An extra hour in school for some pupils in wales as heads try out changes to the Academic Year. The Winter Olympics torch relay kicks off in beijing as chinas capital gears up for the games. Good morning. Quite a lot of Cloud Producing Light Rain in the north and east. Not as windy as it has been but it is still going to be mild. Details later in the programme. Good morning. Its wednesday, the 2nd of february. The government will today set out its long delayed Manifesto Plan to level up the lives of millions of people across the uk. The proposals include a series of pledges to improve education, Public Transport and housing in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. Labour have dismissed the project as more slogans and strategies. Our Political Correspondent Jessica Parker reports. We are a government committed to levelling up. It is absolutely what levelling up is all about. What were doing is levelling up. Level up across the whole of the uk. Ministers have talked about
An extra hour in school for some pupils in wales as heads try out changes to the Academic Year. The Winter Olympics torch relay kicks off in beijing as chinas capital gears up for the games. Good morning. Quite a lot of Cloud Producing Light Rain in the north and east. Not as windy as it has been but it is still going to be mild. Details later in the programme. Good morning. Its wednesday, the 2nd of february. The government will today set out its long delayed Manifesto Plan to level up the lives of millions of people across the uk. The proposals include a series of pledges to improve education, Public Transport and housing in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. Labour have dismissed the project as more slogans and strategies. Our Political Correspondent Jessica Parker reports. We are a government committed to levelling up. It is absolutely what levelling up is all about. What were doing is levelling up. Level up across the whole of the uk. Ministers have talked about
Us Investment Firm Elliott Advisors has walked away from making a takeover bid for currys after being rejected by the retailers board in its own words multiple times. It had initially proposed an offer that valued the electricals chain at £700 million, and later raised it to 757 million. But currys rebuffed the approaches, saying they significantly undervalued the business. Currys could still receive a bid from chinasjd. Com, which said last month it was mulling an offerfor the firm. Lets speak now to russ mould, investment director at aj bell. What is going on, one firm has walked away but there is another weighting in the wings . Walked away but there is another weighting in the wings . There is but it it will focus weighting in the wings . There is but it it will focus on weighting in the wings . There is but it it will focus on what weighting in the wings . There is but it it will focus on what the weighting in the wings . There is but it it will focus on what the two it it will f
A sharp fall in its net profit, slipping 25 in 2023 compared to the previous year. Aramco attributed the downturn to Lower Crude Oil prices and decreased production. The companys net income dropped from 161 billion in 2022 to 121 billion last year. Despite the challenges posed by declining oil prices, aramco will increase its dividend payments, providing a much needed financial boost to saudi arabia. Lets get more now from our middle east Business Correspondent sameer hashmi. With a big fall off in profit, why is it increasing its dividend . It its dividend . Is a steep fall compared to 2022. It is a steep fall compared to 2022. It is still the second best performance in terms of annual results at 121 billion. Two reasons why they increased the dividend pay out. Number one, Aramco Abbott is the main driver of the Saudi Arabian economy. Saudi owned entities own 19 of it and they rely heavily on that income to really find some these massive projects inside arabia. They tried to keep the
The Parker Review found 12 of ftse 100 bosses are from an ethnic minority up from 7 in 2022. But its still short of the 18 of people in the uk who are from a non white ethnic group according to the most recent census. Joining me now is soumen das, the co chair of the Parker Review. Hes also the chief financial 0fficerfor segro, a ftse 100 listed Real Estate Investment trust. So, some progress as we said, but not enough. What is Holding Back Progress on this front . figs not enough. What is Holding Back Progress on this front . Not enough. What is Holding Back Progress on this front . As we talk about this this progress on this front . As we talk about this this morning, progress on this front . As we talk about this this morning, there progress on this front . As we talk about this this morning, there is l about this this morning, there is reasons for optimism, weve come a long way, part of the review has been running for nine years, and the number of ethnic minority directors of boar