Patisserie Valerie’s suspended finance director Chris Marsh quits as accounting probes continue October 26, 2018 Patisserie Valerie’s finance director quit the company today, the cake shop told investors. Chris Marsh, who was suspended from his role earlier this month when the sweet treats baker warned it had spotted potentially fraudulent accounting irregularities, has resigned with immediate effect. “Following the suspension of Chris Marsh on 9 October 2018, the company has [...]
Man arrested after attempted theft of 1215 Magna Carta from Salisbury Cathedral October 26, 2018 A man is in custody today after police arrested him on suspicion of trying to steal the Magna Carta. Alarms were activated at Salisbury Cathedral shortly before 5pm yesterday after someone tried to smash the glass box surrounding the historic document, Wiltshire Police said today. A 45-year-old man matching a witness description was taken into custody for [...]
Twitter’s #PinkNotGreen boycott of Sir Philip Green’s shops gains momentum as MPs call for knighthood to be questioned October 26, 2018 A boycott of Sir Philip Green’s businesses is gathering momentum online under the hashtag #PinkNotGreen as leading MPs call for the business tycoon to be stripped of his knighthood. The proposed boycott comes after Sir Philip was named in parliament yesterday as the man at the centre of sexual harassment and racial abuse claims, which [...]
RBS share price drops as it disappoints investors on key profitability metric October 26, 2018 Profits are up 10 per cent year-on-year at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), it said in its third quarter results today, though shares dipped as it missed a key target and set money aside to handle PPI claims. The figures The bank reported pre-tax profits of £961m for the quarter, up 10 per cent from [...]
Members block the UK’s bid to fast-track its post-Brexit entry into the World Trade Organisation October 25, 2018 The UK’s bid to fast-track its post-Brexit entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) failed today, after other countries expressed misgivings over Britain’s approach to tariffs. The news means the UK will face a longer path towards using the WTO, by entering a lengthy period of negotiations. That means the process of joining the WTO [...]
Sir Philip Green named in parliament as tycoon at the centre of sexual harassment claims October 25, 2018 Sir Philip Green was named in parliament today as the business leader at the centre of claims of sexual harassment and racial abuse after the media was barred from reporting the allegations. The Topshop billionaire was named in the House of Lords by Peter Hain, the former leader of the House of Commons, under parliamentary privilege. [...]
Police close roads around Heron Tower as ‘French Spiderman’ ascends Salesforce’s building October 25, 2018 A real-life Spiderman scaled the 754ft high Heron tower today, leading police to close roads around the area. Alain Robert, who has also climbed the Empire State Building and some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, made the ascent – where Salesforce is headquartered in the UK – without any safety gear or even a rope. The stunt [...]
Debenhams shares rise despite £500m loss: Industry reaction October 25, 2018 Debenhams’ share price rose 15 per cent this morning despite the high street department store posting a £500m loss, its worst in 240 years of trading. A £491.5m loss for its 2018 financial year was down from a £59m profit it recorded in 2017, while revenue fell 1.8 per cent to £2.9bn and like-for-like sales [...]
Facebook fined maximum £500,000 penalty over Cambridge Analytica scandal October 25, 2018 Facebook must pay a £500,000 penalty for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the UK’s data watchdog ordered today. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has handed the social media giant the penalty for processing people’s data without their consent, as well as failing to keep that data secure. Read more: Facebook reels from the [...]
Energy firm RPS Group’s shares collapse as it warns investors of profit drop October 25, 2018 Shares in RPS Group took a catastrophic 30 per cent hit this morning as it warned that third quarter profits would miss expectations. The Oxford-based energy firm, which deals in oil and gas and renewables, said profit before tax and amortisation would fall 10 per cent year-on-year to £12.8m for the three months to the [...]