News
Passengers prepare to say goodbye to city
Passengers on a cruise ship are hoping to set sail on Monday and finally wave goodbye to Belfast after four months of being stuck on shore.
The Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey, which docked in Belfast to be outfitted, was scheduled to depart on 30 May but it was held up for repairs, leaving passengers stranded in Belfast.
On Sunday, some of them celebrated what they hoped would be their final night in the city by taking in the sights on a beer bike tour.
A total of 125 passengers are expected to depart on the ship on Monday evening.
The cruisers are hoping it will be plain sailing from here on in and they can finally start to enjoy their round-the-world trip which will see them sailing international waters for the next three years.
Melody and John Hennessee, from Palm Beach in Florida, did not waste any time while docked in Belfast.
“As a result of being here so long in Belfast, we were able to build the largest suite on the ship,” Melody told BBC News NI.
“It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms and the time here has allowed us to complete the project.”
Both Melody and John plan to stay on the ship for the rest of their lives.
“This will be our home now,” John said.
Melody said the people of Belfast had been amazing and “so kind and generous” during their time here.
“While we have been happy here, we can’t wait to hopefully set sail on Monday,” she added.
Another couple who put their five months in Belfast to good use was Andy and Alicia Lewis from Alaska.
“We retraced my roots while here in Belfast,” Andy said.
“We went to Larne alongside my 89-year-old mother as it was such a great opportunity for us all.
“We will absolutely come back and when we do, we will love Belfast just as much as we do now,” Alicia said.
Surprisingly, the couple enjoyed the Northern Irish weather.
“Being from Alaska, I think the weather is great here, I love it,” Andy said.
“I’m looking forward to getting on the road again, it’s been a long wait.”
‘Always have a place in our hearts’
Canadian couple, Monica and John Frim, are eager to start their journey across the world on board the Odyssey.
“I’m absolutely happy to be leaving, we have been eager to go from the start,” Monica told BBC News NI.
“I think the atmosphere will be fantastic once we set sail and it’s been pretty upbeat even with all the delays.”
Monica’s husband John found the five-month delay a disappointing start to their life on the cruise.
“It’s disheartening that things weren’t fixed faster,” he said.
“However, the communication with the management has been efficient.
Monica said everyone had “been in this together”.
“It’s not about the journey or the destinations we are going to, it’s about the new friends we have made along the way,” she said.
“We want to say thank you to Belfast, the locals will always have a place in our hearts.”
Money
Home REIT sells further 200 properties at auction ahead of wind down
The company as now sold 1,208 properties since August 2023.
The post Home REIT sells further 200 properties at auction ahead of wind down appeared first on Property Week.
Travel
Virgin Atlantic moving to dynamic pricing for reward seat redemptions
Flying Club members will be able to redeem points against any Virgin flight, but pricing will “vary in line with demand, in a similar way to standard tickets”
News
Met officers to be disciplined over investigation
Four Metropolitan Police officers and a member of police staff will face disciplinary proceedings for their handling of allegations against the serial rapist police officer David Carrick, the police watchdog has said.
Carrick, of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, was jailed for at least 30 years in February 2023 after he admitted dozens of rapes and sexual offences against 12 women.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said a detective sergeant, three officers and a police staff member allegedly breached “police standards of professional behaviour”.
Four reports of serious offending were made against Carrick by former partners between 2002 and 2021, while he served as a Met officer, the IOPC added.
IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said it had identified “several missed opportunities” where officers had failed to pursue misconduct investigations against Carrick.
“Had these matters been progressed appropriately, Carrick may have potentially faced gross misconduct proceedings and been dismissed from the force well before he was eventually arrested,” she added.
The IOPC announced in July 2023 it was carrying out four independent investigations into what actions were taken by the Met, after it emerged four reports of serious offending had been made against Carrick by former partners.
They included two reports of assault and harassment, made in 2002 and 2016, a report of assault made in 2019 and a report of rape and sexual assault in 2019.
The IOPC said in each case, either no further action was taken against Carrick or the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) was not informed.
“We found that a detective sergeant should face a gross misconduct hearing for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour relating to their alleged failure to supervise adequately that Carrick conduct investigation,” the IOPC said.
“We also found that a detective constable and a police staff member should face misconduct meetings.”
The IOPC said those facing disciplinary proceedings all worked in the Met’s DPS at the time.
