EU referendum: Full text of Donald Tusk’s letter to EU leaders on Prime Minister David Cameron’s reform agenda February 2, 2016 European Council President Donald Tusk just published his long-awaited response to Prime Minister David Cameron's renegotiation demands. To be, or not to be together, that is the question… My proposal for a new settlement for #UKinEU https://t.co/w4VSmnbahQ — Charles Michel (@eucopresident) February 2, 2016 Full text of his letter to EU leaders below: Keeping the unity [...]
UK farmers plan London march after world commodity crisis slashes incomes February 2, 2016 British farmers are reacting to the world commodity crisis in an unusual way – by planning a march on London. Lobby group Farmers For Action has received thousands of pledges of support for a demonstration on Wednesday 23 March. Coachloads of countryfolk will descend on London to highlight the sharp drop in food producers’ incomes over [...]
TfL Tube strike February 2016: Transport for London bosses warn staff they will lose £500 bonus if they strike February 2, 2016 Tube workers have been issued an ultimatum by Transport for London bosses over the forthcoming strike this weekend: they will lose their £500 bonus if they go ahead with the action. The walkout, over a long-running jobs dispute as TfL pushes ahead with ticket office closures, is due to start at 9pm this Saturday and [...]
UK construction sector suffers slowest growth for nine months as house building loses momentum February 2, 2016 The UK's construction sector lost steam in January, new figures reveal. Markit's construction purchasing managers' index – compiled from a survey of firms – dropped to a score of 55 from 57.8. While it is above the 50 mark that indicates no change in activity on the previous month, it marks a slower expansion. Weighing [...]
UK house prices: The UK needs a million more rental homes in the next five years February 2, 2016 The UK needs more than a million new rental homes by 2021, a new report has suggested. The government has a target to build 400,000 new affordable homes for sale over the course of this parliament – but that's ignoring the needs of renters, the research, by Savills, suggests. Sluggish economic recovery, low interest rates – [...]
In pictures: Modern Express, a giant, listing cargo ship, has just narrowly avoided crashing into the French coast February 2, 2016 The French maritime agency has confirmed it has prevented a massive cargo ship from crashing into its coast during a last-ditch rescue attempt. The Modern Express was listing badly in gale-force conditions just over 28 miles off the French coast. It was feared the ship would run aground at some point today, after several attempts to turn it around [...]
EasyJet is testing hybrid planes using hydrogen fuel cell technology to save fuel costs while cutting emissions and airport noise February 2, 2016 Budget airline EasyJet is testing out a new way to cut costs, using new technology to reduce the amount of fuel it uses and also helping the orange branded carrier become greener. Work will begin on creating hybrid planes with hydrogen fuel cells which can be used when taxiing along airport runways instead of engines. This activity takes up around 20 [...]
EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannau opens first EasyFood pilot store in London – with food priced at 25p February 2, 2016 Aldi and Lidl are about to get a taste of their own medicine, after EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannau has opened his first EasyFoodstore in north-west London, bringing the challenging spirit of the discount airline to the grocery sector. The Park Royal shop (next to the EasyBus depot on the North Circular, natch) will sell a limited and basic [...]
No new Safe Harbour agreement: Experts warn of “absolutely enormous” disruption to business as EU and US fail to strike data transfer deal before deadline February 2, 2016 As EU and US negotiators failed their mission to reach a new landmark Safe Harbour agreement before the deadline, experts are warning of “absolutely enormous” risks to business. The deadline to strike a new data transfer regulation ran out yesterday, as talks reportedly hit a brick wall over EU citizens’ options in the event of [...]
Nature Vs machine: Eagles trained to take down rogue drones by Netherlands police February 2, 2016 How do you take down a rogue drone? In the Netherlands, they're turning to the natural world to solve the man-made problem. Dutch police will use specially trained eagles to take down drones which threaten security. "The bird sees the drone as prey and takes it to a safe area," said Mark Wiebe, innovation manager of the national [...]