THE DAILY BRIEFING
TRAIN TERROR A runaway train operated by mining group BHP had to be derailed in Western Australia yesterday after it travelled 57 miles without a driver.
The train, which was loaded with iron ore, began to move while the driver was outside conducting an inspection.
Meanwhile, law firm SPG Law is filing a multi-billion-pound class action suit against BHP in Liverpool over the 2015 Samarco mine disaster in Brazil in which a dam burst and killed 19 people.
CITY SITE Housebuilder Telford Homes has bought a 20-acre development site in Greenford, west London – which includes planning permission for 1,965 homes – for £28.4m.
FLIGHTS BOOST Irish budget airline Ryanair has reported an 11pc rise in October passenger traffic to 13.1m, up from 11.8m the year before, despite having to stomach more than 300 flight cancellations due to bad weather, strikes and air traffic control staff shortages.
ROARING TRADE Nightclub operator Deltic Group has snapped up Tiger Tiger venues in Newcastle, Manchester and Portsmouth, which are being sold by Novus Leisure.
BOOKS PROBE Gas and electricity supplier Yu Group has appointed auditors PwC and law firm DLA Piper to examine its books after it uncovered accounting irregularities.
NEW BOSS Guinness owner Diageo’s Great Britain boss Charles Ireland is stepping down after 20 years to be replaced by Dayalan Nayager, Diageo’s managing director of global travel retail.
FIRM BOUGHT London accountants Blick Rothenberg has bought business advisers Hazlems Fenton.
FLOAT HOPE Technology services firm The Panoply is hoping to raise £5m when it floats on the London Stock Exchange this month.
CHINA FEARS UK companies risk falling behind on the £6 trillion opportunity to export goods to China, according to HSBC. Only 27pc of British firm selling to China view it as a top-three future market, compared to 46pc globally, despite demand for UK goods and services.
FUND SUPPORT Technology conference Web Summit has launched Amaranthine, a £38m fund to back fledgling technology start-ups. The conference, which started in 2010, is taking place in Portugal this week.
PROFITS RETURN Healthcare services provider Totally is back in the black with a £95,000 profit for the year to September 30 after a loss of £804,000 the year before.