Black Friday promotions drive unexpected retail boost in November December 20, 2018 Retail sales enjoyed stronger-than-expected growth in November as shoppers cashed in on Black Friday promotions. Sales over the month increased by 1.4 per cent compared to the same period last year, far higher than the 0.3 per cent forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. But over the three months to November sales rose by [...]
Former Labour whip found guilty of perverting the course of justice December 19, 2018 Former Labour whip Fiona Onasanya has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice after lying to police to avoid a speeding fine. The MP for Peterborough denied she was behind the wheel when her car was caught doing 41mph in a 30mph zone in Cambridgeshire. But she was convicted today in a retrial [...]
Police raid Essex properties in £18m pension fraud probe December 19, 2018 Police have made six arrests as part of an investigation into a suspected pension scheme fraud that has conned victims out of £18m. The arrests come after a criminal investigation led by the Pensions Regulator (TPR) into a scam in which roughly 370 people were persuaded to transfer money into eight pension schemes. The regulator [...]
Renault-Nissan executives planned secret Ghosn payout via Dutch company December 19, 2018 Bosses at Renault and Nissan planned to pay part of Carlos Ghosn’s salary through Dutch holding company Renault-Nissan BV (RNBV), according to documents seen by Reuters. Senior executives at the two car manufacturers, including Renault’s general secretary Mouna Sepehri, reportedly proposed the scheme to pay Ghosn’s Nissan compensation in 2010. The revelations come as the [...]
London house prices slump as Brexit stagnation spreads to suburbs December 19, 2018 London house prices fell in October as slowdown in the capital dragged down UK property price growth to its lowest level in five years. House prices in London fell 0.3 per cent in October, taking the annual price fall in the capital to 1.7 per cent, according to data released today by the Office for National [...]
Softbank slumps in Tokyo debut after record-breaking IPO December 19, 2018 Shares in Japanese telecoms giant Softbank fell 15 per cent during its Tokyo debut as it record-breaking IPO failed to live up to expectations. Softbank raised roughly ¥2.65tn (£18.5bn) after pricing its shares at ¥1500 a piece in the country’s largest-ever IPO. But shares in the tech giant closed down 14.5 per cent at ¥1,282, [...]
888 goes all in for strong full-year results after US expansion December 19, 2018 Online gambling firm 888 today said it remains confident its full-year earnings are on track as it looks to move into the US market. In a pre-close trading update the company said it had delivered positive trading in the second half of the year due to an ongoing focus on product enhancement. Shares in 888 were [...]
Estonia arrests 10 in Danske Bank money laundering case December 19, 2018 Ten people have been detained in Estonia relating to the Danske Bank money laundering investigation, the country's state prosecutor said yesterday. Danske Bank is currently facing probes from Estonian, Danish, British and US authorities over an alleged €200bn (£180bn) money laundering scandal involving so-called non-resident clients at its Estonian branch between 2007 and 2016. Estonian prosecutors said [...]
Asos bosses snap up cheap shares after day of horror for fashion sector December 18, 2018 Asos boss Nick Beighton and chairman Adam Crozier have snapped up thousands of shares in the company in a show of confidence following the retailer’s profit warning. The two executives each bought shares worth roughly £100,000 this morning after the company saw £1.3bn wiped off its value in a disastrous day of trading. Beighton and [...]
John Lewis defies retail troubles as it reports festive sales rebound December 18, 2018 John Lewis has bucked the downward retail trend, reporting a rebound in sales last week as it matches rival pre-Christmas promotions. The department store said total sales for the week to 15 December were up 1.8 per cent compared to the same period last year. The employee-owned company said the sales boost was due to [...]
