Supermarket Morrisons has posted a 2.9% rise in like-for-like sales over the nine weeks to 1 January, its best performance for seven years.
The Bradford-based chain hiked its full-year profit guidance after the better than expected Christmas sales, helping shares rise 4%.
Chief executive David Potts said Morrisons had made improvements to the seasonal shopping trip.
He said: "We stocked more of what our customers wanted to buy, more tills were open more often, and product availability improved."
:: Consumers face rising supermarket prices for first time since 2014
Morrisons said categories such as fruit and veg, plus beers, wines and spirits had performed well, together with its premium "Best" range and Nutmeg clothing line.
The trading figures will be seen as further evidence of a turnaround under the leadership of Mr Potts, who took over in March 2015 after predecessor Dalton Philips left the company amid sliding sales and profits.
Under Mr Potts, Morrisons has ditched its underperforming network of convenience stores and rebooted its internet offering, adding a tie-up with Amazon to its existing deal with online grocer Ocado.
The chief executive said the chain remained "firmly in fix mode" but said he was "delighted to have found our form".
"Our customers are responding as we turn this great British business around," he said.
Morrisons now expects underlying profits for the year to the end of January of £330-£340m, an upgrade on previous expectations and a significant improvement on last year's figure of £242m.
The group, Britain's fourth-biggest supermarket, is the first of the so-called "big four" to report on trading over the key Christmas period, to be followed by Sainsbury's on Wednesday and Tesco on Thursday.
It comes a day after discounter Aldi reported a 15% rise in December sales compared to the same period a year before, although much of the improvement was down to its rapid expansion.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Boy, nine, tells Southern rail: I'm tired of my parents coming home late every night
A nine-year-old boy has written to Southern rail bosses complaining that he is "tired" of his parents "coming home late every night because of the rail strikes".
Frankie Cottrell, from Hove, East Sussex, emailed the letter to the company - and his local MP - ahead of another wave of strikes by drivers of the ASLEF union today, tomorrow and on Friday.
The bitter dispute over driver-only trains - and cancellations, delays and short trains - means Frankie and his seven-year-old brother Henry sometimes do not see their parents at all in the evenings.
In a damning email to the firm, Frankie said his parents had paid "a lot of money for their season tickets/Oyster cards and are not getting value for their money".
"Surely there must be a way to solve these problems," he wrote.
"At school we are taught to negotiate with each other to sort out our differences and clearly you have not learnt to do this."
Frankie Cottrell, from Hove, East Sussex, emailed the letter to the company - and his local MP - ahead of another wave of strikes by drivers of the ASLEF union today, tomorrow and on Friday.
The bitter dispute over driver-only trains - and cancellations, delays and short trains - means Frankie and his seven-year-old brother Henry sometimes do not see their parents at all in the evenings.
In a damning email to the firm, Frankie said his parents had paid "a lot of money for their season tickets/Oyster cards and are not getting value for their money".
"Surely there must be a way to solve these problems," he wrote.
"At school we are taught to negotiate with each other to sort out our differences and clearly you have not learnt to do this."
Monday, January 9, 2017
Donald Trump gives son-in-law Jared Kushner government job
Donald Trump's son-in-law has been named as senior adviser to the President in the new US administration.
Jared Kushner, who is married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, has no political experience but has been a senior figure on the billionaire's team during the campaign.
Like his father-in-law, Mr Kushner is a New York-based real estate magnate with a wide range of business dealings that could be challenged as posing potential conflicts of interest.
The 35-year-old is also a publisher of the New York Observer weekly newspaper.
Mr Trump said his son-in-law will serve as senior White House adviser.
"Jared has been a tremendous asset and trusted adviser throughout the campaign and transition and I am proud to have him in a key leadership role in my administration," he said in a statement.
His appointment could also be challenged by an anti-nepotism law that bans presidents from hiring family members.
However, a lawyer for Mr Kushner argued Monday that the 1967 law does not apply to the West Wing and pointed to a later congressional measure which allows the President "unfettered" and "sweeping" authority in hiring staff.
Jamie Gorelick added that he would step down as CEO of the family's real estate company and from the New York Observer.
She also said Mr Kushner would recuse himself "from particular matters that would have a direct and predictable effect on his remaining financial interests".
Jared Kushner, who is married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, has no political experience but has been a senior figure on the billionaire's team during the campaign.
Like his father-in-law, Mr Kushner is a New York-based real estate magnate with a wide range of business dealings that could be challenged as posing potential conflicts of interest.
