Europe
BBC Business

Harvey Nichols bought by owner of Sports Direct

Image source, Getty ImagesByYasmin RufoBusiness reporter Published13 August 2026Luxury department store Harvey Nichols has been bought by the owner of Sports Direct, which warned a "significant restructuring" was needed to ensure the 200-year-old business remains sustainable. Mike Ashley's Frasers Group will take control of the Harvey Nichols stores, including its flagship in Knightsbridge, as well as the international franchise. The department store was immortalised in BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, but had faced challenges in recent years. The firm had appointed administrators in June. Michael Murray, Frasers' chief executive and Ashley's son-in-law, called the store a "British institution with significant potential" but added "clear meaningful change is needed". "The turnaround will require tough choices and we are prepared to make those decisions, even if that means a smaller business in the near term, to create a stronger and more sustainable Harvey Nichols for the long-term," he said. Harvey Nichols carries more than 800 premium and luxury brands and has over 1,000 employees. Its other stores are located in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Edinburgh. Frasers Group will also acquire the online business, and shops will continue to operate under their existing licensing. Earlier this week, Harvey Nichols warned in its latest accounts that it would need to "cease trading" within a year if it failed to secure new investment. It had faced "sustained trading and operational challenges" recently and Frasers Group said it will need to conduct a review of the store's portfolio, structure and cost base. A recent auction for the store saw Frasers battle retail rival Next to take control of the firm. Harvey Nichols was bought in 1991 by Hong Kong-based businessman Sir Dickson Poon but he put the group up for sale earlier this year. Dubbed "Harvey Nicks" by Edina and Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous, the two often found an excuse to nip into the department store for a spot of shopping and a long liquid lunch in the heyday of the 1990s.

Harvey Nichols bought by owner of Sports Direct
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

India, Singapore discuss deeper economic cooperation; Singapore tops FDI sources with USD 19.8 billion

In this image posted on Aug. 20, 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, front row, fourth from right; Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, front row, fourth from left; Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, front row, second from left; and Minister of State Jitin Prasada, front row, second from right, pose for a group photograph alongside Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, front row, centre; Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, front row, third from right; and other senior dignitaries during the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) in Singapore. | Photo Credit: Via PTI Photo Union Ministers discussed ways to deepen India-Singapore economic cooperation across advanced manufacturing, fintech, digitalisation, healthcare and sustainability during the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR). Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said in a social media post that he joined Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada in engaging with their Singaporean counterparts at the ministerial roundtable. “It was a pleasure to join my colleagues, Finance Minister @NSitharamanji, External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankarji, and MoS @JitinPrasadaji, in engaging with our Singaporean counterparts at the 4th India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable,” the Commerce Minister said. He said the discussions focused on deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between India and Singapore across key areas. “We discussed deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) across advanced manufacturing, fintech, digitalisation, healthcare, and sustainability,” he said. The delegation of the ministers is participating in the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable and the fourth India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR), with the meetings aimed at further strengthening bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries. The fourth ISMR will review the progress made since the third roundtable held in New Delhi in August 2025. The meeting will also explore new areas to speed up the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Roadmap, according to a joint statement by Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry. The discussions come as economic ties between India and Singapore continue to expand. Singapore was India’s largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in FY2025-26, accounting for USD 19.8 billion in inflows, according to the Commerce Ministry. Cumulative FDI from Singapore stood at USD 194.68 billion between April 2000 and March 2026. Bilateral trade has also increased significantly over the years. According to the Commerce Ministry, trade between India and Singapore rose from USD 6.7 billion in FY2004-05 to USD 36.1 billion in FY2025-26.

India, Singapore discuss deeper economic cooperation; Singapore tops FDI sources with USD 19.8 billion
Europe
BBC Business

Flock boss admits surveillance firm took too long to act over police abuse

Flock, the US surveillance firm, is rolling out new safeguards to prevent police misuse of its technology which, its founder and chief executive admits, should have happened sooner. Police have used Flock to track romantic partners, external and stalk strangers, leading to growing public backlash against the company. It has also been used to find stolen cars and missing people. Asked whether it had taken Flock too long to protect tens of thousands of its cameras, licence plate readers and drones from police abuse, Garrett Langley said: "Yeah... yes." Flock is cutting the number of days most data is retained, from 30 days to seven and abnormal searches and uses will also automatically be flagged. Flock cameras have been used by police to not only track former and current romantic partners, but in one case, even a woman who had had an abortion, external. Police across the US have quit, external or been fired, external for misuse of the technology. A man in Indiana recently told local news he found out through a public records request that police had set a Flock alert, external for his vehicle, despite not being suspected of any wrongdoing. At least 50 cities have this year cut ties with Flock, external due to a public backlash. However, Langley told the BBC that another 16 cities that had turned off Flock services have in the last three months come back to the company. Generally, it's running at a 7:1 ratio of new customers to lost customers, he said. Image caption, Flock Safety has seen an increase in law enforcement abusing its technology. Langley said that, just six months ago, he asked in a meeting of the company's board why there seemed to be a growing public focus on Flock. This was around the time that Amazon's Ring, a doorbell camera firm, cancelled a partnership with Flock after an outcry over a Super Bowl advert which sparked concern about unwanted surveillance.

