Breakdown group AA blames investments for profit slump April 3, 2019 Breakdown and insurance firm AA said today that its profit before tax for the year ended January 2019 fell more than 60 per cent to £53m. The figures The company said its steep profit drop was a result of a £26m investment in its roadside and insurance business and said it was distorted by a [...]
Big Four must face up to the realities of reform or risk having no choice April 3, 2019 A couple of MPs managed to tear themselves away from Westminster's slow motion car crash yesterday to deliver a kicking to another scandal-hit sector of the British establishment. Labour chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee Rachel Reeves and Conservative MP Antoinette Sandbach addressed a packed auditorium at the Chartered Accountants’ Hall near [...]
Provident Financial questions Non-Standard Finance’s past dividends as it attempts to dodge its bid April 2, 2019 Doorstep lender Provident Financial blasted suitor Non-Standard Finance (NSF) today, questioning past dividend payments as it tries to evade NSF’s clutches. Provident put a series of questions to NSF, including questions on “specific concerns regarding certain historical dividend payments and share buybacks”. NSF put out its own stock market announcement today, trumpeting the fact it [...]
Wizz Air flies past airline gloom with upbeat profit predictions April 2, 2019 Ftse 250 airline Wizz Air said it expects net profit for the year to land in the upper half of its expected guidance, in a trading update today. The announcement follows a gloomy update yesterday from fellow low cost airline Easyjet which led to a nearly 10 per cent dip in its share price, and [...]
Last minutes of doomed Ethiopian Airlines jet emerge March 30, 2019 Details of the last minutes of the Ethiopian Airline jet that crashed earlier this month killing all 157 people on board have emerged. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the Boeing 737 Max began to run into difficulties shortly after take off on the 10 March flight between Addis Ababa and Nairobi [...]
Dominic Grieve blames UKIP entryism for constituency no-confidence vote March 30, 2019 Former attorney general and committed remain supporter Dominic Grieve has blamed an ex-UKIP parliamentary candidate for orchestrating a vote of no confidence against him in his constituency party. Grieve lost a no-confidence vote held by his local party in Beaconsfield by 182 to 131 votes and now faces deselection. Grieve told Sky News “there is [...]
Access to Facebook Live to be restricted in wake of Christchurch massacre March 30, 2019 Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said Facebook is exploring plans to restrict access to Facebook Live after an attack on two mosques in Christchurch that killed 50 people was live streamed on the platform. In an open letter on the New Zealand Herald, Sandberg said: “We have heard feedback that we must do more [...]
All Brexit options on the table, Tory party chair says March 30, 2019 The chair of the Conservative party Brandon Lewis said today that all Brexit options were still in play, following the third parliamentary defeat of Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal yesterday. Speaking to the BBC, Lewis said: “We’ve got to look at what we can do next and we have to do something different.” He added: [...]
Sports Direct calls on Debenhams shareholders to protest against financing deal March 30, 2019 Sports Direct has today called on Debenhams shareholders to protest against its latest funding deal that could see investors wiped out, and instead support Mike Ashley’s installation as chief executive. Sports Direct issued an announcement containing a link to a letter of protest which it encouraged shareholders to send to Debenhams. The statement said: “Sports [...]
Eurostar services suspended because of pro-Brexit protester at St Pancras March 30, 2019 Eurostar services were suspended this morning after a pro-Brexit protester trespassed on the railway. Eurostar said this morning that services were suspended and urged passengers not to travel. https://twitter.com/Eurostar/status/1111889309727113216 Read more: Eurostar could be 'plunged into chaos' in no-deal Brexit It later said the trespasser had been apprehended but still said people should avoid travelling [...]
