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New VIP suites and extra seating planned for ACC Liverpool

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Plans for landmark waterfront venue include ‘super suite’

ACC Liverpool

ACC Liverpool(Image: Liverpool Echo)

A new “super suite” is being created at Liverpool’s arena and convention centre on the waterfront. More than 300 new seats could be added to the existing bowl at ACC Liverpool as part of an application to upgrade the venue.

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Coinciding with the 2008 European Capital of Culture, the arena and convention centre opened its doors 18 years ago and has gone on to host major events in the last two decades. Since 2022 and including this year, it has been home to the Labour Party conference.

Now, changes could be made to increase the capacity inside the bowl within the M&S Bank Arena and provide new VIP hospitality. A premises licence application has been lodged with Liverpool Council for changes to the existing terms.

The arena has an 11,000 capacity and was chosen to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine when the UK stepped into support. The convention centre holds around 1,300 people in the main hall, which has staged the main speeches when Labour has gathered its delegates in the city.

According to the documents made public by the local authority, hospitality areas are to be expanded to both sides of the arena, including the creation of a new “super suite.” This will involve the conversion of an existing bar into a premium VIP hospitality box, the renovation of a previously unused void space into a back of house bar and cloakroom and remodelling of washroom areas on both sides to increase the number of toilet cubicles available.

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Within the arena bowl, proposed alterations include the installation of 372 additional spectator seats through the reconfiguration of existing internal walkways, reconfiguration of Accessible Viewing Bays, including additional new bays added to the D End of the arena. Existing storage rooms are proposed to be converted and upgraded into multi use spaces capable of flexing between storage use and operational bar areas for events.

In October last year, two further premium suites were installed at the venue as part of a fit out to provide accomodation for 12 guests. There are no changes proposed to licensable activity or sale of alcohol.

An updated licence was issued to ACC Liverpool allowing performances up to 11.59pm daily.

This also includes the sale of alcohol during the same period. Representations can be made on the plans for the arena up until March 6 via the Liverpool Council website.

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Global EV sales hampered by China, US slowdown in January

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Global EV sales hampered by China, US slowdown in January


Global EV sales hampered by China, US slowdown in January

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Brazil Supreme Court’s Toffoli to step aside from Banco Master case

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Brazil Supreme Court’s Toffoli to step aside from Banco Master case


Brazil Supreme Court’s Toffoli to step aside from Banco Master case

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IHCL net jumps over 50% in Q3, new businesses boost revenue

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IHCL net jumps over 50% in Q3, new businesses boost revenue
New Delhi: Tata Group-backed Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) on Thursday reported a 51% increase in consolidated third-quarter net profit to ₹954 crore from ₹632 crore a year earlier. Revenue from operations rose 12% to ₹2,842 crore.

The company said the profit was after exceptional items, which mainly included a ₹327 crore profit net of tax on the sale of its entire equity stake in a joint venture and a ₹37 crore impact from implementing new labour codes.

The quarter marked the fifteenth consecutive quarter of “record performance” with an Ebitda of ₹1,134 crore and an Ebitda margin of 39.1%, managing director and chief executive Puneet Chhatwal said.

The hotel segment reported ₹2,579 crore revenue, helping the chain post its best-ever segmental quarterly Ebitda of ₹1,050 crore.

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Third-quarter revenue growth was supported by a 17% expansion in airline and institutional catering and 31% increase in new businesses, Chhatwal said.


He said IHCL continued its growth momentum in FY26 with 239 signings, taking its portfolio of 617 hotels, and opened and onboarded 120 hotels, led by ‘strategic’ partnerships and acquisitions.
As per an exchange filing, Roots Corporation (RCL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of IHCL, acquired a 51% stake in ANK Hotels and Pride Hospitality on December 1, 2025, for a total cash consideration of ₹190.5 crore. Under its Accelerate 2030 initiative, the chain expanded its brandscape with the acquisition of a controlling stake in wellness brand Atmantan, entered into definitive agreements to acquire a 51% stake in Brij, a boutique experiential leisure offering, and scaled the Ginger brand with 51% acquisition in ANK & Pride Hospitality.

