Author: Loveworld UK

Theresa May has told top City executives they should “emphasise the benefits for Europe” of a Brexit trade deal that includes London’s financial centre. Downing Street released a statement after the PM and Chancellor Philip Hammond held talks with senior bosses of top institutions including Barclays, Goldman Sachs, Lloyd’s of London and Aviva – a meeting first reported by Sky News. It suggested the Government – and the executives present – were in agreement that Europe as a whole would lose out to other financial centres in the world – such as New York or Hong Kong – through a…

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is optimistic she can form a new government as she embarked in new coalition talks. The discussions, which bring Ms Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and allied Christian Social Union (CSU) together with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), are seen as a final attempt to create a coalition after months of deadlock. Set to last five days, they follow a shock general election that in September failed to return a majority, leaving all parties with reduced vote shares and Germany without a government. “I am going into these talks with optimism, but it is…

House of Fraser (HoF), one of the UK’s biggest department store chains, is seeking to slash its rent bill, stoking fears of further casualties on an increasingly embattled high street. Sky News has learnt that HoF has contacted an undisclosed number of the owners of its 59 UK outlets to ask for substantial rent reductions. The chain, which is privately owned by Sanpower, a Chinese conglomerate, is understood to have made the “informal” request in recent weeks, although it was unclear on Friday whether it had been communicated to landlords before or after its Boxing Day sale got underway. HoF…

The Grenfell Tower inquiry has cancelled its contract with auditors KPMG after concerns were raised about potential conflicts of interest. The accountancy firm has previously been involved with Celotex, the company which supplied Grenfell Tower’s cladding, as well as the Rydon Group, the lead contractor in the buildings renovation three years ago. A spokesperson for the inquiry said KPMG had been appointed to provide “limited planning and programme management” during its “start-up phase”. A statement released by the inquiry said: “Following concerns expressed by some core participants, the inquiry team has discussed the contract with KPMG which has agreed that…

Theresa May is reportedly poised to appoint a “Cabinet minister for no deal” in a move that will delight hard-line Tory Brexiteers but dismay pro-Remain MPs. The controversial move in the Prime Minister’s New Year reshuffle, reported in The Daily Telegraph, threatens to overshadow her bid to freshen up her Government with new talent. Although the new minister is likely to be based in David Davis’s Brexit department, the appointment is likely to be seen as another move to sideline him in Brexit negotiations. The veteran Brexit Secretary, 69, has already seen his top civil servant and chief negotiator, Olly…

ERUSALEM, Israel – Palestinian officials responded to President Donald Trump’s tweet threatening to defund the Palestinian Authority by saying they would not be blackmailed and that Jerusalem was not for sale. Meanwhile, Israeli officials said Trump had pulled off the P.A.’s “mask of hypocrisy.” In a pair of tweets, Trump said on Tuesday that “we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They don’t even want to negotiate a long overdue… peace treaty with Israel.” He added that, “with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make…

Aldi says it is to raise its minimum wage levels following a record Christmas for the UK’s fifth-largest supermarket chain. The German discounter reported sales growth of 15% in December compared to the previous year – with total annual sales in the UK and Ireland hitting £10bn for the first time in 2017. It claimed there was clear evidence of shoppers “switching” to its offering over the festive season as it continued to pile the pressure on more established rivals such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons. In the first Christmas trading update in the sector, Aldi reported particularly strong…

Tony Blair has said 2018 will be the year the “fate of Brexit” is decided, as he hit out at Labour’s “mistaken” stance on Britain’s EU divorce. The former prime minister said the next 12 months will be crucial as 2017 was “too early in the negotiation” and by 2019 it will be “too late” to have a say on whether Britain’s future relationship with Brussels is better than the current arrangements. In the latest in a string of interventions since the June 2016 referendum, Mr Blair attacked Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying the party’s “timidity” over Europe under his…

Debenhams has issued a profit warning and refused to rule out job losses after a weak festive season – its shares falling over 20% in response. In a trading statement that was brought forward from next week, the retailer said it had been forced to slash prices to boost flagging sales – describing business as “highly competitive and volatile”. The department store chain said like-for-like sales in the 17 weeks to 30 December in its core UK market fell 2.6% overall. “We took tactical promotional action to improve our performance which resulted in a stronger six-week Christmas period against tough…

Get a copy of the New Year Message to meditate upon and distribute from the Pastor Chris Digital Library app. The New Year Message, titled ‘the Year of the Supernatural’, is now available in audio format for download and streaming on the Pastor Chris Digital Library app. Last night, the man of God, Pastor Chris, said “the year means nothing without the Word of God; God’s Word is your light, your direction, your instruction.” As such, there’s no better time to start listening to and getting immersed in the message of the year. Download the Pastor Chris Digital Library app on the iOS…