Author: Loveworld UK

Shares in Greggs have plunged by 14% after the “Beast from the East” took a bite out of sales and prompted a profit warning. The bakery chain, which has nearly 1,900 shops, said trading had been “challenging” in March and April when the severe weather meant that many of its shops could not be opened.Greggs also pointed to uncertainties in the retail sector – with much of its trade dependent on visits to high streets and other shopping venues – as it said it expected full-year profits to be flat on the year before.It is the latest business to report…

Former SAS commander Lieutenant-General Mark Carleton-Smith has been appointed as the new head of the Army. “Lt Gen Carleton-Smith played a leading role in many of our recent operations at home and abroad, including our campaign to defeat Daesh in Iraq and Syria,” said Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.The 54-year-old becomes Chief of the General Staff, filling the spot left by General Sir Nick Carter – who is now the head of all the UK’s armed forces.The Old Etonian started his military career with the Irish Guards in 1986, served in the Kosovo War before becoming the commanding officer of 22…

Retail sales slumped at their sharpest pace for more than two decades last month, according to industry figures that add to the bleak picture of the UK’s consumer economy. Total sales fell 3.1% in April compared to the same month last year, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) – the biggest decline since its survey began in January 1995.On a like-for-like basis – comparing sales in stores that have been open for more than a year – there was a fall of 4.2%, the sharpest since April 2005.The BRC said the slump partly reflected the timing of Easter holidays,…

Vodafone has agreed to buy Liberty Global’s operations in four European countries in a deal worth €18.4bn (£16.1bn). The deal sees the UK-based telecoms giant take control of cable operators in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania.Shares rose 1% in early trading.Vodafone said the “transformative” purchase, which adds to existing operations in Germany and Spain, would make it the leading “next generation network” in Europe with 54 million cable and fibre homes on its network.Including partnerships and wholesale arrangements, the deal will give Vodafone a reach of 110 million homes and businesses, it said.The widely-anticipated deal shifts the balance…

It was well telegraphed in advance but that didn’t make the punch of the US withdrawal from the Iran deal any less powerful. President Donald Trump has just sent an earthquake through the Middle East and risked alienating key European allies.Anyone who thinks there was a glimmer of optimism, and the door is left open for a new deal, wasn’t really listening to what the President had just said.Virtually every aspect of the Iranian regime’s foreign agenda was attacked.This was not just about the deal. This was about Iran’s aggressive behaviour across the region.:: Analaysis: The President has made a…

Labour MP Heidi Alexander will quit Parliament in order to become one of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s deputies. The former Labour frontbencher will trigger a by-election in her Lewisham East seat after being appointed deputy mayor for transport at the capital’s City Hall.Ms Alexander will replace retiring deputy mayor Val Shawcross this summer and will stand down as an MP before taking up the role.She said: “After eight years as the Member of Parliament for Lewisham East and six years as a local councillor, I know just how important it is we ensure everyone has access to a high-quality and…

A man has been jailed for at least 26 years for a murder he tried to blame on his 14-year-old son. Tree surgeon Matthew Moseley, 50, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court for shooting dead 32-year-old Lee Holt near Accrington, Lancashire, last October.Moseley handed the firearm to his son Thomas, and told him to tell police he was the one that pulled the trigger.The teenager followed his father’s orders and made a fake confession to police.Moseley remained quiet as his son was led away by police in handcuffs.Later, however, Thomas changed his account of what happened at a house Oswaldtwistle.Even…

Plans for a merger between “big six” energy suppliers SSE and npower face an in-depth investigation by regulators on fears that the deal could mean higher bills for households. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found after an initial inquiry that the tie-up could reduce competition – potentially leading to higher prices.On Tuesday it said SSE and npower “did not offer measures to address the CMA’s concerns” so it has referred the merger for a “phase 2” probe, with a deadline for the final report on 22 October.The deal, agreed in November, would see SSE and Innogy – npower’s German…

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has resigned following allegations he physically assaulted four women. Mr Schneiderman, 63, stepped down shortly after The New Yorker magazine quoted the women as saying they had been subjected to non-consensual physical violence during romantic relationships or encounters with him.A spokesman for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said they had opened an investigation into the allegations.Mr Schneiderman, a Democrat, had recently emerged as a champion of women’s rights and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump.He had become a vociferous figure in the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and demanded greater compensation for the victims…

A public consultation is being launched to find ways of simplifying the rail ticketing system that currently means 55 million different fares exist. The study, which will be carried out by The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents private train operators andGovernment-owned Network Rail, aims to identify ways to make the system fairer and easier to use.It follows a survey by KPMG on behalf of the rail industry which found that only one in three (34%) passengers were “very confident” they bought the best value ticket for their last journey.The report concluded that rail ticketing should be::: transparent, predictable, easier…