New-look cabinet to meet later after Sajid Javid’s shock exit February 14, 2020 Boris Johnson’s newly reshuffled cabinet will meet for the first time later today after the shock departure of chancellor Sajid Javid. His deputy, Rishi Sunak, is the new Treasury boss after Javid refused to sack his special advisers in order to keep his job. He said “no self-respecting minister” could agree to Prime Minister Boris [...]
Strong homes performance keep MJ Gleeson on track despite loss February 13, 2020 Urban housing regeneration firm MJ Gleeson has reported strong performance from its homes division for the half-year. The company registered an operating profit of £15.9m in this sector during the first half of the year 2019/20, up from £14m in the comparable six month period, a 13 per cent increase. However, overall profit after tax [...]
Norwegian Air deepens cutbacks as 737 Max crisis weighs February 13, 2020 Norwegian Air has posted a loss of 1.87bn Norwegian krone (£155m) in the fourth quarter as the Boeing 737 Max crisis continued to take its toll on the airline. This was narrowed from the 3bn krone loss posted in the same period in 2018, but lagged behind analysts’ forecasts. Operating revenue also fell seven per [...]
Nissan records losses amid backdrop of Carlos Ghosn scandal February 13, 2020 Nissan has posted a net loss of 26.1 billion yen (£183.3m) in the third quarter of 2019. The company has cut its annual operating profit forecast by 43 per cent after global vehicle sales fell 11 per cent from October to December. This comes as it faces a changing car market and fallout from the [...]
Extinction Rebellion dig up Home Office lawn in mining protest February 13, 2020 Environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion has targeted government buildings by digging up layers of turf. Images on Twitter show activists excavating landscapes of turf outside offices on Marsham Street which house the Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The group say they are doing this in protest at proposals for [...]
Bribery probe and military aircraft unit send Airbus to €1.36bn loss February 13, 2020 Global aerospace giant Airbus has swung to €1.36bn loss for 2019, compared to a profit of just over €3bn for the year before. The huge loss is down to a provision for a $4bn settlement of a bribery case as well as a €1.2bn charge against its military aircraft programme. The group has however met [...]
Heineken predicts 2020 profits will fizz February 12, 2020 Dutch lager giant Heineken expects lower barley and aluminium prices to boost 2020 profits, it said today. The second largest brewer in the world, whose product is Europe’s top selling lager, also expects higher volumes and prices to boost revenues this year. This is in addition to a customer shift towards more expensive drinks. Heineken’s [...]
Nissan to file £70m lawsuit against fugitive ex-chief Carlos Ghosn February 12, 2020 Nissan wants 10bn yen (£70m) in damages from its former boss Carlos Ghosn in relation to his alleged financial misconduct, Reuters has reported. The civil lawsuit filed to seek the sum follows Ghosn’s dramatic escape from Japan to Lebanon last December. The allegations the former Nissan chair faces, all of which he denies, include understating [...]
Shares of HS2 contractors Balfour Beatty, Kier, Costain surge on green light February 11, 2020 Shares in British construction giants rose today after Prime Minister Boris Johnson opted to press ahead with the controversial HS2 rail project. The PM had been under pressure from some in his party to scrap the project after its estimated cost rose to £106bn. But today he gave the infrastructure scheme the green light, telling [...]
HS2: Businesses react to Boris Johnson’s green light for controversial rail project February 11, 2020 Business groups have welcomed the government’s decision to proceed with the controversial HS2 rail line. The Prime Minister’s expected announcement comes after months of debate over whether the scheme should go ahead. This follows a report that the project could cost over £100bn, three times what was originally forecast. BCC: ‘Great news for business’ Director [...]