Rentokil buyout of Mitie pest control business given green light by regulator August 22, 2019 Rentokil’s bid to hive off parts of its newly-acquired pest control business from Mitie so as to assuage competition concerns has been accepted by regulators. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has given the deal its blessing, as long as Rentokil sells the majority of the majority of the business that used to be called [...]
Qantas to run tests of 19-hour flights from London and New York to Sydney August 22, 2019 Qantas is to run tests of its planned 19-hour flights from London and New York to Sydney to see whether passengers and crew can cope with the journey. The Australian airline will carry 40 passengers, mainly Qantas employees, on three research flights in October, November and December ahead of its plan to launch the services [...]
US manufacturing sector contracts for first time since 2009, survey says August 22, 2019 The US manufacturing sector contracted for the first time since the financial crisis in August, survey data showed today, in a sign that a global slowdown and trade tensions are damaging producers. Read more: Apple’s Tim Cook cautions Donald Trump over China tariffs A preliminary reading of the manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a closely-watched [...]
EU considers giving citizens explicit rights over facial recognition data August 22, 2019 The European Commission is considering introducing strict regulations governing the use of facial recognition technology that would give EU citizens explicit rights over the use of their facial recognition data. The Commission’s plans, which were first reported in the Financial Times, would be part of a wider overhaul into how the EU regulates artificial intelligence [...]
Thyssenkrupp pushes back against EU’s steel merger block August 22, 2019 Thyssenkrupp has filed a complaint against regulators after they blocked a joint venture with Tata Steel earlier in the summer. The German steel making giant is disputing the antitrust decision by the European Commission to veto its plans to forge Europe’s second-biggest steelmaker over fears it would reduce competition. Read more: Thyssenkrupp issues another profit [...]
HSBC urges peace amid Hong Kong clashes August 22, 2019 HSBC and Standard Chartered have weighed into the turmoil in Hong Kong today after calling for a peaceful resolution following several months of mass demonstrations. Both banking giants have taken out newspaper adverts in Hong Kong to urge an end to the violent clashes between police and protesters, which were sparked earlier this summer by [...]
Overcrowding is the worst thing about London transport, survey finds August 22, 2019 Overcrowding is the main gripe Londoners have with the transport system, a new survey has found. More than half of Londoners think crammed trains and Tubes are the worst thing about public transport in the capital, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the London Assembly’s transport committee. Read more: Ride the UK heatwave: Here [...]
Macron opens door to amending Brexit deal – but keeps red lines intact August 22, 2019 The French President has backed the 30-day timetable to find a solution to the Brexit deadlock – but warned it is unlikely that things will change significantly. Speaking ahead of a lunch meeting with the UK Prime Minister in Paris today, Emmanuel Macron told reporters the red lines had not changed and that the agreement [...]
Profit down 26 per cent at gambling group Rank as footfall declines August 22, 2019 Gambling group Rank has reported a drop in pre-tax profits after being hit by slowing sales at its Grosvenor Casinos and a decline in traffic at its Mecca Bingo halls earlier in the year. The figures Rank said that pre-tax profit for the full year was £34.6m, a 26 per cent drop on the £46.7m [...]
Land of the car? Trump slams Ford for backing stricter emissions rules August 22, 2019 Donald Trump has found a new target for his Twitter ire: the global automotive industry. The US President yesterday mounted a series of attacks on car makers for snubbing his plan to roll back Obama-era fuel efficiency rules, singling out Ford for instead siding with a California state deal which proposes stricter emissions standards. Read [...]