Ireland ‘would block British demand to quit Irish backstop agreement’ November 5, 2018 Ireland has hit out at reports that Britain wants the right to pull out of any so-called Irish border backstop arrangement after a short period of time. Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said a deal in which Britain could decide to close the Irish border by itself would not pass muster with Ireland or the [...]
ITV names Microfocus finance boss as new CFO November 5, 2018 ITV today confirmed the appointment of a new chief financial officer. Chris Kennedy will join in February 2019 after finishing up his current role as CFO of Microfocus, where he has served only since January 2018. "This is an exciting time to be joining ITV,” Kennedy said. "I'm looking forward to working with the team [...]
Apple shares drop as tech titan loses $1 trillion valuation November 2, 2018 Apple shares dived over five per cent as US markets opened today, causing the Californian company to fall below its $1 trillion valuation as investors reacted to its prediction of a Christmas slump. The tech giant yesterday warned shareholders that festive sales could fall below expectations, even as it recorded double-digit growth for the fifth consecutive [...]
Cuadrilla hails natural gas flow from Lancashire fracking operation November 2, 2018 Natural gas has started to flow from Cuadrilla’s fracking site in Lancashire, the company confirmed this afternoon. Gas has begun to reach the surface of the Preston New Road site, after Cuadrilla used hydraulic fracturing to free a small section of shale rock inside an exploration well. “Tthis is a good early indication of the [...]
Compare the Market ‘broke the law’ with insurance pricing clause November 2, 2018 Households could have lost money due to a Compare the Market clause that prevented home insurers from listing lower prices on rival comparison websites. Compare the Market’s so-called most favoured nation contract clauses stopped home insurers from beating prices listed on Compare the Market elsewhere, in a bid to stop rivals winning home insurance customers. [...]
Two stabbed at Sony Music’s Kensington headquarters as police make arrest November 2, 2018 Two people were stabbed at Sony Music’s London headquarters this morning, police said, as one person was arrested. Their injuries are not life-threatening, the Met said, as armed police were called to Derry Street in Kensington at around 11am. Officers and London Ambulance staff are still in attendance. Sony Music's office was filmed being evacuated. [...]
Raab travels to Northern Ireland as pound rises on Brexit optimism November 2, 2018 Dominic Raab travelled to Northern Ireland today as a Brexit deal hinges upon a resolution to the question of how to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland. The Brexit secretary has said that he hopes to strike an agreement with the EU on the terms of the UK’s departure from the bloc [...]
Markets rally as Trump claims US and China are discussing possible trade agreement November 2, 2018 Markets moved upwards this morning on hopes the US’s trade war with China might be easing. The Stoxx Europe 600 – which tracks Europe’s biggest firms including the FTSE 100 – rose by one per cent while Asian stocks rallied. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index grew by over four per cent and China's Shanghai Composite [...]
Accounting firm Sage shares lift as it appoints CFO to CEO role in wake of Stephen Kelly’s departure November 2, 2018 Sage has named its finance boss Steve Hare as its new chief executive, two months after former chief Stephen Kelly agreed to leave his post. Chief financial officer Hare will perform both his current role and the top job while the board searches for a replacement CFO. Hare said: “It is an honour to be [...]
‘Gun to our heads’: Frustrated shareholders plan to vote through Patisserie Valerie rescue deal November 1, 2018 Shareholders are set to vote through a rescue deal to keep Patisserie Valerie afloat this morning, despite frustration at being kept in the dark about its accounting scandal. The cake shop has asked shareholders to approve a £15m cash injection to keep the business alive, but has refused to tell investors what has gone wrong [...]