IHCL had a gross cash balance of ₹3,877 crore as on December 31, he said, adding: “IHCL is well placed to deliver sustained performance enabled by a diversified top line across brands, geographies and contract types.”

He said the chain’s pipeline is as high as the number of rooms in operations.

“IHCL is probably the only company across sectors that is growing and still maintaining an increase in Ebitda and maintaining the Ebitda margins. We are scaling and we are scaling profitably,” he said.

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Austal downgrades guidance after forecast mistake

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Austal downgrades guidance after forecast mistake

WA shipbuilder Austal has downgraded its earnings guidance for the year by 18 per cent, after a mistake in its US subsidiary, Austal USA’s guidance.

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Kariyarra, Vysarn pitch paleochannel to solve Hedland water woes

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Kariyarra, Vysarn pitch paleochannel to solve Hedland water woes

A traditional owner-backed project has put its hand up to help Water Corporation solve its water supply shortage in Port Hedland.

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Nissan boss says car maker is on the right track despite continued losses

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CEO Ivan Espinosa said his company had to “reset the clock” with its major restructuring effort

A Nissan Leaf bodyside passes through the Sunderland plant's Body Shop

A Nissan Leaf bodyside passes through the Sunderland plant’s Body Shop(Image: Matt Walker)

Factory closures and job cuts are helping Nissan to stage a turnaround of its challenged performance, its CEO has told reporters.

The Japanese automotive giant has slashed forecasted losses for its 2025 financial year saying it now expects an operating loss of 60billion yen (about £287m) down from its previous outlook of 275billion yen (£1.31bn). Ivan Espinosa said the results – which also include a 44% fall in third quarter operating profits to 17.5billion yen (£83.7m) – showed progress.

The ‘Re:Nissan’ programme has introduced sweeping job cuts of up to 20,000 by 2027, the closure of seven factories globally and redeployment of 3,000 people from work on future models to look at cost cutting ideas. It came amid serious financial challenges to the company, which now hopes to become profitable by the end of its 2026 financial year.

The firm says it has identified more than £593m of cost savings through “thousands of innovative ideas”. It has reported about £383m alone in the first half of this year.

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Mr Espinosa told a press conference in Japan that sales remained under pressure and tariffs continued to present issues, but sought to reassure that turnaround efforts were working. He said: “From the beginning, we said that this year was a year of restructuring. And when you do a restructuring unfortunately there are costs that are incurred and impairments that are incurred.

“It’s unfortunate that we have a net loss this year but in a way, it’s expected. This is what we said we’d do. We had to reset the clock of the company and this is what we’re doing with the plan.

“I think it’s remarkable to recognise from the teams the discipline and the dedication that they have put into moving the company from where we were to where we are in the third quarter.”

He added: “We are moving swiftly, with responsibility and taking care of the actions that we have to follow. We are a bit ahead of schedule in terms of the workforce reduction but we’re not sharing the breakdown – it’s about thoughtfulness and responsibility in the way we’re managing these adjustments to the workforce.”

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Following failed merger negotiations with Honda, Nissan has rekindled talks with its rival. Mr Espinosa said those discussions were “focussing on projects that bring win-win to both companies” – particularly a focus on how to collaborate in North America where both car makers are facing headwinds from tariffs under President Trump.

Nissan’s Sunderland factory recently started production of the third generation Leaf model, 15 years on from the launch of its first predecessor. The success of the new Leaf could prove pivotal to Nissan which has invested millions in its transition to electric vehicle production at the Wearside plant which employs about 6,000 people.

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Agrochem stocks surge on strong Q3, trade deal

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Agrochem stocks surge on strong Q3, trade deal
Mumbai: Shares of agrochemical and animal-feed makers rallied on Thursday after strong third-quarter earnings from several companies lifted sentiment, while reduced US tariffs improved the near-term outlook.

Avanti Feeds surged 20%, hitting the maximum tradable limit of the day. Godrej Agrovet rose 6.5%, and Mukka Protein gained 3.5%. Among agrochemical stocks, Sharda Cropchem jumped 9.6%, while Sikko Industries, Aristo Bio-Tech and Lifescience advanced 6.1% and 5%, respectively.

