Late holidays cause slump in Getlink passenger traffic August 13, 2019 Getlink, the Channel Tunnel operator, reported slumps in its truck and car traffic figures in July, which it blamed on a slowdown in UK consumption and later holiday departures. Getlink, which used to be called Eurotunnel, transports passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles across the Channel. Read more: Getlink blames Brexit for slump in traffic numbers [...]
PM braced for September showdown over parliament suspension threat August 13, 2019 A court case designed to stop Boris Johnson suspending parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit has been fast-tracked for the first week of September – when MPs return from summer recess. The case, which was heard this morning in Edinburgh’s Court of Session while English courts are closed for the holidays, has been signed [...]
Climate protesters throw red paint at Brazil’s London embassy August 13, 2019 Climate change protesters covered Brazil’s London embassy with red paint this morning, as outrage grows over the fate of the Amazon rain forest under President Jair Bolsonaro. Two Extinction Rebellion activists climbed onto a glass awning above the embassy’s entrance, while others fixed themselves to the windows with glue. They left red hand prints and [...]
Hands-free phones should be banned while driving: MPs August 13, 2019 People could be banned from using hands-free devices on their mobile phones while driving, under new recommendations put forward by a group of MPs. Despite the “misleading impression” that using hands-free devices is safe, it actually carries “the same risk of collision”, the Transport Select Committee said. Read more: Self-driving cars get first London test [...]
Axe to grind: Taxi drivers slam ‘PR gimmick’ as City launches car-free days August 13, 2019 Taxi drivers have slammed plans to close off key locations in the City of London to traffic during the summer, saying they amount to a “PR gimmick”. Key City hotspots, including St Mary Axe and Chancery Lane, will be closed for days in August and September to allow workers to enjoy traffic-free lunch breaks, the [...]
Argentine peso plunges 25 per cent versus dollar after shock election result August 12, 2019 The Argentine peso has plunged almost 25 per cent against the dollar after the free marketeer President Mauricio Macri was thrashed in primary elections. Read more: Argentine peso falls despite IMF loan increase to $57bn Macri – who has implemented austerity in an attempt to restore confidence in the economy – lost by 15.5 percentage [...]
Heathrow on track to top 81m passengers after July boost August 12, 2019 Heathrow has said it is on track to top 81m passengers this year after new figures revealed that nearly eight million passengers used the airport in July. The hub airport has already flown 46m passengers so far this year, a near 1.5 per cent increase on the same time the previous year. Read more: Business [...]
Royal London sales hit by DB transfer drop despite rise in profits August 12, 2019 Royal London, the UK’s largest mutual life insurer, has reported a drop in new business sales during the first half of the year. The pensions provider blamed an industry-wide reduction in defined benefit (DB) transfers today for a four per cent year-on-year fall in new business sales to £5.8bn for the first six months of [...]
Hitachi trials tech for ticket sensors via phone app August 12, 2019 Transport giant Hitachi has said ticket barriers could become a thing of the past as it trails new technology that could scan tickets via a smartphone app. The Japanese firm is currently developing and trialling technology that uses sensors on trains to detect tickets via an app on passengers’ mobile phones. Read more: Commuters braced [...]