Author: Loveworld UK

Fashion chain Next has set out a gloomy outlook for the high street as it reported a second successive set of falling annual profits and warned of a further decline next year. The FTSE 100 retailer said it had experienced its toughest period in a quarter of century as pre-tax profits for the year to 27 January slipped 8% to £726m – and said more “challenging” times were to come.Like-for-like full price sales in stores fell by 9.1% while in marked contrast, online full price sales were up 11.2%.The group expects sales declines in its stores to continue as shoppers…

Asian markets have fallen sharply overnight amid increasing fears of a damaging trade war between China and the US, the world’s largest two economies. Japan’s Nikkei closed 4.5% lower while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down by 2.4%, South Korea’s Kospi lost 3.2%, and China’s Shanghai Composite dropped 3.4% in value – following steep declines on Wall Street earlier.In London, the FTSE 100 fell 0.9% in early trading, having already lost 1.2% on Thursday to finish below the 7,000-mark for the first time since December 2016 – and move it officially into “correction” territory, more than 10% below its most…

Russia has denied involvement in the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury. However, Sky News has spoken to a man who played a key role in the development of Soviet nerve agents – and the novichok programme.Sky Correspondent John Sparks went to visit him.Amongst the water-logged fields of southern Russia, there is a modest looking town with an unusual resident – a scientist who played a key role in the development of Soviet nerve agents.His name is Vladimir Uglev and he told us he was willing to talk about his role in the…

A woman who was found stabbed to death at her home in London and her husband and children who subsequently died in East Sussex have been officially named by police. Laura Cecilia Navarrete De Figueira, 47, her husband Adelino Gabriel Figueira de Faria, 57, and their children Claudio Gabriel, 10 and Joaquin Alejandro, seven, were found dead on 5 March.Police found the bodies of a man and two boys just before 5pm on the beach at Birling Gap seafront in East Sussex.Ms Navarrete De Figueira’s body was found at around 6pm when police arrived at her home in South Road,…

The Bank of England has left interest rates on hold at 0.5% but an unexpected split vote saw two policy makers break cover to call for an immediate hike. Sterling briefly surged past $1.42 to reach a two-month high against the US dollar as the 7-2 split on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) appeared to add to the likelihood that there will be a rise in rates as soon as May.The Bank had already signalled last month that rates would need to rise sooner than previously thought.Experts are divided on whether a move up to 0.75% will come in May…

Donald Trump has threatened former vice president Joe Biden with violence, describing him as “weak, both mentally and physically”. The US President added that his Democrat rival would “go down fast and hard”.It follows comments from Mr Biden, who said he would “beat the hell” out of the President if they were in high school together and Mr Trump disrespected women.Tweeting his response, Mr Trump wrote that “crazy” Joe Biden was “trying to act like a tough guy”.He added: “Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault.”He doesn’t…

Russia has hit out at Boris Johnson for likening Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler, calling it “utterly disgusting” and “unacceptable”. The Foreign Secretary suggested the Russian President will “glory” in this summer’s World Cup in a similar way to the German dictator during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.Mr Johnson told a committee of MPs it was “an emetic prospect” to think of Mr Putin “glorying in this sporting event”, as he agreed it would be comparable to the Olympics held in Nazi Germany.”I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right,” Mr Johnson said. Image: Mr Johnson suggested Mr Putin will…

Retail sales grew by a better than expected 0.8% in February but the figures failed to lift the gloom surrounding the high street. The update from Office for National Statistics (ONS) follows a bleak day for the sector on Wednesday as a series of chains reported tough trading amid a squeeze on household incomes.February’s performance was better than the 0.4% growth pencilled in by the City but the ONS also revised down January data to show sales shrank by 0.2%.ONS senior statistician Rhian Murphy said: “Retail sales did grow in February, with increases seen in food, non-store and fuel, but…

Theresa May has been urged to visit the factory of a UK security firm and explain why a French company is taking over their contract to make British passports. De La Rue boss Martin Sutherland said the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Amber Rudd should look workers “in the whites of the eyes” and defend the decision.His firm, which has produced UK passports for the last decade, said it lost in the tendering process to make new post-Brexit blue passports.Gemalto, a French company, has reportedly won the bid by undercutting competitors by £50m.Shares in De La Rue fell 6% after…

One year after the Westminster attack, memorials are taking place to remember the victims and survivors of the four terrorist attacks which took place across London last year. Fourteen people were killed and more than 100 others injured in attacks in Westminster, London Bridge and Borough Market, Finsbury Park mosque and Parsons Green tube station. Image: PC Keith Palmer, an officer of 15 years, ‘was proud to be a policeman’ Theresa May lay a wreath of purple and white flowers on Parliament Square, with a hand written note which read: “In memory of those who were lost, and in defiance…