“Unscrupulous” deals should be scrutinised and potentially blocked in the wake of the BHS debacle according to the former chair of the pension protection fund July 31, 2016 THE pensions regulator should be given new powers to block “unscrupulous” deals, or be bolstered by the creation of a separate agency, in order to avoid a repeat of the BHS pensions debacle according to the former chair of the Pension Protection Fund, Lady Barbara Judge. She believes a new entity along the lines of [...]
French Connection is facing a rebellion from an activist shareholder demanding the end of the FCUK brand July 31, 2016 French Connection is facing rebellion from an activist shareholder who has built up an eight per cent holding and is reported to want the retailer to drop its famous FCUK branding. Gatemore Capital Management has criticised French Connection’s performance since 2008, according to the Sunday Times, and urged founder Stephen Marks to split his joint roles [...]
Union calls on Tata Steel to clarify intentions for Port Talbot July 31, 2016 The steelworkers' union Community has called on Tata Steel to clarify exactly what its intentions are for Port Talbot steel plant and the wider industry. "They need to be clearer this is where we are, this is what needs to happen and this is what the government needs to do," a Community spokesperson told City [...]
The favourite to succeed Nigel Farage will find out on Tuesday whether he is in the race after missing a deadline to enter the leadership contest July 31, 2016 The hot favourite to succeed Nigel Farage will find out on Tuesday whether his campaign has fallen at the first hurdle after he missed a deadline to submit his nomination to battle in the party's leadership contest by almost 20 minutes. Candidates were required their application alongside 50 nominations and a cheque for £5,000 to the party by [...]
RideLondon crashes injure two and hold up race July 31, 2016 Two cyclists have been injured in separate crashes during the Prudential RideLondon cycling event on Sunday, leading to disruption for thousands of riders and diversions to the planned route through Surrey. The first cyclist was injured at around 9am between Pyrford and Ripley and a second later at around 11am near Thames Ditton with the air ambulance called to both [...]
London mayor Sadiq Khan has branded Labour’s anti-business reputation as an “embarrassment” July 31, 2016 Labour is seen as being “unfriendly to business”, according to the party's most senior elected politician, London mayor Sadiq Khan. Khan said the City of London in particular had “unease” with Labour both in the 2015 general election and under its current leadership. A spokesman for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn declined to respond to Khan's comments Sources close [...]
Phew! Facebook’s AI chief says intelligent machines are not a threat to humanity July 31, 2016 The chief scientist leading Facebook's research into artificial intelligence doesn't believe the technology is a threat to human existence – unless we are very stupid. "I don’t think at AI will become an existential threat to humanity," said Yann LeCun, the top professor who is leading Facebook's efforts in the space of AI and machine learning. "I’m [...]
William Hill to launch bolstered second half strategy after takeover offer from 888 Holdings and Rank Group July 31, 2016 William Hill will give a strategic update for the second half of the year this week, which many will see as the bookmaker's plan to fend off a joint takeover bid from rivals 888 and Rank Group. Last Monday, 888 and Rank confirmed they had launched a preliminary approach for the company. In a frosty response, William [...]
Building suppliers to provide health check for UK construction July 31, 2016 Two building materials suppliers' results next week will shed light on the outlook for the UK construction industry. Builders across the country rely on the likes of Travis Perkins and Ibstock for their bricks, cements and roofing materials — meaning their results act as a litmus test for the wider sector’s health. Read more: This company just proved bricks [...]