Air France strike: Tens of thousands of passengers stranded by latest walk out
More than 40 long-haul flights have been grounded to and from Paris CDG airport alone
Biafra Activist - Biafra Or Dead. No Going Back
Vauxhall could close more than 100 UK dealerships amid falling car sales
Company is renegotiating franchise agreements with dealerships in bid to improve profits
Vauxhall will cut back its dealership network amid rapidly falling UK car sales and changing consumer behaviour.
The company will terminate contracts with all of its 326 dealerships and renegotiate them in order to make its network more profitable. Vauxhall’s European sister company Opel is carrying out a similar exercise across the Continent.
The exact number of Vauxhall dealerships that will survive in the UK is not known but is likely to be between 200 and its current figure, the company said.
Read more Vauxhall 'could shut dealerships', threatening thousands of jobs Vauxhall’s sales plunged by more than a fifth last year and were down 18 per cent in the first three months of this year. Across the industry, UK car sales as a whole slipped 5.6 per cent in 2017.
Consumers now do far more of their research into making a new car purchase online, lessening the demand for dealerships..
Malaria parasites present in 25% of donor blood in some African countries, study suggests
Almost one in four blood bank supplies in certain regions of Africa may have malaria parasites in them, a new study suggests.
UK wages rise faster than inflation for first time in a year
Wages grew faster than inflation for the first time in almost a year in February and the jobless rate fell to just 4.2 per cent according to the latest official data.
The Office for National Statistics reported that wages were up 2.8 per cent in the three months to February on a year earlier, higher than the 2.7 per cent rate of consumer price inflation over that period.
Real wages turned negative in April 2017 as inflation – due to the plunge in the pound in the wake of the Brexit vote – jumped.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate in February ticked down to 4.2 per cent, from 4.3 per cent previously.
However, the wages data was weaker than the 3 per cent growth that many City of London analysts had anticipated, sending sterling down to $1.4338.
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Pound sterling hits post-Brexit referendum high as UK prepares for next round of EU talks
Strong pound pushed FTSE 100 down on Tuesday morning
The pound hit its highest level against the dollar since the Brexit vote in June 2016, rising to $1.4364 by mid-morning.
Sterling’s surge has been attributed to optimism ahead of wages and unemployment data, released on Tuesday morning, weakness in the dollar, and reduced concerns around the possibility of a hard Brexit as the UK and EU get ready for the next round of negotiations.
Read more Sterling rises as Mark Carney signals hawkish stance on rates The strong pound pushed the FTSE 100 down by three points at the open.
Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Think Markets, said: “Traders have pushed the currency higher ahead of the important upcoming wages and unemployment data, perhaps there is a real optimism amidst them.
“We do think it is a bold move because most of the bets are based on the hopes that the health of the job market would permit the Bank of England to adopt a more aggressive stance towards their monetar..
Huawei, Failing to Crack U.S. Market, Signals a Change in Tactics
Huawei, Failing to Crack U.S. Market, Signals a Change in Tactics Photo As the Chinese telecom giant Huawei roars ahead in the rest of the world, roadblocks in Washington have thwarted its attempts to build a presence in the United States. Credit David Paul Morris/Bloomberg SHANGHAI — For Huawei’s longstanding efforts to crack the United States market, it’s the end of an era.
Last week, the Chinese telecom giant laid off five American employees, including its top liaison to the United States government, William Plummer, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Plummer, who was with the company for almost eight years, became the face of Huawei’s Sisyphean efforts to win over Washington.
Bedeviled by concerns about its close relationship to the Chinese government, Huawei has spent much of the last decade lobbying to be allowed to sell its communications equipment to American telecom carriers. Mr. Plummer emerged as a highly visible representative during a series of congressional..
JD Sports shares pop as retailer reports record yearly profit
Retailer chasing further growth with recent acquisition of leading US brand
JD Sports shares rose more than 6 per cent in early trading after the group reported what it said were “record results” for the year to 3 February.
Pre-tax profit rose 24 per cent to £294.5m, from £238.4m the year before, while revenue increased by 33 per cent to £3.2bn from £2.4bn.
Read more JD shows up rival Sports Direct with US deal JD Sports unveils $550m deal to buy US athleisure business Finish Line JD Wetherspoon posts rise in profits but warns of tough year ahead The company said like-for-like in-store sales rose 3 per cent, but the lion’s share of sales came from its website, with growth of 30 per cent.
“This is an excellent result demonstrating our capacity for continuing growth in both existing and new markets, and the strength of our offer in store and online,” said JD Sports boss Peter Cowgill.
“The investments we have made over a number of years in developing our multichannel propositio..
Primark owner ABF says sugar business to blame for 30% drop in profit
Group plans to open nine new Primark stores across the globe in second half of the year
Associated British Foods (ABF), the owner of discount fashion giant Primark, has reported a 30 per cent drop in profit despite increased sales across almost all its businesses during the first half of the current financial year.
The group said decline in its sugar operation was to blame for the dip in overall pre-tax profit, which fell to £623m from £895m in the first half of 2017. Shares dropped more than 1.7 per cent at the open.
Read more Primark: The corporate symbol of a discount Brexit Britain? ABF owns AB Sugar, which has been struggling for some time due to falling sugar prices as a result of the EU removing sugar sales quotas. On Tuesday, the company reported operating profit from the sugar business fell 27 per cent to £90m in the 24 weeks to 3 March, while revenue dropped 13 per cent to £938m.
Primark delivered an 8 per cent rise in revenue, to £3.5bn, and a 6 per cent increase in..
A Beginner’s Guide to Taking Great Video on Your Phone
A Beginner’s Guide to Taking Great Video on Your Phone Photo Credit Joshua Bright for The New York Times Not long ago, a filmmaker wouldn’t dream of shooting a movie on a phone because the quality was so inferior to what you could capture on pricier devices. But that’s changing. Consider this: The most recent project from the renowned American film director Steven Soderbergh, “Unsane,” was shot entirely on an iPhone.
Today, there are lots of reasons everyone from pro photographers to amateur shutterbugs are using phones to shoot video projects.
Like many of his peers, Christian Nachtrieb, a Boston-based corporate and wedding photographer, finds phones aren’t just continuing to improve in terms of quality, but they’re also extremely convenient. “It’s the readiness factor. Having a phone right in your pocket is a huge plus,” says Mr. Nachtrieb, who might see a stunning sunset, capture it on his phone, and then splice it into a final wedding video. “No one in a million years could tell th..
New Delhi Journal: ‘Men Treat Us Like We Aren’t Human.’ Indian Girls Learn to Fight Back.
‘Men Treat Us Like We Aren’t Human.’ Indian Girls Learn to Fight Back.