Flock boss admits surveillance firm took too long to act over police abuse
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

Basic account cash withdrawals beyond four will attract a charge of ₹15 plus GST per transaction, says SBI

While the first four withdrawals — including those made at ATMs — will remain free, all digital transactions will continue to be exempt from charges. State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to revise the cash withdrawal charges for basic savings bank deposit accounts (BSBDA) opened through the branch channel with effect from October 1, 2026. While four cash withdrawals in a month, including ATM withdrawals at own and other bank’s ATMs, cash withdrawal at branch channels will be free, withdrawals beyond this limit will attract a charge of ₹15 plus GST per transaction, the bank said in a notice to its customers. All digital transactions will continue to be free without any restriction. All individuals having valid KYC documents are eligible to open a BSBDA, which is available at all branches and has no minimum balance requirement. While no cheque book facility is available with these accounts, withdrawals can be done using withdrawal form at branches or through ATMs using basic Rupay ATM-cum-debit card. “A customer cannot have any other savings bank account, if he/she has a basic savings bank deposit account. If the customer already has a savings bank account, the same will have to be closed within 30 days of opening a basic savings bank deposit account,” according to the bank. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Basic account cash withdrawals beyond four will attract a charge of ₹15 plus GST per transaction, says SBI
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

ICAR-CIFT’s research on fish-based nutrition wins Assam government’s Karmashree award

The research and technology contributions of the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT) in Kochi, under its long-standing collaboration with WorldFish, have translated into a government-supported initiative aimed at improving child nutrition. George Ninan, Director, ICAR-CIFT, stated that the Institute’s work has been recognised through the successful implementation of the Matsya Paripushti (Complete Nourishment through Fish) initiative by the Assam Government. The initiative, which incorporates nutrient-rich powder made from small indigenous fish into school and Anganwadi meals, has received the Karmashree Award 2026 from the Assam Government. The recognition marks an important transition of fisheries research from the laboratory and field to government programmes and public policy. The achievement has its roots in the CIFT–WorldFish collaborative research programme initiated in 2019. Under this collaboration, CIFT was entrusted with developing affordable, easy-to-prepare and nutritious fish-based food products targeting children and women, along with strategies for their effective implementation. Following extensive research and product development, CIFT developed a nutrient-rich fish powder from small indigenous fish that can be easily incorporated into a variety of food preparations. The technology has now been adopted under the Matsya Paripushti initiative in Assam. The recognition of Matsya Paripushti is a significant validation of the nutrition-sensitive fisheries approach promoted through the CIFT–WorldFish collaboration. It also highlights the potential of India’s small indigenous fish resources to address child malnutrition and improve dietary diversity while creating livelihood opportunities for women, strengthening local value chains and promoting sustainable fisheries-based food systems. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

ICAR-CIFT’s research on fish-based nutrition wins Assam government’s Karmashree award
North America
Yahoo Finance

