Laura Ashley warns on full-year performance amid market turbulence February 20, 2019 Laura Ashley has warned its full-year performance will fall short of market expectations after posting a drop in sales for its interim results. The homeware chain, which is owned by Malaysian United Industries, suffered a 4.2 per cent decline in like-for-like retail sales for the 26 weeks to the end of December. Read more: Laura [...]
Facebook faces paying billions of dollars in data breach penalty February 15, 2019 Facebook faces a record multi-billion dollar fine from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for privacy violations, according to reports. The penalty would surpass the $22.5m (£17.5m) fine the FTC issued to Google for failing to protect user data as the largest ever financial punishment imposed by the US government's privacy and security watchdog. Read more: [...]
It’s time we called out the Home Office for its shameful attitude to refugees February 15, 2019 “There’s no place like home”, Dorothy says, as she taps her red heels together three times and returns to the place she loves. She’s right. Your home is your shelter, It’s your community, your friends, your local shops and landmarks. It’s dedication and love for your area. Building a home takes time and investment; familiarity does [...]
City of London Corporation appoints Refinitiv executive Nick Collier as Brussels managing director February 14, 2019 The City of London Corporation has appointed a senior boss at financial data firm Refinitiv as managing director for its Brussels office. Nick Collier, the global head of government relations at Refinitiv, will take on the role from March, the same month that the UK is set to leave the EU. The City of London Corporation said [...]
Thinking of investing in your employer’s Workplace Isa scheme? Here’s your guide February 14, 2019 From a simple savings account to a product that helps you buy your first home, we are not short of Isas to choose from. And with 10.8m adults subscribed to at least one type of Isa in the last tax year, they’re also very popular. But, unless your employer offers it, there is one type [...]
You couldn’t make it up! The rise of the ‘robo-writer’ February 12, 2019 A recent news story about political donations to Australia’s political parties isn’t normally something to grab my attention, but this brief article in the Guardian did – thanks to its byline. The reporter was a robot called “Reporter Mate”. The robot ‒ or experimental automated news reporting system, as Guardian Australia calls it ‒ is [...]
Clash of Clans maker Supercell reports second consecutive year of falling profits February 12, 2019 Mobile gaming firm Supercell has posted falling sales and profits for a second year running, reporting a 26 per cent drop in income as its bestselling titles fail to age gracefully. The Finnish firm, which was the brains behind viral iPhone games Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, was last valued at $10bn (£7.8bn) in 2016 [...]
Post-Brexit immigration plans will stifle London’s economy, says CBI February 11, 2019 The government’s post-Brexit immigration plans will stifle London’s economy due to restrictions placed on overseas workers earning less than £30,000 a year, an influential business group has said. The new visa system, which would prevent firms employing workers under the income limit for more than a year, would particularly affect the accommodation and hospitality sector [...]
The final frontier: Opportunities for global Britain lie in the stars February 11, 2019 This summer marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first humans landing on the moon on 20 July 1969. It was a defining moment of human achievement that still intrigues and fascinates to this day. First Man, Hollywood’s look at the life of the astronaut Neil Armstrong, played by Ryan Gosling, has just been nominated for [...]
Monzo to roll out business bank accounts in revenue shake-up February 10, 2019 Digital bank Monzo will launch its first business accounts today, as the loss-making challenger attempts to find a more efficient way to generate revenue. The bank will open a waitlist, initially accepting only the first 100 applicants into beta testing. Monzo said it hopes to fully launch accounts for small businesses by the end of [...]