The 35-year-old is also a publisher of the New York Observer weekly newspaper.
Mr Trump said his son-in-law will serve as senior White House adviser.
"Jared has been a tremendous asset and trusted adviser throughout the campaign and transition and I am proud to have him in a key leadership role in my administration," he said in a statement.
His appointment could also be challenged by an anti-nepotism law that bans presidents from hiring family members.
However, a lawyer for Mr Kushner argued Monday that the 1967 law does not apply to the West Wing and pointed to a later congressional measure which allows the President "unfettered" and "sweeping" authority in hiring staff.
Jamie Gorelick added that he would step down as CEO of the family's real estate company and from the New York Observer.
She also said Mr Kushner would recuse himself "from particular matters that would have a direct and predictable effect on his remaining financial interests".
Smoking to kill 8m people a year by 2030, new study warns
The number of people who die from smoking is going to rise considerably in the coming years, according to a new report.
Tobacco use currently kills an estimated six million people worldwide every year - but by 2030, the World Health Organisation (WHO) believes this will increase to eight million.
The study also suggests that the global economy is losing at least $1tn (£820bn) a year because of the impact smoking has on productivity levels and health services.
More than 80% of smoking deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, where the number of smokers is continuing to rise.
The WHO claims most governments are failing to use cheap and effective tools which can reduce tobacco use and save lives, such as complete bans on tobacco marketing, prominent warning labels on cigarette packets and price increases.
Global revenues generated from tobacco taxes only stood at $269bn (£221bn) in 2013/14, it said, which is nowhere near enough to recoup the economic losses caused by smoking.
Health experts say tobacco use is the single biggest preventable cause of death worldwide.
The WHO's report, produced in conjunction with the US National Cancer Institute, said: "Government fears that tobacco control will have an adverse economic impact are not justified by the evidence. The science is clear; the time for action is now."
Its authors claimed that governments would be able to fund more expensive anti-smoking schemes, such as mass media campaigns and cessation treatments, if tobacco taxes were raised.
Within months, all cigarettes in the UK will be sold in standardised green packaging with large, explicit photographs which show the harmful effects of smoking.
Several tobacco-producing countries have opened a trade dispute against Australia, which first introduced the plain packaging rules and outlawed distinctive logos or colourful branding.
The World Trade Organisation is expected to rule on the complaint later this year.
Tobacco use currently kills an estimated six million people worldwide every year - but by 2030, the World Health Organisation (WHO) believes this will increase to eight million.
The study also suggests that the global economy is losing at least $1tn (£820bn) a year because of the impact smoking has on productivity levels and health services.
More than 80% of smoking deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, where the number of smokers is continuing to rise.
The WHO claims most governments are failing to use cheap and effective tools which can reduce tobacco use and save lives, such as complete bans on tobacco marketing, prominent warning labels on cigarette packets and price increases.
Global revenues generated from tobacco taxes only stood at $269bn (£221bn) in 2013/14, it said, which is nowhere near enough to recoup the economic losses caused by smoking.
Health experts say tobacco use is the single biggest preventable cause of death worldwide.
The WHO's report, produced in conjunction with the US National Cancer Institute, said: "Government fears that tobacco control will have an adverse economic impact are not justified by the evidence. The science is clear; the time for action is now."
Its authors claimed that governments would be able to fund more expensive anti-smoking schemes, such as mass media campaigns and cessation treatments, if tobacco taxes were raised.
Within months, all cigarettes in the UK will be sold in standardised green packaging with large, explicit photographs which show the harmful effects of smoking.
Several tobacco-producing countries have opened a trade dispute against Australia, which first introduced the plain packaging rules and outlawed distinctive logos or colourful branding.
The World Trade Organisation is expected to rule on the complaint later this year.
Tesco axing 500 jobs in distribution centre shake-up
Tesco says 500 jobs are to be lost as it completes a shake-up of its UK distribution network.
Britain's largest supermarket chain said it was to shut two of its distribution centres - Welham Green in Hertfordshire and Chesterfield - with 1,000 jobs made redundant.
It said the changes it was making, to "simplify" the system, would mean 500 roles being created - mainly at its distribution centres in Reading and Middlesbrough.
They also involved, Tesco said, bringing in-house warehouse operations run by DHL and Wincanton.
The changes were announced as the industry faces up to the challenge of rising prices - largely a result of the collapse in the value of the pound since the EU referendum.