Targa Resources Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

Targa Resources NYSE: TRGP reported record second-quarter operating volumes and adjusted EBITDA, supported by growth in the Permian Basin, higher marketing optimization opportunities and record activity across its downstream operations. Chief Executive Officer Matt Meloy said adjusted EBITDA rose 38% from a year earlier, while Permian volumes increased by more than 900 million cubic feet per day from the prior-year period and 450 million cubic feet per day from the first quarter. The company said its results were achieved despite first-quarter weather disruptions, natural-gas takeaway constraints, negative Permian gas pricing and broader market volatility. For the full year, Targa now expects adjusted EBITDA to be toward the upper end of its prior $5.7 billion to $5.9 billion guidance range. Meloy said that would suggest adjusted EBITDA growth of close to $1 billion over 2025, alongside dividend growth and share repurchases. Permian Growth and Returning Volumes President Jen Kneale said second-quarter Permian volumes reached a record 7.2 billion cubic feet per day, up approximately 7% sequentially and 14% from a year earlier. During the quarter, Targa had roughly 200 million to 400 million cubic feet per day of gas shut in behind its Permian systems on a given day because of weak Waha pricing. However, the company said the quarter-over-quarter volume increase despite those shut-ins demonstrated continued producer activity. With the Hugh Brinson Phase I project and GCX expansion now operating, most price-related producer shut-ins returned to Targa’s systems in July, according to Kneale. Kneale said July delivered another strong month of volume growth and that activity is running somewhat ahead of the company’s expectations at the start of the year. The company expects continued growth during the second half of 2026 and said the momentum supports its outlook for 2027 and beyond. Management also said a stronger macro backdrop, including higher crude oil prices and improved natural-gas egress from the Permian, is supporting producer activity. The company noted that a small amount of price-related shut-in volume remained to return in early August, while routine shut-ins can also occur for operational reasons such as frac protection. Marketing Gains and Downstream Records Chief Financial Officer Will Byers said second-quarter adjusted EBITDA was $1.603 billion, up 14% from the first quarter. The gain reflected higher marketing optimization opportunities and record volumes in Permian gathering and processing, NGL transportation, fractionation and LPG exports. Targa’s marketing businesses exceeded the company’s expectations by about $250 million in the first half, with much of the outperformance occurring during the second quarter. Kneale said constrained Permian gas egress created opportunities for the marketing business, while stronger Waha prices and narrower basis spreads have since reduced some of those opportunities. Meloy said the company is taking a conservative view of marketing margins for the second half because it does not assume material optimization gains in its guidance. While underlying volumes remain strong, management expects lower marketing opportunities to moderate results compared with the second quarter. Downstream operations also set records during the quarter. Targa reported NGL transportation volumes of 1.1 million barrels per day, fractionation volumes of 1.2 million barrels per day and LPG export loadings averaging 14.8 million barrels per month. Management said demand for U.S. hydrocarbons, including butane, helped the company maximize dock utilization and export volumes. Ben Branstetter, president of Logistics and Transportation, said Targa remains highly contracted through the startup of its LPG Export Expansion, or LEP 4, and for years afterward. The company said some demand created by the current export environment has been incorporated into longer-term contracts. Growth Projects and Capital Plans Targa said its East Driver gas-processing plant in the Permian Midland began service late in the second quarter ahead of schedule. Five additional processing plants in the Permian Delaware — Copperhead I and II, Yeti I and II, and Roadrunner III — remain on schedule to begin operations as previously announced. The company is evaluating the timing of its next Midland processing plant and expects a continued cadence of multiple plant additions annually, depending on basin growth, commercial contracts and new customer wins. Pat McDonie, president of Gathering and Processing, said extended equipment lead times have not affected Targa’s ability to execute projects, with the company generally planning around an 18- to 24-month timeline from development to startup. On the downstream side, Targa’s Train 11 fractionator entered service early in the second quarter and was quickly highly utilized. Trains 12 and 13 remain on track. The Delaware Express Pipeline also entered service during the quarter, adding NGL transportation capacity in the Delaware Basin.

Targa Resources Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
North America
Yahoo Finance

Texas Pacific Land Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

Texas Pacific Land NYSE: TPL reported record quarterly revenue, net income and free cash flow for the second quarter of 2026, supported by higher oil and gas royalty production, produced-water royalty volumes and surface-related revenue. Chief Executive Officer Ty Glover said the company generated record results across major financial and operating measures while advancing initiatives involving data-center infrastructure, power generation and produced-water desalination. Get Texas Pacific Land alerts:Sign UpRevenue, Cash Flow and Royalty Activity The S&P 500's 3 Best-Performing Stocks So Far in 2026Chief Financial Officer Chris Steddum said consolidated revenue totaled approximately $246 million, a quarterly record and an increase of 4% from the prior quarter and 31% from a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA was $216 million, up 19% sequentially and 30% year over year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 88%. Free cash flow reached $156 million, rising 14% from the first quarter and 20% from the second quarter of 2025, Steddum said. Oil and gas royalty production averaged about 39,700 barrels of oil equivalent per day, increasing 7% sequentially and 20% year over year. Glover said the company’s unhedged royalty position enabled it to benefit from the stronger oil-price environment during the quarter. Produced-water royalty volumes reached 4.9 million barrels per day, a 6% sequential increase and a 15% year-over-year increase. Glover attributed the gain to demand for TPL’s in-basin and out-of-basin pore space. Water sales volumes were 663,000 barrels per day, down 19% from the prior quarter but up 38% from a year earlier. According to Glover, quarterly water-sales volumes were affected by weak in-basin natural-gas prices, which led operators to shift some development away from the Delaware Basin. He said the company expects new gas-pipeline capacity entering service over the next several quarters to improve local gas-price differentials and potentially support a mix shift back toward the Delaware Basin. Surface, land and material revenue, or SLEM revenue, totaled $24 million, up 37% sequentially, driven by pipeline and wellbore easements, Glover said. As of the end of the quarter, TPL had 5.6 net permitted wells, 9.5 net drilled-but-uncompleted wells and 3.4 net completed-but-not-producing wells, for a total of 18.4 net line-of-sight wells. Year-to-date capital expenditures were $29 million. Data Center and Power Development Efforts The company disclosed that a previously announced land sale and water-supply agreement relates to Project Kilby, a large-scale power-generation facility that Chevron is developing to support a customer data center in Reeves County, Texas. Glover described the multi-gigawatt power and data-center development as a validation of the Permian Basin’s ability to host hyperscale infrastructure. During the quarter, TPL also acquired more than 10,000 acres in Shackelford and Jones counties for about $100 million. Glover said the area is among the fastest-growing data-center regions in the country and offers contiguous land and water resources, access to natural gas and grid infrastructure, established fiber and proximity to a mid-size city. In response to analyst questions, Glover said TPL had conducted diligence on the property for more than a year and that it was of interest to a compute user the company had been working with. He said TPL seeks to remain capital-light while participating across potential project revenue streams, including land use, water and aggregates. Glover said the company was in advanced conversations with hyperscalers, artificial-intelligence labs and power generators involving 25 gigawatts of projects. He said he would be disappointed if TPL did not announce one or more major definitive agreements in the near term, while noting that execution requires work with multiple counterparties and extensive diligence. Steddum said the company has prioritized building cash and deploying capital toward what it views as high-return opportunities, including land acquisitions and other growth initiatives. While share repurchases remain under consideration, he said the company currently sees attractive alternatives for its capital. Desalination Facility Begins Commissioning TPL completed construction and began commissioning its Phase 2B produced-water desalination facility in Orla, Texas. The facility is designed to eventually process 10,000 barrels per day and uses the company’s patented freeze-desalination process.