‘Serious flaws’
The Met said it was “truly sorry” for the harm Carrick had caused his victims, and that he should “never have been a police officer”.
“We have acknowledged that serious flaws in our approach meant we did not spot his pattern of abusive behaviour and as a result, we missed opportunities to pursue him through the misconduct process. We deeply regret this,” a spokesperson said.
“In addition to the IOPC investigation, we are also continuing to support the work of the independent inquiry chaired by Lady Elish Angiolini which is examining the extent to which Carrick’s conduct and crimes were known and investigated at the time.”
The IOPC said it was preparing “learning recommendations” for all police forces in England and Wales around vetting and the response to off-duty conduct.
It also said it was adding a mandatory “police perpetrated” flag to crime recording systems.
Earlier this year, London’s mayor confirmed Carrick had been stripped of his full state-funded pension.
Carrick had joined the Met in 2001 before becoming an armed officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection unit in 2009.
He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to a total of 49 offences, including 24 counts of rape, between 2003 and 2020.
The Met, and City of London Police, where one of the officers is now based, will arrange disciplinary proceedings.
Business
Aston Martin and Stellantis shares slump after profit warnings
Luxury carmaker Aston Martin’s share price sank more than 20% after it said profits will be lower than expected this year.
The company, famed for its links to fictional superspy James Bond, has been hit by supply chain issues and falling sales in China.
The share price of Stellantis, the owner of brands such as Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and Jeep, also plummeted on Monday after a profit warning.
Carmakers across Europe have been suffering lately, with disappointing sales and increased competition from abroad taking a heavy toll on earnings.
Aston Martin is a prestige brand which makes upmarket cars in relatively small quantities.
Last year, it sold 6,620 vehicles, with about a fifth of those going to the Asia-Pacific region.
However, the company says it has been hit by a fall in demand in China, where a slowing economy has affected sales of luxury cars.
It has also been affected by problems at a number of suppliers, which have affected its ability to build a number of new models.
As a result, Aston says it will make about 1000 cars fewer than originally planned this year.
Sales, which had originally been forecast to rise, are now expected to be lower than in 2023, and earnings will fall short of current market expectations.
Adrian Hallmark, who became Aston Martin’s chief executive a few weeks ago, said it had become clear that “decisive action” was needed to adjust output.
But he added that he was “even more convinced than before” about the brand’s potential for growth.
Industry giants suffering
Meanwhile, Stellantis has become the latest large-scale carmaker to revise its financial forecasts, thanks to a deterioration in the industry outlook.
The company has been struggling with weak demand in the US, a key market, where it has been forced to offer discounts in order to shift unsold stock.
It has also been facing increased competition from Chinese brands, which have been expanding aggressively abroad.
As a result, it sais it expects its profit margins to be significantly lower than previously thought this year.
The announcement sent its shares tumbling. By lunchtime on Monday, the price was down more than 14%.
The problems at Stellantis and Aston Martin reflect a wider malaise in the European car industry.
On Friday, Volkswagen issued its second profit warning in three months, while it has also suggested it might have to close plants in Germany for the first time in its history.
Its German rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW have also downgraded their profit forecasts in recent weeks.
Among the common issues are falling sales in China – until recently a highly lucrative market for expensive and profitable high-end models – coupled with growing competition from Chinese brands in other markets.
EV sales falter
Sales of electric cars, which manufacturers have invested huge sums in developing, have been faltering badly in Europe.
According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, sales of battery-powered cars were down nearly 44% in August compared to the same period a year ago, while their share of the market dropped to 14.4%, compared to 21% in 2023.
The decline has followed the removal or reduction of incentives for electric car buyers in a number of European markets, including France and Germany.
On Friday, EU nations are due to vote on plans to impose steep tariffs on imports of electric vehicles from China.
The measures are designed to protect local producers from unfair competition. The European Commission claims Chinese manufacturers benefit from illegal subsidies from the Chinese government – and believes tariffs will create a level playing field.
But the plan is controversial, and has received a mixed reception from manufacturers.
Money
FCA and BoE open applications for Digital Securities Sandbox
The Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England have opened applications for their Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS).
In a statement released today (30 September), the FCA and the Bank urged firms that are innovating in financial market infrastructure to apply.
