B&Q owner Kingfisher appoints Carrefour exec as new boss June 27, 2019 B&Q owner Kingfisher today said it has appointed Thierry Garnier as its new chief executive as the home improvement chain looks to turn around its ailing fortunes. Garnier, who has held senior roles at French retail giant Carrefour over the last 20 years, will join the DIY group in the autumn. Read more: B&Q owner [...]
Eurostar chair set to take the reins at Go-Ahead Group June 27, 2019 Transport giant Go-Ahead today said it has appointed Eurostar boss Clare Hollingsworth as its new chair following the retirement of Andrew Allner. The rail and bus operator today announced that Allner will step down as non-executive chairman and retire from the board after the company’s annual general meeting in October. Read more: Go-Ahead sees revenue [...]
Blanket bans ‘not the answer’ to Huawei question, report warns June 27, 2019 The UK must find a “compelling” risk management approach to Chinese tech firm Huawei rather than rolling out a blanket ban, according to a report published today. Defence think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) questioned whether it was realistic to ban all Chinese tech from UK national infrastructure, and argued the government should [...]
Bonmarche shares plunge 25 per cent as it U-turns on Philip Day bid June 26, 2019 Shares in Bonmarche plunged more than 25 per cent after the retailer reversed its view on a cut-price takeover offer from billionaire Philip Day due to poor trading in the first quarter. In a dramatic U-turn the French-themed womenswear chain said it now believes Day’s offer is “fair and reasonable”, and urged shareholders to accept [...]
Evening Standard posts £11.6m loss as it battles with advertising squeeze June 26, 2019 The Evening Standard has reported a loss of almost £12m as it battles rising costs and a squeeze on revenue from print advertising. The daily London newspaper posted a pre-tax loss of £11.6m in the year to the end of September, marking its second consecutive year in the red. However, the figure represents a slight [...]
Pizza Express losses widen amid strain on casual dining sector June 26, 2019 Pizza Express has reported hefty losses for the full year as it battles with increased competition in the casual dining sector. The restaurant chain posted a loss of £55.8m in 2018, an increase of more than 40 per cent from £31.6m the previous year. Read more: China expansion and UK troubles take slice out of [...]
Bitcoin surges towards $13,000 as Facebook Libra boosts bullish market June 26, 2019 Bitcoin has surged to its highest level since January 2018 as its recent boom continues to gather pace. The cryptocurrency rose to just shy of $13,000 (£10,300) yesterday before dipping slightly to just over $12,500, according to data from Bitstamp. Read more: Bitcoin pulls back from 18-month high as cryptocurrency catches Libra fever Bitcoin is [...]
Rory Stewart throws weight behind Hunt in Tory leadership contest June 26, 2019 International development secretary Rory Stewart has confirmed he is backing foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt to be the next prime minister. “I’m not a supporter of Boris and I wouldn’t serve in his cabinet, so I’m supporting Jeremy Hunt,” he told the BBC’s Today programme. Read more: Boris Johnson challenges Jeremy Hunt to commit to 31 [...]
Wood Group boosts first-half profit as it looks to cut debt pile June 26, 2019 Energy services firm Wood Group has reported profit growth in the first half of the year, thanks to an improvement in its margins. The FTSE 250 firm said revenue for the six months to the end of June was in line with the previous year. Read more: Wood Group wins $1bn nuclear contract at Sellafield [...]
ITV bosses slammed over ‘irresponsible’ lie detector tests on Jeremy Kyle Show June 25, 2019 MPs have blasted “irresponsible” ITV bosses for using lie detector tests on The Jeremy Kyle Show without knowing how accurate they were. Senior ITV executives faced a grilling today as part of an inquiry into broadcasters’ duty of care following the apparent suicide of Steve Dymond, a former participant on the reality TV show. Read [...]