Pre-booking investment drives Stonegate Pubs’ festive sales success January 4, 2019 Stonegate Pub Company saw a 17.8 per cent surge in pre-bookings this Christmas following “significant” investment in its facilities as it reported strong sales over the festive period. The pub chain, which has 735 venues across the country, revealed that it had invested in a central call centre hub to take bookings and that total [...]
From Veganuary to Dryathlons, so begins the month of self-inflicted misery… January 4, 2019 The first few weeks of the year are when the office mood is at its glummest. Blue Monday, a concept created in 2005 (albeit by a holiday company trying to get people to book), and billed as “the most depressing day of the year” falls soon. No one agrees if it’s the second or third [...]
Ex-Credit Suisse bankers arrested over ‘$2bn fraud scheme’ in Mozambique January 4, 2019 Three former Credit Suisse bankers were arrested in London yesterday over an alleged $2bn (£1.58bn) fraud scheme involving loans to state-owned companies in Mozambique. Andrew Pearse, 49, Surjan Singh, 44, and Detelina Subeva, 37, were charged in Brooklyn, New York with conspiring against US anti-bribery law and to commit money laundering and securities fraud, Reuters reported. [...]
Brexit fears see job creation fall to 29-month low January 4, 2019 Brexit uncertainty weighed on the UK’s services sector at the end of 2018 as it marked the close of the year with some of its weakest growth in recent times, while job creation fell to a 29-month low. The services sector posted a 51.2 score for December in the closely-followed IHS Markit/CIPS services purchasing managers’ [...]
Poll: Most Tories would back a no-deal Brexit rather than support Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement January 4, 2019 More than half of Tory party members prefer a no-deal Brexit over Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement, a new poll today suggests. Around 57 per cent of Conservatives would support leaving the EU with no agreement compared to just 23 per cent prepared to back the Prime Minister’s vision. The Yougov poll, funded by the Economic and [...]
Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn to appear in Tokyo court for detention hearing January 4, 2019 Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn will appear in a Tokyo court after his lawyers requested a hearing to explain the reason for his detention. Ghosn, who has been held in Japan since 19 November, will appear in the Tokyo District Court within five days, according to local media reports. Lawyers for the embattled executive petitioned [...]
Hundreds of jobs lost as Monarch airline’s engineering business collapses January 4, 2019 The engineering arm of Monarch airlines has gone into administration resulting in the loss of almost 500 jobs. Work at Monarch Aircraft Engineering’s (MAEL) base maintenance business, which undertakes aircraft overhaul and major heavy maintenance programmes, will be suspended immediately and around 250 employees have been made redundant. A further 200 members of staff based [...]
Volvo facing £600m hit over concerns engines exceed emissions limit January 4, 2019 Volvo has set aside 7bn Swedish krona (£616m) to fix issues with some of its engines amid concerns they could exceed emissions limits, the company has said. The Swedish car manufacturer last night said the costs relate to the testing of vehicles, statistical analysis and dialogue with relevant authorities. “The next step will be to [...]
Alexa: Tell me why I can’t have a flying car like in Blade Runner January 4, 2019 Bad news: it’s 2019, and that means we are now living through the year in which the original Blade Runner film was set. Released in 1982, Blade Runner has some interesting ideas about 2019. Yes, it’s a post-apocalyptic dystopian hellscape where sentient bioengineered robots (“replicants”) must be hunted down against a backdrop of a dying [...]
From sugar to saving, this government is treating us like a nation of children January 4, 2019 The morning I turned eight, I woke up and told my father that I was “halfway there”. This, in my home state of Connecticut, was in reference to getting my driving licence, a process I could start on my sixteenth birthday. As a kid, this was the milestone that I was most excited to reach, [...]