They said the DSS will “reshape” how they regulate by allowing firms to test legislative changes in real-world scenarios before the changes are implemented.
DSS gives firms the opportunity to explore new technologies in traditional financial markets.
The new tech includes distributed ledger technology (DLT), a system for storing and managing information distributed across participants in a network.
It has the potential to improve efficiency and reduce costs in wholesale markets, benefitting industry and investors.
“We believe the DSS could also lead to a quicker, more effective and collaborative way of delivering regulatory change,” the statement said.
“The DSS supports innovation, helps protect financial stability and strengthens the UK’s leading position as a global and vibrant financial centre, built on globally respected high standards.”
The authorities said there is a range of support available to firms to help them through the application process.
Firms can arrange pre-application meetings to better understand the DSS requirements.
The DSS is open to legally established firms of all sizes and at all stages of development.
The firms could be an existing financial institution that is already authorised or recognised under current regulation or a new entrant to the market.
Find out more about the support available here.
News
BBC apologises to Amanda Abbington over Strictly verbal bullying by Giovanni Pernice, but he is cleared of physical aggression
The BBC has apologised to Amanda Abbington and upheld some of her complaints against her 2023 Strictly dance partner Giovanni Pernice, but cleared him of the most serious allegations.
While complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld, claims of physical aggression were not, BBC News understands.
The Sherlock actress called the BBC’s apology a “vindication” of her complaint and said she hoped others would now feel “more confident” that they would be believed.
A source close to Pernice said he was “pleased that this has been thrown out”, adding that the past nine months had been “torrid” for him.
In its statement, the BBC said that the production team did take steps to address the issues at the time but acknowledged that “ultimately, these were not enough”.
“This is why the measures we have taken to further strengthen our existing protocols are so important,” it said.
Abbington had previously accused Pernice of being “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean” during their rehearsals, which he had always strongly denied.
In a statement released on Monday, the BBC said it takes allegations of bullying and harassment “very seriously”, adding the review into Abbington’s complaints had taken time “due to its complex nature” and in order to ensure “a rigorous and robust process”.
“We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made,” it said.
“We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.”
In recent media interviews, Abbington has said she first raised concerns about Pernice’s behaviour with Strictly producers on her third day, and had “many” more discussions with programme bosses.
She eventually dropped out in week six, expressing her “deepest regret” at having to leave the show for “medical” and “personal reasons”. She later lodged a formal complaint about Pernice.
The actress has since claimed the BBC had known about his behaviour for years. She has also said she and her family had received death threats after she spoke out.
Charlotte Moore, chief content officer for the BBC, told BBC News that it was “terrible” Abbington had been subjected to online abuse, and personally apologised to the actress twice.
Responding to the BBC’s statement on Monday, Abbington said that coming forward “was not an easy thing to do”.
“In the days, weeks and months since I contacted the BBC, I’ve been accused of being a liar, a troublemaker and of being “mad and unstable”.
“I’ve also received rape and murder threats and a bomb threat was sent to my place of work. My family and children have also been subjected to threats and intimidation.
“Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward, and today’s apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint.
“It’s not just a vindication for me, it’s a vindication for the other people who have contacted me since I made my complaint to express concerns about their own experiences on Strictly Come Dancing. I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed.”
Abbington added that the BBC had invited her to meet with senior management and that she would be considering this.
“This apology means a great deal to me. So too does the fact that the BBC have acknowledged the steps that were put in place to support and protect me and past contestants were “not enough”.
“What matters most now is that lessons have been learned and that the BBC makes the changes they’ve promised, to ensure others don’t experience the same ordeal that I and others like me did.”
A source close to Pernice said: “Gio is pleased that this has been thrown out after what has been a torrid nine months or so for him.
“From the outset, Giovanni has rejected any claims of threatening or abusive behaviour.
“While it appreciates that the BBC has likely decided to uphold some allegations to avoid the accusations of a ‘whitewash’ – they’ve upheld the weakest allegations put to him.’”
The BBC announced a string of new measures in July, include introducing chaperones in all rehearsal rooms, as well as including two new welfare producers on the show
Earlier this year, the BBC confirmed that Pernice would not return to the Strictly professional line-up for the new series.
The new series of Strictly Come Dancing launched on BBC One earlier this month.
Pernice has now joined his native Italy’s talent dance show, Ballando con le Stelle.
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