Latest stories
- SWNS
Pub fighting back against 'orchestrated campaign' to close business
A pub landlord says he may be forced close his canal-side pub which has been in business since the 1850s due to a noise complaint from a single neighbour. The Rising Sun, in Berkhamsted, Hertforshire, UK is the ‘last remaining Victorian alehouse' built to service the Grand Union canal’. But landlord Mark Granger, 57, fears he may have to close the pub after a resident moved in and complained about the noise of regulars drinking at tables outside. In June last year the neighbour made a formal complaint to his local council which began an investigation.
- Reuters Videos
Boeing blues: a mom-and-pop supplier feels the pain
STORY: Rosemary and Larry Brester don’t immediately look like players in the big business of making jet planes. But their family run firm in the Seattle area has been supplying Boeing with metal parts for decades. And it’s small companies like this that could be hardest hit by the troubles at the aerospace giant. "All of a sudden it was the MAX issue that was going on with the Boeing company. And then with the door plug issue, it just kind of escalated everything, and everything was put on hold, and we saw a drastic shift in how our business, the income, coming into the business and the type of works that, you know, work that we were getting and the jobs - totally shifted and so it became a struggle. And then the strike hit and then it just made it worse. It's the worst I've ever seen it."The pair began making parts for Boeing in 1973. It was a literal mom-and-pop business, with Rosemary taking care of their young kids in between work, and Larry cranking out parts in the garage. Over the years, they’ve expanded, and come to love the industry. "We actually had drinks with Buzz Aldrin at one of the aerospace events in the U.K., and so I think that that was a highlight. And we still stay connected today. So that's nice.”But they remain a small cog in the vast Boeing supply chain - and that leaves them exposed to the firm’s troubles. Because the jet maker has been lurching from one crisis to another, including a midair blowout that led regulators to cap output over safety concerns. And then a major strike that saw production of its best-selling 737 MAX jets brought to a complete halt. This week, Boeing said output was starting again, but experts say it could take months to ramp up - leaving a legion of suppliers worldwide short of business. Back in the machine shop the usual buzz of workers on day and swing shifts has gone quiet, with just Larry left to turn out a few parts."Well, in my end of it. I love seeing the different components that come in because a lot of times we have new things from engineers that it looks like a neat challenge to manufacture.”Nearing the end of their careers, this pair can afford to be sanguine. But they’ve put hiring plans on hold for now, spelling missed opportunity for hopeful workers and the local economy. Even so, Rosemary and Larry bet Boeing will recover, given time."We would be bored to death."And they’re not listening to any suggestion that it’s time to call it a day.
- The Telegraph
Staff investigating miscarriages of justice go into office twice a year
Public sector staff investigating potential miscarriages of justice are going into the office just twice a year, The Telegraph can reveal.
- Reuters
China's Nio, behind on growth targets, aims to tighten cost control
SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio will seek to improve efficiency and cost control as it seeks to spur sales growth that is two years behind schedule, its CEO said on Thursday. William Li told reporters at an event in Shanghai that it will also start production at its third factory in the second half of next year, and that it aimed to achieve monthly deliveries of 20,000 cars from its second, Onvo brand, by March 2025. Li said last month the company aims to double sales in 2025 from this year.
- The Telegraph
Human rights worker awarded £36k after harassment at office Christmas party
A human rights worker has been awarded £36,000 after she was harassed at her office’s Christmas party.
- Bradford Telegraph and Argus
Pub in centre of Bradford transformation works to reopen
A PUB in the centre of a major city centre transformation scheme will soon re-open.
- Simply Wall St.
Top Dividend Stocks To Consider For Your Portfolio
In a week marked by mixed performances in major global indices and a rally in growth stocks, investors are keeping a close eye on economic indicators such as job growth and potential interest rate cuts. Amidst this backdrop, dividend stocks can offer stability and income, making them an attractive option for those looking to balance their portfolios during times of market volatility.
- Reuters
Rosneft, Reliance agree biggest ever India-Russia oil supply deal, sources say
NEW DELHI/MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's state oil firm Rosneft has agreed to supply nearly 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude to Indian private refiner Reliance in the biggest ever energy deal between the two countries, three sources familiar with the deal said. It would further cement energy relations between India and Russia, which is under heavy Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Rosneft did not reply to requests for comments.
- Reuters
Exclusive-Aviva's India officials approved brokerage model queried by taxmen
An Aviva business model that Indian tax officials say was used to pay agents unlawful commissions from 2017 to 2023 was rolled out internally in 2013 and approved in writing by top India executives, a confidential company document shows. Tax inspectors accuse the British insurer of engaging in a clandestine scheme involving hundreds of individuals and illegal payments of $26 million that used fake invoices to enable the commissions in excess of regulatory caps, Reuters has reported. Aviva has said it is actively engaging with Indian authorities, but the accusations are the biggest challenge it faces in a key market where it has struggled to grow amid intense competition.
