Cineworld Group today reported its first-ever annual operating loss with the figure dropping over $2.98B in 2020 as compared to 2019. The previous year had seen profits of $724.7M while the period ended December 31, 2020 was at a negative $2,257.7M. The results were severely impacted by the Covid pandemic which forced the group to
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There are at least three key messages that come from the store closures detailed by the John Lewis Partnership today. The first underlines the extent to which a hurricane is blowing through physical retail as sales shift online. The partnership, which also owns the Waitrose grocery chain, said today it now expects between 60-70% of
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg laid out his most specific set of remedies yet for how the government should modify Section 230, a decades-old rule that gives Internet platforms like his sweeping legal immunity from all posted content. In prepared testimony ahead of an appearance on Capitol Hill Thursday, Zuckerberg suggested removing the blanket immunity
The John Lewis Partnership has revealed plans to close a further eight stores, leaving 1,465 jobs under threat. The company, which includes the Waitrose supermarket brand, had warned earlier this month while revealing annual losses of £517m that it did not expect to reopen all its John Lewis sites when COVID-19 restrictions are due to
It is extremely ironic that on the same day when Warner Bros. throws in the towel on its day-and-date HBO Max theatrical release plan (for 2022) that Disney would take one of their most highly anticipated Marvel movies, Black Widow, and move it to a day-and-date theatrical Disney+ PVOD plan after the muted performances of
Second home owners face a clampdown over a tax loophole that can save them money by claiming the properties are available for holiday lets. Currently 60,000 properties classed as holiday lets are liable for business tax rather than council tax, which in the vast majority of cases currently means paying nothing at all. The Treasury
A new poll of 900 Californians shows embattled governor Gavin Newsom narrowly beating the recall vote he seems almost certain to face this fall. Of likely voters, 52.5% say they would vote against recalling the governor. In that same category, 34.6% say they would vote in favor of the effort. Among all voters, the delta
Cineworld has revealed plans to reopen screens in its biggest markets, including the UK, but said nothing about how it will staff cinemas after effectively axing up to 45,000 workers six months ago. The world’s second-largest cinema operator temporarily laid off staff – almost 6,000 of them in the UK – last October as movie
Silicon Valley alum Alice Wetturlund has responded to sexual misconduct allegations made against the HBO series’ star, Thomas Middleditch. “Tried to warn you all about Middleditch but noooooo,” Wetterlund tweeted on Sunday, “not everyone’s favorite tinyman who looks like he lives in a clock!” Tried to warn you all about Middleditch but noooooo not everyone’s
Travel shares have dropped sharply on growing fears of another lost summer for foreign holidays. British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) was the biggest faller on London’s FTSE 100, losing 5%, with aircraft engine maker Rollls-Royce not far behind, shedding 4%. Shares in easyJet fell 5% while Dublin-based rival Ryanair was nearly 3% lower,
Jeff Taylor, who joined Fox Corp. in 2019 as EVP and chief litigation counsel, has been promoted to general counsel. The company also appointed a deputy to Taylor whose role will be designed to facilitate Fox’s step-up in sports betting activities. In a press release, Fox said Taylor will “oversee the company’s legal function.” Claudia
Deliveroo has revealed that its looming flotation in London will value the company at up to £8.8bn. The food delivery app said on Monday that it had set a price range for its listing of between £3.90 and £4.60 per share. The range reflects the prospect of a big appetite for shares in the company,
JT Gray, the longtime owner of Nashville’s iconic institution of bluegrass and roots music died on March 20 of pre-existing conditions. He was 75. Gray’s death was confirmed on the official Station Inn Facebook page. “The Station Inn will hold a celebration of life as soon as possible to honor the memory of JT Gray,”
Deliveroo’s founder is poised to sell millions of pounds-worth of shares in the food delivery app as part of a blockbuster stock market debut that will see him become one of Britain’s wealthiest technology entrepreneurs. Sky News has learnt that Will Shu, who launched the company less than a decade ago, is likely to sell
UPDATED with new details: Veteran Los Angeles TV reporter Hal Eisner and his KTTV cameraman Joab Perez operator were among five people injured today when a SUV hit several bystanders on a Hollywood Boulevard sidewalk and crashed into a minimarket storefront. The cause of the roughly 3:15 p.m. crash is under investigation, but Los Angeles
Elon Musk has said his company would be shut down if its cars were used for the purposes of spying. The Tesla chief executive was responding to news that China’s military has banned Tesla cars from its facilities. Speaking to a Chinese forum in a virtual discussion, Mr Musk said: “There’s a very strong incentive
The more contagious Covid-19 variant known as P.1 has hit New York, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. The patient affected is a Brooklyn resident in their 90s with no history of travel. It was a team of scientists at New York City’s Mount Sinai Hospital that identified the presence of the variant—which was first discovered
The maker of Fortnite and Houseparty, two of the pandemic’s biggest technology smash hits, is closing in on another large injection of funding that will value it at about $28bn (£20.2bn). Sky News can exclusively reveal that Epic Games, which was founded by Tim Sweeney 30 years ago, is finalising the terms of a $1bn
On Saturday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 56 new deaths resulting from Covid-19, and 521 new positive cases. While the latest figures show that Covid-19 case rates, hospitalizations and deaths in L.A. continue to fall, new cases and deaths shared today may reflect delays in weekend reporting. Today’s Public Health report
UK pubs face a “bleak future” as they mark a year since being forced to close due to the first coronavirus lockdown. Dave Mountford, a publican and campaigner at the Forum for British Pubs, told Sky News that at least 2,000 pubs have already closed permanently. He said the remainder will need significant financial help.