Watchdog approves £222m takeover of Hawthorn pubs by Admiral Taverns October 27, 2021 Admiral Tavern’s £222m acquisition of almost 700 pubs has been given the green light by the competition watchdog. However, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Admiral Taverns and Hawthorn Leisure must tackle competition concerns in several local areas. The community pub operator said it understood the merger gives rise to a realistic prospect of [...]
FTSE 100 pulls back from 20-month high as investors brace for budget October 27, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 pulled back from a 20 month high this morning as investors brace for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to deliver his third budget at lunchtime today. The capital’s premier index slipped 0.22 per cent to 7,261.88 points during the opening session. More to follow.
Letters: Ikea needs more than real estate for high street success October 27, 2021 [Re: Ikea snaps up former Topshop Oxford St flagship for £378m, yesterday] While Ikea’s takeover of Topshop’s iconic Oxford Street store seems like a no brainer in driving footfall and brand awareness, making it a success will require more than stocked shelves and Swedish meatballs. The pandemic has accelerated the shift from brick-and-mortar to ecommerce, [...]
Whistleblower: Julian Assange to see UK appeal hearing over US extradition October 27, 2021 High profile whistleblower Julian Assange is due to have his UK appeal hearing, scheduled for 27 to 28 October, which could determine whether he will be extradited to the US. Australia-born Assange’s US charges allege that he conspired with a whistleblower, army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, to illegally obtain classified information. “Assurances by the US [...]
Working Lunch: BiBi serves traditional Indian food with a twist October 27, 2021 What Is It? Debuting last month, BiBi serves up traditional Indian cuisine with a modern twist. Located in Mayfair, just a skip away from Oxford Street, the restaurant is a quiet haven from the city bustle. Who’s responsible? It’s is the culinary baby of Chet Sharma, former development chef at the award-winning restaurants Moor [...]
Santander beats forecasts following strong UK performance October 27, 2021 Spanish bank Santander smashed profit expectations for the third quarter driven by robust lending activity in its mortgage unit. The lender pulled in more than £1.4bn in pre-tax profits in the year to September, up nearly 400 per cent. Over the same period last year, profits were just £299m. A red hot UK housing market, [...]
Hong Kong passes new film censorship law October 27, 2021 Hong Kong has banned films that run contrary to the interests of a Beijing-drafted national security law.
Climate activists hold night protest against Science Museum’s fossil fuel partnership October 27, 2021 Student climate activists hold a protest inside London's Science Museum over its sponsorship deals with fossil fuel companies.
Wickes reports lacklustre sales as DIY projects fall from pandemic highs October 27, 2021 Supply store Wickes has seen like-for-like sales slide 1.6 per cent from a year ago in the third quarter to September 25, as fewer people turn their hand to home improvement projects after the end of lockdowns. The Watford-headquartered retailer said that its sales remained 16.3 per cent above 2019 levels, but it hadn’t sustained [...]
Software group Aveva announces revenue growth October 27, 2021 AVEVA, specialists in engineering and industrial software, announces a revenue growth of approximately 9 per cent in the first half of the financial year on a pro forma organic constant currency.
