Sonova forecasts higher 2025 results, announces CEO change
The world's largest maker of hearing aids expects its operating earnings before amortisation (EBITA) to grow by 14% to 18% and sales to rise by 5% to 9% in the year through March 2026.
It also said CEO Arnd Kaldowski would step down in September due to personal reasons.
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The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
A ferry link between Scotland and France could be one step closer
A ferry linking Scotland to Europe could be one step closer to reality after a key border obstacle may be resolved. Ferry operator DFDS is planning on launching a service between the town of Rosyth in Fife, Scotland, and Dunkirk in France, as early as spring 2026, allowing for both passengers and freight to be transported between the countries. The route is nicknamed 'Project Brave', and was first proposed in 2022. If instated, the journey could take up to 20 hours, making it among the longest in Europe. One of the main barriers to the project was the need for certain goods to be processed at a border control post. Building a new facility at Rosyth was deemed expensive and unnecessary. DFDS proposed using the existing border control post at Grangemouth, in Scotland, instead, however local politicians say a new UK-EU deal could mean that checks at the posts would no longer be needed. In May, prime minister Keir Starmer confirmed a new agreement with the European Union, which means food and drink can be more easily imported and exported 'by reducing the red tape'. Goods are expected to flow more freely as some routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed. Negotiations are ongoing with the EU to determine specific requirements. Scottish MP Graeme Downie said this week that the new deal could bypass the need for border control posts, according to the Dunfermline Press, but temporary use of Grangemouth will be required for the ferry to launch by spring 2026. 'A regular passenger and freight ferry service from Rosyth to Dunkirk would be an incredible boon for the Dunfermline and Scottish economy, making trade easier as well as making it simpler for people from Europe to visit the kingdom of Fife," he said. 'These matters can be complex but we have taken a huge stride towards making this ferry service a reality.' Secretary of state for Scotland, Ian Murray, has written to Steve Reed, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, detailing how the ferry service could launch without the new border control point, the local paper reported. He asked that for an 'urgent' amendment to the current model, and thanked Mr Murray for his support in finding a temporary workaround. '[The] efforts make it more likely a passenger and freight ferry to Dunkirk could begin as soon as next year,' he said.
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Agreement reached over Morecambe takeover
Morecambe's owners and prospective buyers Panjab Warriors have reached an agreement in principle to transfer the majority shareholding in the announcement comes after the two parties agreed to a mediation session this week after an initial session failed to take place the week Warriors previously had their takeover approved by the EFL in June following the club's relegation from League Two, but a chaotic summer has since followed, with the Shrimps being suspended from the National League in the midst of an ongoing impasse."This agreement reflects the willingness of both sides to compromise in the best interests of Morecambe FC, its supporters, and the wider community. It paves the way for continued stability and a positive future both on and off the pitch," the two parties said in a joint statement., external"Final legal documentation will now be prepared, with immediate steps being taken to inform key stakeholders, including the National League and the club's management team."Both Panjab Warriors and Bond Group would like to thank all parties involved for their patience and support during this process, and we look forward to a new chapter in the club's history." Panjab Warriors, who have been trying to take over the beleaguered club for over a year, were joined in a separate bid by businessman Jonny Cato in trying to mount a closed operations in late July shortly after their suspension from the National League, with a takeover still to take culture secretary Lisa Nandy called on owner Jason Whittingham to sell the club, with the Shrimps' plight coinciding with the Football Governance Bill passing into is unclear from Thursday's statement when Panjab Warriors' takeover will be finalised, however."We would like to thank all of the staff at the club for their forbearance and can only apologise for the stress this has caused," added the Bond Group."In particular I would like to thank Rob, Derek, Oliver and Martin for their continued professional conduct and support throughout this process and also their support for the staff and the community."I would hope that the Shrimps fans can now give their full support to the club and its journey ahead."
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Volkswagen now charges some EV owners a monthly fee to unlock full power from their electric cars
If you thought paying a monthly subscription to the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube to avoid adverts was bad, Volkswagen is now charging a recurring fee to unlock the full power of customers' electric cars. The German automotive giant has added a monthly subscription to release the full performance from its cheapest Volkswagen ID.3 electric hatchback variants. Customers who order the entry-specification ID.3 Pure (£30,860) or ID.3 Pure Match (£32,220) - might believe they are getting their hands on an EV with 170kW (168bhp) of power. And rightfully so, because this is the output listed on the website. However, the small print states that models quoted to produce 170kW will instead be electronically limited to 150kW (148bhp) unless the owner pays a monthly subscription fee of £16.50. To put this into perspective, that's almost six times the ad-free upgrade for Amazon Prime Video and three times that to watch Netflix without adverts. Volkswagen is calling this performance paywall an 'optional power upgrade'. Though outraged customers could argue that it's part of an elaborate mis-selling tactic, given that the 170kW full amount is available from the electric powertrain. It could also become a major insurance headache, with drivers at the wheel of vehicles with less power than officially claimed. The small print states: 'Important information for new ID.3 orders: Engine power is 150kW as standard, 170kW if you activate the optional power upgrade for a fee.' 'Choice of one-month free trial or subscription (one month, one year or outright purchase for lifetime of car. 'See your In-car Shop or the Volkswagen Connect Shop for up to date pricing. 'Subscriptions auto-renew at the end of their term. 'Paid subscription for one month term starts automatically (after the free trial) unless cancelled.' According to Auto Express, which uncovered this paywall on electric power, customers have to stump-up a whopping £649 to permanently unlock the full 20kW of performance Volkswagen has limited. The restriction on power also limits the maximum torque, dropping it from 265Nm to 310Nm. With less pulling power and outright performance, the ID.3 is also not likely to achieve the quoted acceleration from 0 to 62mph in 8.2 seconds. However, Volkswagen says the restricted performance does not affect the claimed range 240 miles. Not only is the paywall a sneaky tactic to make drivers cough up even more money for the electric cars but it will also be an administrative headache for owners. This is because those who refuse to pay the subscription will need to notify their insurer that their ID.3 produces less power than the 170kW quoted by the car maker. The Daily Mail has contacted Volkswagen UK for comment and to understand if any other EV models are subject to paywalled power. Car makers cheekily charging extra for existing features Volkswagen isn't the first car firm to ask its customers to pay a monthly subscription to access features and performance also equipped in their cars. BMW in 2022 took a lot of heat when it was revealed that it was charging owners of its motors a monthly fee of £15 to access the heated seats in their expensive motors. It also wanted £10 a month to unlock the heated steering wheel, a tenner to activate high-beam assist, and £35 to turn on the adaptive cruise control system. BMW sparked outrage in 2022 when it told its customers they would need to pay a monthly subscription to add features to their car, despite the vehicle already being equipped with the technology This screengrab of BMW UK's Connected Drive section of its website in 2022 shows the different purchase and subscription options available to have heated front seats Want a heated steering wheel in your BMW for the winter only? The German brand was once charging £10 a month for the luxury Porsche also had paywalls on some features in its Taycan EVs. This includes Active Lane Keeping that was available for £18-a-month in 2022. Customers could also pay extra to have a dynamic headlight feature switched on, costing £32-a-month In the same year, we revealed that Porsche was also charging monthly subscription charges to unlock driver assistance systems in some of its high-performance models. A year later, Audi Audi's boss said the company would ramp up availability of 'function on demand' features that would need to be unlocked with a monthly payment. Polestar owners too can pay extra for a performance pack that provides more power through software upgrades. However, this is different to the Volkswagen subscription because it is not unlocking power that's already there as standard.
