Former US Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger has urged Brooks Koepka to consider dropping out of next week’s contest with Europe.

Koepka, who is recuperating from a wrist injury, admitted this week that he found being part of a team event “more demanding” than regular tournaments.

“Not everyone embraces it. I know players who felt that way,” said Azinger, who led the US to victory at Valhalla in 2008.

John Lewis has reported a pre-tax loss of £29m for the year’s first half, after restructuring costs required to recover from last year.

However, the high street giant said its half year results ending July 31 marked a significant improvement on last year’s pre-tax loss of £635m. 

Profit before exceptional items was £69m, up £124m on the comparable period last year, when the partnership made a £55m loss.

A general view of the nhow London chameleon as it is installed on the chimney of the Old Truman Brewery. The Brewery could be redeveloped as a shopping mall and office space (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: Liz Truss, appointed as the new foreign secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on September 15, 2021 in London, England. The British prime minister replaced several cabinet ministers shortly after introducing his social care plan and a corresponding tax rise that is unpopular with some members of his party. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said the British economy expanded 4.8 per cent between April and June this year, the fastest rate out of all G20 nations (Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images)

Soho's temporary road closures will come to an end September 30 but the Council is said to be working on plans to extend a longer-term scheme (Photo by Hollie Adams/Getty Images)

Construction firm Kier crept back into profit today after two years of hefty losses after completing its reset of the company’s operations.

The London-listed firm made a £5.6m reported profit, swinging back into the black after a £225m loss last year.

TV personality Jeremy Clarkson has called on the government to protect Britain’s food supplies just as the country is defended from attacks from foreign powers by its armed forces.

Speaking at an event in Westminster hosted by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) earlier today, Clarkson urged the Government to commit to not let Britain’s self-sufficiency in food production slip below its current level of 60 per cent.

The NFU also wants more British food in public sector catering such as schools and hospitals, action to increase home-grown produce and help for consumers to buy British through filters and better labelling of online groceries.

London-headquartered Keystone Law has declared an interim dividend this morning, following six months of revenue growth and zero debt.

The challenger law firm posted a revenue of £33.7m for the six months to 31 July, up more than 37 per cent in comparison to the first half of last year.

Philip Morris, the maker of the world’s most popular cigarette brand Malboro, has sealed its £1bn takeover of Vectura with a bumper share purchase.

Commenting on the Offer, Jacek Olczak, PMI’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We have reached an important milestone in our acquisition of Vectura and are pleased to have secured over 74% of the company’s shares, in excess of the 50% required to make our offer unconditional and PMI the majority shareholder.

Ryanair today announced that it now expects to fly 225m passengers a year by March 2026, a 25m hike on its previous target.

In a statement ahead of today’s AGM, the Irish carrier said that it now expected to see traffic growth of 50 per cent – compared to pre-Covid levels – up from past estimates of 33 per cent.

DP World, a Dubai based supply chain logistics company, has announced it will expand a London port to increase supply chain resilience.

The £300m investment builds on the £2bn in funds that DP World has funnelled into Britain over the last decade and will add a fourth berth, a parking space for a ship, to the company’s London Gateway port.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “Our new freeports will create national hubs of trade, innovation and commerce, and attract more investment to regenerate communities and level up the UK.”

Revenue at Wickes has grown steadily on pre-pandemic levels, pushing the home improvement store chain to instate its first ever interim dividend.

The Watford-headquartered group posted revenue growth of 22.4 per cent on 2019 levels, and 33.1 per cent on a like for like basis, in its interim results for the six months to 26 June.

Wickes’ dividend of 2.1p is set to repay shareholders following a turbulent trading year in 2020, a year doused in supply chain hang ups and raw material shortages.

The UK last night announced a new “landmark” security pact with the US and Australia in a move that’s been widely seen as an attempt to tackle China.

AUKUS, as the new partnership will be known, will initially focus on acquiring nuclear submarines for Australia for the first time ever.

Soho's temporary road closures will come to an end September 30 but the Council is said to be working on plans to extend a longer-term scheme (Photo by Hollie Adams/Getty Images)

TV personality Jeremy Clarkson has called on the government to protect Britain’s food supplies just as the country is defended from attacks from foreign powers by its armed forces.

Speaking at an event in Westminster hosted by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) earlier today, Clarkson urged the Government to commit to not let Britain’s self-sufficiency in food production slip below its current level of 60 per cent.

The NFU also wants more British food in public sector catering such as schools and hospitals, action to increase home-grown produce and help for consumers to buy British through filters and better labelling of online groceries.

Gavin Williamson came under repeated pressure to resign over his handling of disruption to schools during the pandemic and the fiasco around grading of GCSE and A-level students amid cancelled exams.

After more than two years in the job, his time as Education Secretary has finally come to an end as he declared he was “proud” of his post-16 education reforms “despite the challenges” of the pandemic.

Only last week, the 45-year-old MP for South Staffordshire faced further criticism after he said he had met footballer Marcus Rashford online, when he had instead talked to rugby player Maro Itoje.

The main increase in customs costs comes from the “rule of origin” tariff, which applies to goods imported from the EU which were originally made, or contain components made, outside of the EU.

In a speech earlier today, Liz Truss set out how the UK’s post-Brexit trade strategy will be increasingly about attempting to secure business with eastern growth markets in India and elsewhere.

A general view of the nhow London chameleon as it is installed on the chimney of the Old Truman Brewery. The Brewery could be redeveloped as a shopping mall and office space (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

The Department for Work & Pensions published a report this morning which showed that, over the past year, older people have been exiting the workforce earlier. Moreover, the employment rate of people aged 50-64 has also fallen slightly.

City A.M. sought the views of six recruitment, HR and financial experts on why this is happening.

Sarah Loates, director at Loates, a HR consultancy, thinks “it’s too early to know” whether the fall in the average age of exit from the labour market and reduced employment rate among people aged 50-64 over the past year “is a short-term blip or the beginning of a longer-term trend,” where older workers are seen as less relevant in the post-pandemic world of remote working.

Robert Jenrick sought to present himself as a clean-cut professional in the Cabinet, but the axe fell on the housing secretary after a string of high-profile and damaging accusations.

His sacking from Boris Johnson’s top team followed the unlawful approval of a Tory donor’s housing development and his eyebrow-raising journeys during lockdown.

As Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, he was also in charge of the planning reforms that have provoked persistent ire from fellow Conservatives.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said the British economy expanded 4.8 per cent between April and June this year, the fastest rate out of all G20 nations (Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images)

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said the British economy expanded 4.8 per cent between April and June this year, the fastest rate out of all G20 nations (Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images)