That has made buying goods from overseas more expensive for supermarkets and is expected to herald, soon, the end of deflation - falling prices - in the grocery sector.
The price increases, highlighted by the so-called Marmitegate episode, have left chains under pressure to pass on those additional costs to shoppers to protect profits - but not price themselves out of what remains a fiercely competitive market.
Tesco said the changes it was making to its distribution network merely reflected changing customer habits.
Its UK boss, Matt Davies, said: "It's vital we transform our business for the future.
"As part of this, we are proposing to close two of our distribution centres in the UK.
"These changes will help to simplify our distribution operations so we can continue to serve our customers better.
"Our priority throughout this process has been our colleagues and we will continue to do all we can to support them at this time."
Tesco's sales have been on the way up after a torrid few years for the chain in which its dominant market share came under serious pressure from discounters and investment by rivals.
An accounting scandal remains subject to criminal and regulatory proceedings.
Its current group chief executive Dave Lewis, who took over after Philip Clarke was ousted in 2014, has moved to bolster its core UK supermarket offering and improve the customer experience.
Mr Lewis has also offloaded a number of fringe businesses to re-invest in the supermarkets, bolstered by a cost-saving drive which included cutting thousands of head office roles.
Britain's largest supermarket chain said it was to shut two of its distribution centres - Welham Green in Hertfordshire and Chesterfield - with 1,000 jobs made redundant.
It said the changes it was making, to "simplify" the system, would mean 500 roles being created - mainly at its distribution centres in Reading and Middlesbrough.
They also involved, Tesco said, bringing in-house warehouse operations run by DHL and Wincanton.
The changes were announced as the industry faces up to the challenge of rising prices - largely a result of the collapse in the value of the pound since the EU referendum.
That has made buying goods from overseas more expensive for supermarkets and is expected to herald, soon, the end of deflation - falling prices - in the grocery sector.
The price increases, highlighted by the so-called Marmitegate episode, have left chains under pressure to pass on those additional costs to shoppers to protect profits - but not price themselves out of what remains a fiercely competitive market.
Tesco said the changes it was making to its distribution network merely reflected changing customer habits.
Its UK boss, Matt Davies, said: "It's vital we transform our business for the future.
"As part of this, we are proposing to close two of our distribution centres in the UK.
"These changes will help to simplify our distribution operations so we can continue to serve our customers better.
"Our priority throughout this process has been our colleagues and we will continue to do all we can to support them at this time."
Tesco's sales have been on the way up after a torrid few years for the chain in which its dominant market share came under serious pressure from discounters and investment by rivals.
An accounting scandal remains subject to criminal and regulatory proceedings.
Its current group chief executive Dave Lewis, who took over after Philip Clarke was ousted in 2014, has moved to bolster its core UK supermarket offering and improve the customer experience.
Mr Lewis has also offloaded a number of fringe businesses to re-invest in the supermarkets, bolstered by a cost-saving drive which included cutting thousands of head office roles.
Kim Kardashian's chauffeur held over jewel theft in Paris robbery
One of the people arrested over the theft of around €9m (£7.8m) in jewels from Kim Kardashian West is a chauffeur who drove her around Paris before the robbery.
The reality TV star had a gun held to her head before being tied up and locked in the bathroom while the robbers, who wore ski masks and clothes with police markings, made off with the jewellery.
A police source said a jewellery box containing a ring worth €4m (£3.5m) had been taken, along with other valuables worth between €5m-€6m (£4.4m-£5.2m).
A total of 17 people were arrested in raids across France on Monday, many of them known underworld figures aged around 50, police and judicial sources said.
French media reported that DNA traces picked up off the tape used to tie up Kardashian led police to the suspects, who could be questioned for up to four days.
The oldest suspect held is a 72-year-old man held in the Provencal city of Grasse, while the youngest is in his early 20s.
Three women were among those detained, including one aged 65 who was arrested in the southern region of Gard, according to a source close to the investigation.
Multiple firearms, including an automatic pistol, and €140,000 (£121,000) in cash were found during the raids.
A police source told Reuters that authorities were trying to establish whether the chauffeur, who ferried Kardashian around the French capital during Paris Fashion Week, passed on information to the gang.
Jean Veil, a French lawyer for Kardashian, told France 2 television: "She (Kardashian) is very happy, very satisfied and to a certain extent reassured by the efficiency of the French police."