Texas Pacific Land Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
Europe
BBC Business

Water bills set to rise for many after firms permitted extra funding

Image source, Getty Images/Olga RolenkoByLucy HookerBusiness reporterPublished10 minutes agoWater companies have been given a provisional green light to increase bills for customers by an extra £3.4bn in coming years to meet increased pressures on infrastructure and the environment. Nearly a third of the extra funding for 13 water companies in England and Wales is earmarked for ensuring water services are maintained. Further sums are set to meet rising demand from housebuilding and data centres and to address pollutants known as "forever chemicals". But a group campaigning for better water quality in the UK's rivers described the decision as "an insult". The regulator, Ofwat, said the extra spending would enable the firms to support growth and better environmental outcomes and ensure important upgrades were not delayed. "We will track performance to ensure companies are delivering the expected improvements for customers and the environment," said Helen Campbell, executive director for delivery at Ofwat. Water companies need approval from the regulator, Ofwat, to raise customers' bills, a process that takes place every five years to set spending budgets for the years ahead. This decision to allow increased charges comes on top of already-agreed bill rises that were negotiated with the water companies in 2024. The process allows firms to apply for additional funds for projects that were not known about at the time of the last review. As part of the outlined increase, Ofwat has approved funding for schemes including provision for new data centres in Manchester, additional wastewater capacity in Newquay and to bring forward work by Wessex Water to tackle PFAS, originally planned for 2030-35. However, the decision is provisional. There is a period of public consultation, with a final decision due in December. Some of the additional spending would be recovered through customer bills before the end of this decade, some would come after 2030.

Water bills set to rise for many after firms permitted extra funding
Europe
BBC Business

Zero hours crackdown could cost firms up to £2.9bn a year

Businesses could face costs of up to £2.9bn a year because of a crackdown on zero hours contracts, according to the government's own analysis. Labour's employment reforms are set to cut the number of hours staff can work before they must be offered guaranteed time. Official analysis released on Wednesday showed it could cost employers between £350m and £2.9bn, based on the eventual threshold of hours the policy impacts. Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said the reforms would ensure workers are "fairly paid" but business groups said the cost to employers was "disproportionate" compared to how much it would help workers. Government analysis said there were "potential trade-offs" that include more administrative costs and less flexibility for companies, including making it "harder for employers to respond to changes in demand". At the upper end of its estimate, about £1.2bn in costs would come from businesses who are forced to pay workers compensation for cancelled shifts. However, the middle estimate of how much the policy would cost overall is £1.1bn. The total cost depends on who the policy eventually applies to: if it applies to people working 48 hours a week, as some unions have called for, it will cost companies more. The government's preference is for it to fall somewhere between eight and 20 hours a week. In that case, the overall cost would fall far short of the higher estimates cited in the analysis. Officials also wrote that the reforms could provide a £10bn boost to the economy because of better wellbeing and productivity. That would lower the net average cost of the reforms to between £300m and £1.4bn.

Zero hours crackdown could cost firms up to £2.9bn a year