Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn to appear in Tokyo court for detention hearing January 4, 2019 Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn will appear in a Tokyo court after his lawyers requested a hearing to explain the reason for his detention. Ghosn, who has been held in Japan since 19 November, will appear in the Tokyo District Court within five days, according to local media reports. Lawyers for the embattled executive petitioned [...]
Hundreds of jobs lost as Monarch airline’s engineering business collapses January 4, 2019 The engineering arm of Monarch airlines has gone into administration resulting in the loss of almost 500 jobs. Work at Monarch Aircraft Engineering’s (MAEL) base maintenance business, which undertakes aircraft overhaul and major heavy maintenance programmes, will be suspended immediately and around 250 employees have been made redundant. A further 200 members of staff based [...]
Volvo facing £600m hit over concerns engines exceed emissions limit January 4, 2019 Volvo has set aside 7bn Swedish krona (£616m) to fix issues with some of its engines amid concerns they could exceed emissions limits, the company has said. The Swedish car manufacturer last night said the costs relate to the testing of vehicles, statistical analysis and dialogue with relevant authorities. “The next step will be to [...]
Alexa: Tell me why I can’t have a flying car like in Blade Runner January 4, 2019 Bad news: it’s 2019, and that means we are now living through the year in which the original Blade Runner film was set. Released in 1982, Blade Runner has some interesting ideas about 2019. Yes, it’s a post-apocalyptic dystopian hellscape where sentient bioengineered robots (“replicants”) must be hunted down against a backdrop of a dying [...]
From sugar to saving, this government is treating us like a nation of children January 4, 2019 The morning I turned eight, I woke up and told my father that I was “halfway there”. This, in my home state of Connecticut, was in reference to getting my driving licence, a process I could start on my sixteenth birthday. As a kid, this was the milestone that I was most excited to reach, [...]
DEBATE: Is transport secretary Chris Grayling right to blame the unions for rail fare hikes? January 4, 2019 Is transport secretary Chris Grayling right to blame the unions for rail fare hikes? Duncan Simpson, policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, says YES. This week’s fare rise is, quite understandably, infuriating for many commuters. But passenger outrage is being misdirected. Huge progress has been made since privatisation: passenger numbers and overall satisfaction are up, and [...]
The internet is a positive force, not a menace to be controlled January 4, 2019 There is no doubt that the internet industry faces many challenges. The same tools that allow information to pass from one user to another, or to join a business with a customer on the other side of the world, can be put to bad uses by bad actors. But amid the torrents of negative headlines [...]
Economy Energy banned from taking on new customers amid Ofgem probe January 4, 2019 Economy Energy has been banned from taking on new customers until it improves its customer service, Ofgem said today. The energy regulator said it has issued a three month ban on the supplier, which will also prevent it requesting one-off payments and increasing direct debits. Ofgem said Economy Energy must improve its customer contact procedures, [...]
UK house prices fall in December on Brexit uncertainty as annual growth rate hits six-year low January 4, 2019 UK house prices fell by 0.7 per cent in December, as prices’ annual growth rate dropped to its lowest level in almost six years. Prices grew by just 0.5 per cent year on year, compared to 2.6 per cent growth in 2017, but fell compared to November. London recorded a 0.8 per cent decline in house [...]
Shop price inflation grows in December despite Christmas discounting January 4, 2019 Shop price inflation rose in December as festive discounting failed to keep prices down for stretched consumers. Overall inflation rose to 0.3 per cent last month, up from 0.1 per cent in November and the highest rate of inflation since April 2013. It is only the fourth month of inflation in the last five years, according [...]