Kardashian was unharmed in the robbery, but badly shaken up.
She has mostly kept a low profile since the ordeal, but broke her silence in a promotional clip for the upcoming season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which was released on Friday.
"They're going to shoot me in the back. There's no way out," a tearful Kardashian tells her family, recalling what happened.
"It makes me so upset to think about it."
She also returned to social media last week after taking a three-month break following the incident.
The 36-year-old shared a picture of her alongside husband Kanye West and their two children, three-year-old daughter North and one-year-old son Saint.
The reality TV star had a gun held to her head before being tied up and locked in the bathroom while the robbers, who wore ski masks and clothes with police markings, made off with the jewellery.
A police source said a jewellery box containing a ring worth €4m (£3.5m) had been taken, along with other valuables worth between €5m-€6m (£4.4m-£5.2m).
A total of 17 people were arrested in raids across France on Monday, many of them known underworld figures aged around 50, police and judicial sources said.
French media reported that DNA traces picked up off the tape used to tie up Kardashian led police to the suspects, who could be questioned for up to four days.
The oldest suspect held is a 72-year-old man held in the Provencal city of Grasse, while the youngest is in his early 20s.
Three women were among those detained, including one aged 65 who was arrested in the southern region of Gard, according to a source close to the investigation.
Multiple firearms, including an automatic pistol, and €140,000 (£121,000) in cash were found during the raids.
A police source told Reuters that authorities were trying to establish whether the chauffeur, who ferried Kardashian around the French capital during Paris Fashion Week, passed on information to the gang.
Jean Veil, a French lawyer for Kardashian, told France 2 television: "She (Kardashian) is very happy, very satisfied and to a certain extent reassured by the efficiency of the French police."
Kardashian was unharmed in the robbery, but badly shaken up.
She has mostly kept a low profile since the ordeal, but broke her silence in a promotional clip for the upcoming season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which was released on Friday.
"They're going to shoot me in the back. There's no way out," a tearful Kardashian tells her family, recalling what happened.
"It makes me so upset to think about it."
She also returned to social media last week after taking a three-month break following the incident.
The 36-year-old shared a picture of her alongside husband Kanye West and their two children, three-year-old daughter North and one-year-old son Saint.
Moon created when 'about 20 moonlets collided'
The moon may have been created by several moonlets forming together rather than an impact hitting the Earth, scientists believe.
Computer simulations examining thousands of scenarios have determined it would have taken about 20 mini-moons to create the one that orbits the Earth.
The researchers, from Israel, say the process may have taken millions of years.
It was previously believed that the moon was formed when a giant asteroid collided with the earth, knocking off a piece of it that ultimately failed to escape the Earth's gravity.
The scientists say the latest theory could explain why the moon appears to be made of material from Earth and not from outer space.
It was assumed that some of the asteroid would have remained attached to the piece that ended up in orbit.
The findings by Weizmann Institute of Science's Raluca Rufu were published in Nature Geoscience.
Co-author Hagai Perets of the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, said: "Our model suggests that the ancient Earth once hosted a series of moons, each one formed from a different collision with the proto-Earth.
Mr Rufu added: "It's likely that small moons formed through the process could cross orbits, collide and merge."
Gareth Collins, from London's Imperial College, said more evidence was needed in order to determine what happened.
In a companion article to accompany the theory, he said some of the moonlets must have been lost in space or failed to merge properly, so many more impacts may have been required.
Computer simulations examining thousands of scenarios have determined it would have taken about 20 mini-moons to create the one that orbits the Earth.
The researchers, from Israel, say the process may have taken millions of years.
It was previously believed that the moon was formed when a giant asteroid collided with the earth, knocking off a piece of it that ultimately failed to escape the Earth's gravity.
The scientists say the latest theory could explain why the moon appears to be made of material from Earth and not from outer space.
It was assumed that some of the asteroid would have remained attached to the piece that ended up in orbit.
The findings by Weizmann Institute of Science's Raluca Rufu were published in Nature Geoscience.
Co-author Hagai Perets of the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, said: "Our model suggests that the ancient Earth once hosted a series of moons, each one formed from a different collision with the proto-Earth.
Mr Rufu added: "It's likely that small moons formed through the process could cross orbits, collide and merge."
Gareth Collins, from London's Imperial College, said more evidence was needed in order to determine what happened.
In a companion article to accompany the theory, he said some of the moonlets must have been lost in space or failed to merge properly, so many more impacts may have been required.
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