“There was uncertainty earlier, which is out now since there is clarity on tariffs, and most of these companies have reported a better set of earnings on a lower base, which the investors are rewarding,” said Anita Gandhi, institutional head, Arihant Capital.

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40 jobs at risk at Verallia glass factories in Yorkshire

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The GMB Union has said 40 jobs at the Knottingley and Leeds Verallia sites are at risk of redundancy due to Glass Packaging Tax pressures

Verallia in Knottingley

Verallia in Knottingley(Image: Google Maps)

Dozens of positions are under threat at glass manufacturing facilities in West Yorkshire as formal consultation proceedings get under way.

The GMB Union has confirmed that 40 roles at Verallia’s Knottingley and Leeds sites face potential redundancy. The union attributes this situation to insufficient Governmental backing on new environmental measures.

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The union reports that consultation discussions have commenced to reduce the workforce at these plants following the consequences of the Glass Packaging Tax. Introduced in April 2025 under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, this legislation requires producers to bear the costs of collection, recycling, and disposal for their packaging materials.

Charges are determined by the weight and recyclability of materials, which means heavier substances such as glass incur substantially higher fees than lighter alternatives.

Darran Travis, GMB regional organiser, said: “This is devastating news for the industry and the local community. Glass manufacturing is not operating on a level playing field. With the Glass Packaging Tax, rising energy costs, and higher employer contributions: we warned the Government jobs would go.”, reports Yorkshire Live.

He added: “If these policies are not reversed, there is no future for glass bottle manufacturing in the UK. GMB is calling for urgent Government intervention to prevent further decline across the glass manufacturing sector.”

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A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs commented: “Extended Producer Responsibility moves the cost of dealing with waste away from taxpayers, generating over £1 billion annually. These changes are backing British business with major investment and creating 25,000 jobs. We continue to work closely with the glass industry on this programme.”

Verallia has been approached for a response.

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Multibaggers: 6 stocks held by over 100 MFs in January, surge up to 130% in a year

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LK Advani's 'gift' makes its way to State Department exhibition hall

Multibaggers: 6 stocks held by over 100 MFs in January, surge up to 130% in a year

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Francesca’s files for bankruptcy, to close all stores nationwide

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Francesca's files for bankruptcy, to close all stores nationwide

Women’s specialty retailer Francesca’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and launched going-out-of-business sales across all of its stores.

The company, founded in Houston in 1999, announced Friday that it voluntarily filed for protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. The retailer said the move is intended to facilitate a court-supervised process designed to maximize value for stakeholders.

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Francesca’s currently has 457 locations across 45 states.

Francesca's retail store front

The company previously filed for bankruptcy in Decemember 2020. (Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Advisors Tiger Group, SB360 Capital Partners and GA Group have launched court-approved store closing sales across the company’s entire fleet.

“Shoppers will find discounts of 25 to 40 percent off across all product categories, and new merchandise will continue to arrive at stores,” Michael McGrail, member at Tiger Group, said in a statement. “It’s an opportunity to add to or accessorize your wardrobe, find unique gifts, or just go on a treasure hunt for extraordinary deals.”

Discounted merchandise includes sweaters and cardigans, blouses and skirts, loungewear and intimates, denim jackets, party and wedding guest dresses, rompers and jumpsuits, as well as jewelry, gifts and accessories.

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Francesca's shoppers try on shoes

Inside a Francesca’s store in Southlake, Texas. (Peter Larsen/WireImage)

Francesca’s previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2020, and was later acquired out of bankruptcy by TerraMar Capital and Tiger Group for $18 million.

In the years after exiting bankruptcy, Francesca’s attempted revival efforts, including launching a tween-oriented line called Franki by Francesca’s and acquiring Miley Cyrus and Suki Waterhouse’s lifestyle brand Richer Poorer. The chain also opened a new store at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in April 2024.

Francesca's store in a mall

Francesca’s was founded in Houston in 1999. (Josh Brasted/Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Francesca’s did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

FOX Business’ Kristen Altus contributed to this report.

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