Donald Trump appoints ardent oil fan Rick Perry as head of Department of Energy December 13, 2016 President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rick Perry, an ardent believer in removing restrictions on oil drilling, as the head of the US Department of Energy. Perry served as governor of Texas for 14 years, during which he was a strident opponent of environmental regulation on oil production, a major part of the Texas economy. Perry [...]
Russian hacking to influence Brexit vote is “highly probable” says Labour MP Ben Bradshaw December 13, 2016 It is “highly probable” that Russian hackers attempted to influence the result of the EU referendum, according to a Labour MP. Ben Bradshaw, the MP for Exeter since 1997, told Parliament that he suspected Russian hackers had followed similar tactics to those used the US election campaign. However, he admitted that proof for his claim [...]
EU Parliament’s Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt says transitional deal must not be “eternal” December 13, 2016 A time limit is “necessary” on any transitional deal for UK businesses while the Brexit process is completed, according to the European Parliament’s chief negotiator. Guy Verhofstadt said: “I have seen many times in politics that a so-called transitional agreement becomes an eternal or definitive agreement, so that has to be avoided.” Speaking to the BBC, [...]
Spreadbetting giant CMC Markets to consider London HQ move over FCA crackdown December 13, 2016 Spreadbetting giant CMC Markets will consider moving its HQ away from London if the City watchdog pushes ahead with a clampdown on the industry. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) last week revealed plans for stricter rules for firms selling “contract for difference” (CFD) products such as spreadbets for retail customers. Read more: Spreadbetters respond to [...]
Government letter to Nissan reveals no extra spending says top civil servant December 13, 2016 Nissan will not receive any more public money to keep production of its new Qashqai and X-trail models in Sunderland after Brexit, according to a top civil servant. Amyas Morse, the head of the National Audit Office, said he had seen a government letter to Nissan, and that it contained no promises which would result [...]
Challenger banks concerned Brexit has put creating a more even playing field on the backburner December 13, 2016 The UK's smaller lenders are concerned the government is delaying levelling the playing field for banking as key figures are too tied up navigating Brexit. Shortly after the Brexit vote, a number of challenger chief executives wrote to the influential Treasury Select Committee to ask them to push for creating a fairer market for lenders. This [...]
Government publishes steel requirements between now and 2020 in a bid to boost domestic industry December 13, 2016 The government has published details of its plan to use 3m tonnes of steel in infrastructure projects by 2020 in a bid to give beleaguered domestic steelmakers a better chance of winning government contracts. The amount of steel required across 18 central government infrastructure projects, including HS2, the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant and upgrading [...]
EastEnders, Holby City and Cold Feet heading to America as BBC and ITV launch new Netflix-style platform December 13, 2016 BBC and ITV have teamed up to step onto the turf of Netflix, announcing the launch of a new on-demand TV service. BritBox will initially target the United States, taking the likes of EastEnders, Cold Feet and Holby City across the pond. Read more: BBC World Service launches 11 new language services with government funding [...]
Waymo: Full speed ahead as Google spins off self-driving car business December 13, 2016 Google is stepping up a gear with its self-driving car project, spinning it out into a separate business it will call Waymo. It will now come out of the shadows at what is known as Google X's "moonshiots" and under the umbrella of parent company Alphabet. "It's an indication of the maturity of our technology. We can [...]
Medical manufacturer SMC buys designer of an ultra-portable allergy treatment December 13, 2016 SMC has acquired the Cambridge-based designer of an ultra-portable adrenaline injector for allergy sufferers. The global medical manufacturer bought Oval Medical Technologies Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. Oval has developed a small autoinjector, which initial testing indicates is much easier to use than alternatives. Those who are allergic to nuts, bee stings, and other causes of [...]