Planned Aslef strike by Avanti train drivers in early July is suspended June 22, 2023 A planned strike by train drivers on Avanti West Coast has been suspended. Members of Aslef were due to walk out on July 2 in a dispute over sick notes. The union said the company has confirmed it will remove the sick note policy which was in dispute. Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “As [...]
Volkswagen plans audit of Xinjiang plant after human rights complaint June 21, 2023 Volkswagen is planning an external audit of its factory in Xinjiang after a group filed a human rights compliant with regulators in relation to its operations in the Chinese state. Oliver Blume, Volkswagen’s chief executive, said on Wednesday that the German car manufacturer would commission the audit “as soon as possible,” according to a report [...]
Network Rail must be held to account for poor performance, says minister June 21, 2023 The performance of Network Rail has “not been good enough,” rail minister Huw Merriman said today, stating that the body must be properly held to account to ensure it improves the UK’s rail infrastructure. Speaking at a transport committee hearing, Merriman told MPs that a major challenge for train operators “is the performance of Network [...]
Titanic wreck voyage disaster: Noises detected from search area of missing vessel with British billionaire on board June 21, 2023 Noises have been detected from the search area of the missing deep-sea vessel near the wreck site of the Titanic as those on board face a dwindling supply of oxygen. The submersible, named Titan, lost communication with tour operators on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St John’s, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the [...]
Octopus’ EV leasing business secures £150m to turbocharge electric car take up June 20, 2023 Octopus Electric Vehicles, the energy company’s electric car leasing business, has secured a £150m funding boost, taking its two-year total fundraising total to £650m. The funding will help finance Octopus’ employee benefit scheme, which gives employees at firms who opt in a chance to save around 30-40 per cent by providing the electric vehicle, charger [...]
Karshare journey ends as firm runs out of cash and calls in administrators June 20, 2023 Karshare, the car rental service which raised nearly £10m from a number of wealthy owners, has ceased trading today after running out of cash. It has appointed accountancy firm Azets as an administrator, according to Sky News’ Mark Kleinman. The firm had previously raised close to £10m from a number of wealthy investors, including former [...]
Saga profit expectations ‘well ahead’ of last year but insurance arm weighs down results June 20, 2023 Saga it expects profits to be “well ahead” of the previous year, driven by a strong performance from its ocean cruise and travel section – but its insurance arm continues to weigh it down. The over 50s specialist saw £150m in booked revenue from its travel segment as of this week, 37 per cent ahead [...]
Lookers: UK car dealership firm agrees to £465.4m buyout by Canada’s Alpha Auto June 20, 2023 British car dealership giant Lookers has agreed to be bought out by Canada’s Alpha Auto Group (AAG) after it launched a £465.4m acquisition, continuing a string of corporate deals in the sector. Global Auto Holdings Limited – the bidding vehicle for the takeover – announced the acquisition this morning, with the bid worth 120p per [...]
We need to talk more about lithium – UK risks supply shortfall to feed its electric car ambitions June 20, 2023 Lithium-ion batteries are the most widely used technology as of today, making lithium gold dust in the EV race.
Airbus wins biggest order in history of commercial aviation from Indian carrier Indigo June 19, 2023 India’s largest airline Indigo has placed the largest aircraft order in the history of commercial aviation today, ordering up to 500 of Airbus’s A320 jets. The deal for the narrow-body planes, the aerospace manufacturer’s best selling aircraft, take the total number of Airbus aircraft on order from Indigo to 1,330. The agreement was signed at [...]