likely outcome but Brexit being cancelled jumped above a no-deal scenario into third place in the latest [...]
Rentokil set to continue acquisition spree while organic growth continues April 18, 2019 Pest control expert Rentokil Initial said this morning it is planning to continue an acquisition-heavy strategy and is likely to spend between £200m and £250m on takeovers this year. The firm showed 4.9 per cent growth from takeovers in the first three months of the year, while organic revenue grew at four per cent. Read [...]
Laybuy is the payment platform from New Zealand shaking up the way we budget and shop April 18, 2019 Here in the UK, there are really only two ways for consumers to pay for a purchase. Whether buying in a store or online, people will either pay upfront, using cash or a debit card, or they’ll use a credit card, which they can settle at a later date. There are drawbacks to both methods. [...]
The Notre Dame tragedy shows how much we value art and culture – we must protect other monuments April 18, 2019 The medieval cathedral of Notre Dame is the most visited monument in Europe, welcoming 14m visitors each year. The Gothic building has stood as one of France’s most famous landmarks for 850 years. And yet in a matter of hours, a fire wrought terrible damage to Notre Dame, causing the iconic spire and roof to [...]
Retail sales jump much higher than expected in March as shoppers keep spending April 18, 2019 Retail sales enjoyed a surprising boost in March climbing much higher than expected, led by a spike in food shopping. Sales rose 1.1 per cent month-on-month, above expectations of a 0.3 per cent drop as food store sales and non-store retailing drove the increase, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Year-on-year sales jumped 6.7 per cent [...]
High Speed Rail 2 buys £600m worth of properties , FoI reveals April 18, 2019 The developers behind High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) have bought more than 900 properties at a total cost of almost £600m, according to the latest figures. The details were released by HS2 after campaign group Stop HS2 filed a freedom of information request, which revealed that 902 residential properties, farms or other pieces of land [...]