Sainsbury’s has reported a 9% fall in half-year profits, but sales rose. The UK’s second largest supermarket chain said profits were £251m in the 28 weeks to the 23 September, while like-for- like sales excluding fuel went up by 1.6%. It said the fall in profits was due to price cutting, wage cost inflation and…
Monarch Airlines has lost its High Court battle against Airport Co-ordination Limited’s (“ACL”) decision not to allocate certain take-off and landing slots to Monarch for next summer. Monarch wanted to exchange with other carriers to raise cash for creditors. The slots cover Manchester, Gatwick, Birmingham, Luton and Leeds-Bradford airports. The airline ceased trading last month…
Morrisons, the UK’s fourth-biggest supermarket chain, has reported a 2.5% rise in sales for the third quarter. Sales at the supermarket have now grown for eight quarters in a row. Morrisons has been the best performing of the established “Big Four” supermarkets recently, although all chains are attempting to fight off the strong competition coming…
A proposal to make 13 the age of consent for signing up to online services such as social media platforms has come under fire in parliament. The House of Lords was holding its first debate on the Data Protection Bill, to ensure that the UK’s data protection regime aligns with that of the EU following…
In a recent case where a father sought contact with his daughter, he wanted to rely on his various covert recordings of conversations that he had had with a social worker, a Cafcass officer and a solicitor. The President of the Family Division, Sir James Munby, sitting in the Court of Appeal with King LJ,…
Department store chain Debenhams reported annual profits down by 44% at £59m. Same-store sales in physical outlets were flat, but mobile sales are growing fast and were up by 57%. Sales of beauty products, accessories and food and drink helped to offset what was a weak clothing market, Debenhams said. Food sales in its cafes…
Detailed plans for the flexible operating hours scheme have been published, as the Government continues with plans to change how courts work. The pilot scheme, which will be held in 11 courtrooms in England and Wales, is intended to create a system where people work different, but not extended, hours. HM Courts and Tribunals Service…
France is not recognising same-sex marriages converted from civil partnerships because France does not recognise their English marriages. One couple entered a civil partnership in 2008. They converted it to a marriage under the Marriage of Same Sex Couples (Conversion of Civil Partnership) Regulations 2014 which came into force in December 2014. On conversion the…
Lufthansa is set to sign a deal to buy parts of Air Berlin. Air Berlin, which is Germany’s second-largest carrier filed for bankruptcy in August after its main shareholder, Etihad, said it would not give further financial support. It reported a record loss of €782m (£713m) for last year. Flights continued after a transitional loan…
Ministry of Justice figures highlighting the rising number of private law cases and litigants in person have prompted calls for the government to heed recent warnings about the family justice system. 13,029 new private law applications, involving over 28,000 children, were made between April and June this year, a 3% increase on the same period…