- Cover Media
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Three men detail new rape allegations against Sean 'Diddy' Combs
The shocking new lawsuits allege Combs knocked out the men with alcohol before "frighteningly consistent" sexual assaults. The incidents took place between 2019 and 2022, according to documents filed in New York's Supreme Court and obtained by NBC. The way Combs went after these men was "very consistent, frighteningly consistent, exactly consistent," lawyer Thomas Giuffra told NBC News. One of the accusers alleged that Combs and "his associates from Bad Boy Records" took turns in the sexual assault.
- Reuters
Kyiv ready to supply food to Syria as Russia supplies suspended
Ukraine, a global producer and exporter of grain and oilseeds, is ready to supply food to Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Vitaliy Koval told Reuters on Friday. Russian and Syrian sources said earlier that Russian wheat supplies to Syria had been suspended over uncertainty about the new government and payment delays. Syria imported food from Russia during the Assad era and it is unclear how relations between Damascus and Moscow will take shape under the new government.
- South China Morning Post
Chinese EV maker Nio takes aim at foreign luxury marques BMW, Audi with new sedan
International car brands, already experiencing a sharp sales decline, have one more thing to worry about as Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio began sales of a new luxury sedan to challenge the likes of BMW's 7 series and Audi's A8. The fully electric ET9 executive sedan, which the company expects to begin delivering in March, will spearhead a move among Chinese EV makers to break the dominance of conventional petroleum-powered luxury vehicles built by foreign rivals, said William Li, CEO o
- The Telegraph
The best pensions for 2025
Making sure your finances are in order is the less exciting part of scoping out your later years, but without careful planning it could mean the day you’ve dreamt of finally leaving work never arrives.
- Reuters
UK's Ofcom fines Royal Mail for the second time over missed delivery targets
This is the second fine issued against the company after it was fined $6.9 million in November 2023 for failing to meet delivery targets. IDS blamed its challenging financial position and delays related to last year's union strike. The parent company of Britain's Royal Mail had warned of a worsening cost environment following last month's budget and said it could not rule out price hikes and increased automation as it looks to cut costs after returning to a profit in the first half.
- Reuters
Mexican regulator fines local Walmart unit for monopolistic practice
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexico's antitrust watchdog Cofece ruled that the local unit of U.S.-based retail giant Walmart, known as Walmex, engaged in monopolistic behavior related to its suppliers, the company said in a statement on Friday. Walmex said it has been ordered to pay a fine of just over 93 million pesos, or about $4.6 million, while stressing it believes the regulator's analysis is incorrect and that it will appeal its ruling. "Walmex is disappointed by this decision but will comply with Cofece's resolution while challenging the decision," the company said, adding that the ruling by Cofece's governing body was not unanimous.
- SmartAsset
Schwab Found This Was the Average Retirement Income Strategy. How Does Yours Compare?
A growing number of workers report that their primary source of retirement income will come from their 401(k) workplace savings plan, according to a new retirement study from Schwab. In 2022, workers said 37% of their retirement money would come from 401(k) cash. That figure has now risen to 40% of workers. Consider working with […] The post You May Need to Rethink Where Your Retirement Income Will Come From appeared first on SmartReads by SmartAsset.
- South China Morning Post
New generative AI services slow in China as regulators approve 64 more apps for release
China has approved 64 generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) services for release in Beijing's latest regulatory approvals, making it the smallest of the three batches to be given the go-ahead this year, in a fresh sign that the domestic AI market is becoming saturated. The November approvals have gone to a diverse group of products and applications, spanning a variety of industries, according to a document published by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the national internet watchdog.
- PA Media: UK News
Woman settles case over alleged sexual harassment at a work Christmas dinner
Fernanda Hermosilla brought the case following a works event in December 2022.
- The Hollywood Reporter
Interview With Man Accusing “Diddy” of White Party Sexual Assault Is Riddled With Major Inconsistencies
The year that a man gigging as security personnel encountered the embattled rap mogul changed in his sit-down with CNN, as did whether or not he ever married.
- Reuters
Evonik aims to spin off assets and could shed 7,000 jobs
The group, based in Germany's industrial heartland, could spin off activities at its Marl and Wesseling sites with a combined 3,600 employees, CEO Christian Kullmann said, adding these assets could be transferred into joint ventures or sold. Evonik still expects to increase its operating profit this year. Evonik on Friday also announced a restructuring of its business lines into two segments.