All news by author: Lawrence Matheson

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Government's 4G rural coverage plan behind schedule, warns National Audit Office
The scheme involves mobile operators sharing infrastructure to boost mobile signal in rural areas
856
First-time buyers typically paying £20,000 below market average, says Zoopla
They're getting their first houses for an average of £244,100 which is 8% below the market average
587
HSBC reveals record profits of £24bn as chief sees pay double to £10.6m
The bank said its pre-tax profit surged by nearly 80% to top £24 billion in 2023, up from £13.6 billion the year before
1210
Heathrow on the up as it records £38m profit for first time since pandemic
The owners of the UK airport reported underlying pre-tax profits of £38 million in 2023, against losses of £684 million the previous year and marking the first time it has made a profit since 2019
1111
BAE Systems' order backlog hits record £70bn as world powers update defences
The business said it now had "a high level of visibility of our revenues for many years to come", with some of the programmes running "well into the next decade"
792
Housebuilder Vistry defends decision to hike boss's pay despite revolt
Vistry said it recognised the concerns people have but was standing by the pay policy
566
Lloyds profits surge by 57% but bank sets aside £450m for car finance probe
The banking group said it made a pre-tax profit of £7.5 billion over 2023, rising by 57% compared with the £4.8 billion made in 2022, and coming in ahead of analysts' expectations
821
Millions of households expected to see energy bills drop by £272 from April 1
Lower energy bills will be good news for families that have faced increasing gas and electricity costs in recent years
1017
Barclays overhaul welcomed by investors, but fears raised about further job cuts
The bank is aiming to save about £1 billion from making the bank more efficient this year, and targeting about £2 billion worth of savings in total by 2026
1063
Lurpak owner Arla sees sales slip as shoppers opt for cheaper, no-brand products
The dairy giant said it saw an improvement in the second half of the year, as more customers returned to its brands, which includes Castello cheese
768
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey says UK's recession is 'very weak'
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has said that inflation does not need to reach 2% before the Bank starts cutting interest rates
684
Lloyds Bank launches account to help young adults take first step into investing
This account is free for 18 to 25-year-olds and can be managed alongside their everyday banking in the Lloyds Bank app
879
Superdry shares surge 14% as possible takeover talks held with US investor
It comes almost a month after the retail business said it is looking at various "cost-saving options"
922
Lyle's Golden Syrup ditches iconic logo of dead lion in first rebrand since 1883
Lyle's Golden Syrup has unveiled a new logo and packaging in its first rebrand since 1883, replacing the iconic image of a dead lion being swarmed by bees
1218
Former Bank of China chairman Liu Liange is indicted on bribery charges
The former chairman of the Bank of China has been indicted on bribery charges, prosecutors said Monday, adding to a long list of business and government officials who have been brought down by Chinese leader Xi Jinping's anticorruption drive
1006
Houthi rebels' missile attack forces crew to abandon damaged Belize-flagged ship
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, also claimed they had shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone
944
New probe launched into supply of baby formula milk after 25% price hike
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has begun a study into formula milk market
1126
Holiday Inn owner pledges bumper shareholder returns after record £794m earnings
The firm pledged to return over one billion US dollars (£794 million) to shareholders this year in dividends and share buyouts after the bumper profits haul
675
Kemi Badenoch accused of 'astonishing' claims as Post Office row escalates
The Business Secretary has accused Henry Staunton of spreading 'falsehoods' about the Horizon scandal, but he has hit back at her claims
980
'Bad employers are parking workers on zero hours contracts for years' says TUC
The TUC said hundreds of thousands of workers are being trapped in low-pay and insecurity
1289
HS2 on track to deliver a £10bn economic boost for West Midlands, says report
The impending arrival of the high-speed railway will lead to the creation of around 41,000 new homes, nearly 31,000 new jobs and more than 700,000 square metres of new commercial floorspace in the region, analysis commissioned by HS2 Ltd found
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Social media and search engines still littered with scam ads, warns Which?
Which? found "blatant" fraudulent advertising, from copycats of major retail brands to investment scams and ads using the identities of celebrities despite them having no connection with the product or service
721
Bank of England 'no longer competent' and its freedom 'must be questioned'
Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg took aim at the Bank of England's response to economic events as Labour used a Commons urgent question to raise concerns over the UK falling into recession
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Barclays profits fall by 6% to £6.6bn as bank spends £1bn on restructuring
In the last quarter, its profit dropped by 92% from £1.3 billion the previous year to £110 million
1040
TikTok is under investigation by the EU over child safety, privacy concerns
The European Union said it's investigating whether TikTok has broken the bloc's strict new digital rules for cleaning up social media and keeping internet users safe