Nissan hails bumper year for car production as Qashqai drives sales January 26, 2017 After providing a boost to the government post-Brexit vote, Nissan has now sounded a positive note over its 30th anniversary in the UK. It has said its 2016 UK car production figures of 507,430 vehicles were the second highest in its Sunderland plant's history. And it's giving a thumbs up for the near future too, saying 2017 [...]
Shell has won its legal battle over oil spills in the Niger Delta January 26, 2017 Royal Dutch Shell today won a High Court decision in which the English court said it does not have jurisdiction to rule on claims against the company's Nigerian subsidiary. UK solicitors Leigh Day brought oil spill claims against the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) on behalf of the Ogale and Bille communities in the Niger Delta in 2015, while also filing claims [...]
Who bought who? The biggest deals made so far this year revealed… January 26, 2017 So this morning Johnson & Johnson bought Europe's biggest healthcare firm in a $31bn (£23.7bn) transaction in what was the biggest M&A deal announced so far in 2017. Which are the other big deals made this year? Dealogic has a handy list: 1. Actelion Acquiror: Johnson & Johnson Deal Value: $31.3bn 2. Luxottica Group SpA Acquiror: [...]
Spain unemployment falls to lowest since 2009 January 26, 2017 Unemployment in Spain has fallen to its lowest point since 2009, as the economy continues its slow recovery. The jobless rate fell to 18.63 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2016, capping a fall in unemployment of more than two percentage points over the year, according to Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE). This [...]
The government really wants more people to cycle and walk to work – so it’s investing £64m to encourage them January 26, 2017 The government is keen to see people get their Lycra on and get pedalling. Transport Minister Andrew Jones has announced £64m will go towards encouraging people to cycle and walk, supporting local projects over the next three years. It forms part of a wider government package of more than £300m to boost walking and cycling [...]
Tory infighting might be holding back the housing white paper January 26, 2017 The government's housing white paper has been repeatedly delayed – and infighting within the Tory party might be to blame. Prime Minister Theresa May has reportedly turned the policy document away because it wasn't substantial enough, and it is now thought it will be released on 6 February. Tories in safe seats, who are likely to [...]
READ: The whole text of Theresa May’s Article 50 Bill January 26, 2017 Ministers have published the text of a new bill designed to grant Theresa May the power to begin divorce negotiations with Europe. Brexit secretary David Davis had promised a "straight-forward" piece of legislation, and the Bill is certainly minimal. The entire text is below, running to an absolutely massive 132 words. Read More: May backs down over plans [...]
The Central and Piccadilly Lines didn’t have enough trains for peak times once last month January 26, 2017 Perhaps not the best day to break this to strike suffering Central Line commuters, but they may well have suspected it anyway… There wasn't a single weekday last month when the Piccadilly and Central Lines had the required amount of trains during peak evening times. The daily service requirement at peak time for the Piccadilly Line is 79 trains [...]
Wealth manager St James’s Place reports strong end to 2016, despite political surprises January 26, 2017 FTSE 100-listed wealth manager St James’s Place reported a net inflow of funds of £2.1bn in the last quarter, despite challenging market conditions. The figures In the three months to 31 December 2016, St James’s Place said its group funds under management total reached £75.3bn, up 28 per cent over the year. Read more: Wealth [...]
Now Microsoft’s pledged to train the UK in digital skills for free January 26, 2017 Microsoft is the latest tech giant to make a pledge to help train the UK in digital skills, following hot on the heels of Google and Amazon. It will offer free digital literacy training online for everyone in the UK and specifically target 30,000 UK public servants to improve their knowledge. It will also aim to [...]