Octopus tops energy supplier rankings for second year in a row January 25, 2020 Challenger energy supplier Octopus cemented its hold at the top of consumer group Which?’s annual customer satisfaction survey, as so-called Big Six firms languished down the rankings. The biggest six energy companies – British Gas, Eon, EDF, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE (now part of Ovo) – all finished in the lower third of the [...]
Six dead in shooting in southwest Germany January 24, 2020 Six people have been killed in a shooting in southwest Germany today, German police have said, in an incident believed to be a personal dispute. A number of the victims are members of the same family, from the town of Rot am See, 84 miles southeast of Franfurt. Police have detained a suspect, who appears [...]
Carbon dioxide levels set for biggest rise since records began January 24, 2020 The Met Office has said that levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are this year set to show one of their largest annual rises since measurements began. The ongoing bushfires in Australia, which have now scorched an area roughly the one third of the size of Germany, are in part responsible for this rise. [...]
Rolls-Royce says mini nuclear reactors could be rolled out by 2029 January 24, 2020 Manufacturer Rolls-Royce today said that the UK could be using power generated by mini nuclear reactors by 2029. The engineering firm is currently working with a consortium of firms including Atkins, BAM Nuttall, and Wood to develop a compact power station that is manufactured in sections and then assembled on site. Speaking to the BBC, [...]
Javid dismisses Ryanair complaint over Flybe rescue package January 24, 2020 Chancellor Sajid Javid has insisted that embattled airline Flybe has not received state aid to ensure its survival. In a letter to Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary, Javid said that the decision to defer Air Passenger Duty (APD) for Flybe was a “standard ‘Time to Pay’ arrangement…because of their short-term difficulties”. The chancellor’s letter, which [...]
Premier Oil creditor doubles down on opposition to acquisition plan January 24, 2020 Premier Oil’s largest creditor, hedge fund Asia Research and Capital Management (ARCM), has this morning doubled down on its opposition to the North Sea explorer’s proposed acquisition plan. Earlier this month Premier Oil said it had agreed a $625m (£473.8m) deal with BP to buy two major North Sea assets, and announced a new scheme [...]
Just Eat shares fall as CMA probes Takeaway.com merger January 24, 2020 Shares in Just Eat fell three per cent this morning after the UK’s competition regulator launched a last-minute investigation into the proposed merger between delivery giants Just Eat and Takeaway.com. Takeaway.com said that it would revise its timetable by one week, meaning that unless the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) barred the move, shares in [...]
Marston’s toasts ‘strong’ Christmas after challenging 2019 January 24, 2020 Pub group Marston’s raised a glass to a “strong” Christmas this morning as impressive growth over the holiday helped offset a sluggish start to December. In a trading update the firm said that sales growth for the four months to January 18 saw a one per cent increase, but this rose to 4.5 per cent [...]
Oil in downward spiral as surplus weighs on price January 23, 2020 Oil prices accelerated their decline today as Brent crude fell by more than 2.5 per cent for the second day in a row. The steep drop means that Brent crude is now trading at $61.49 per barrel, its lowest price in almost two months. West Texas Intermediate has been hit even harder, falling back three [...]
Petropavlovsk strikes gold as sales soar in final quarter January 23, 2020 London-listed gold miner Petropavlovsk saw its shares jump eight per cent this morning after the company reported a large increase in sales. In total, the firm said its gold sales had increased 39 per cent in the year ending December 2019, from 369,000 ounces to 514,000 ounces. The firm, which has operations in Russia, attributed [...]
