Top EU official: MPs could still approve May’s deal in vote next month December 27, 2018 The likelihood of Britain abandoning Brexit altogether and staying in the European Union has increased slightly in recent months, but there is no public support for a second referendum, one of the bloc’s top officials has said. European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger told the Funke Media Group that there is still a chance MPs will vote for [...]
Ousted Nissan chairman Ghosn paid company funds to Saudi businessman December 27, 2018 New charges against Carlos Ghosn claim the ousted Nissan chairman used company funds to pay a Saudi businessman for a personal favour, it has been revealed. Ghosn, who was arrested for a third time last week, is alleged to have paid $14.7m (£11.6m) in four instalments to Khaled Al-Juffali, the vice chairman of the EA Juffali and Brothers [...]
Huawei shrugs off international pressure as revenues set to grow by a fifth December 27, 2018 Huawei Technologies is expecting to grow revenues by around a fifth in 2018, despite increased international pressure and security concerns over its products. The company’s rotating chairman Guo Ping said that the technology firm is expecting revenues to hit $108.5bn (£85.7bn) this year, an increase of 21 per cent year-on-year. Despite western concerns over its role [...]
Musk: Tesla superchargers to extend across Europe next year December 27, 2018 Tesla’s supercharger network will extend across Europe next year, the company’s chief executive Elon Musk has said. The charger system, which allows Tesla owners to plug in for 30 minutes for a power boost during their trip, has previously had some black spots in Europe. However, they will now be extended to the rest of [...]
Oil prices drop as investor confidence plateaus following a rally on the markets yesterday December 27, 2018 Oil prices fell this morning after a rally which saw the price of Brent crude soar around eight per cent yesterday. International standard Brent crude fell around one per cent to $53.92 per barrel in the early morning as worries over increased supply and poor global economic conditions helped mitigate upwards pressure from the stock [...]
French airport group takes over Gatwick a week after travel chaos December 27, 2018 French group Vinci is set to buy Gatwick in a deal which values the business at around £5.8bn, just a week after drones caused travel chaos at the UK’s second biggest airport. Vinci, which operates 46 airports in 12 countries, takes a controlling 50.01 per cent stake in Gatwick for around £2.9bn. Gatwick’s chairman Sir [...]
White House assures Fed chairman job is safe despite Trump’s Christmas Eve criticism December 26, 2018 A White House official has assured that the head of the US Federal Reserve is not at any risk of losing his job, amid jitters on Wall Street throughout December caused in part by Trump’s criticism of the Fed. Asked on Boxing Day if Fed chairman Jerome Powell’s job was safe, economic advisor Kevin Hassett [...]
Saudi Aramco creates new fuel retail subsidiary to complement existing joint venture network December 26, 2018 Saudi Aramco is to create a domestic fuel retail subsidiary in a bid to expand beyond producing crude oil, into downstream business. The company will establish a network of filling stations in Saudi Arabia to sell fuel, Aramco said on Wednesday. But it did not give details of the size, cost or time-frame for the [...]
Snap lunchtime statistics suggest Boxing Day footfall down 4.2 per cent December 26, 2018 Footfall on the morning of the Boxing Day sales dropped 4.2 per cent on last year, according to initial figures, in yet another portentous signal for high street retailers. In snap statistics from the morning’s trading, footfall dropped for the third consecutive year on 26 December, a traditional shopping day as shops reopen offering post-Christmas [...]
Earthquake hits Sicily after volcanic eruption from Mount Etna, injuring 30 on Boxing Day December 26, 2018 A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit Sicily early this morning, damaging buildings and injuring about 30 people around the city of Catania, on the slopes of active volcano Mount Etna, officials said. The quake follows an eruption from the volcano two days ago, which sent a huge plume of ash into the sky, forcing the temporary [...]