QinetiQ seals £1bn deal with MoD: Chief exec says it will give UK’s armed forces an “operational advantage” December 2, 2016 Defence engineering company QinetiQ received some Friday cheer after agreeing a £1bn deal with the UK government. And even better, the deal is cracking value for money… according to the government at least. "This new deal will ensure our armed forces get world-class training and testing facilities and services while making substantial efficiencies, ensuring excellent value [...]
Here’s how the mayor wants to improve access to office space for London’s startups December 2, 2016 Sadiq Khan wants to protect the capital's office space. And how does he plan to do that you might well ask? Well, apparently he's rounding up a team of entrepreneurs and business leaders to appoint to the Workspace Providers Board. They will advise on securing offices and creating new ones, such as by identifying sites for building new developments, [...]
A London bus burst into flames in Kingston half-way through the morning commute December 2, 2016 Two fire engines attended after a London bus burst into flames in the centre of Kingston – in the middle of the morning commute. The London Fire Brigade said two fire crews had been called to a bus on fire on the high street just after 9am. "A double decker bus is currently well alight," it said. "The [...]
Chanel kicks up a stink over a high speed train planned to run through its perfume field December 2, 2016 Picture the scene: fragrant lavender fields, hill sides blooming with wild flowers and.. a train plundering through at high speed. Well that's what's planned for the Provencal fields of Grasse and one rather big business isn't too happy about it. Chanel's kicking up a stink and has threatened to quit Grasse – often referred to [...]
G4S sells Israeli arm as part of wider rationalisation push December 2, 2016 Security giant G4S has flogged its Israeli business to a local private equity firm in a cash deal worth £88m. It did not, however, mean the London-listed firm was walking away completely from Israel. G4S will continue to have a footprint in the country through its police training facility called Policity. Read more: Here's why [...]
It’s not all bad: UK construction output grew more than expected in November December 2, 2016 Output in the UK's construction sector grew faster than expected in November, figures published today showed – suggesting things might not be as bad as they seemed in the sector. Markit's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the construction sector rose to 52.8 in November, above expectations of 52.2 and above October's figure of 52.6. Any figure [...]
Tube ticket offices were closed prematurely but don’t need to be reopened, says independent review by London TravelWatch December 2, 2016 A review into the impact of Tube ticket office closures has found offices were shut prematurely. It doesn't though, call for the reopening of ticket offices. The independent review by travel watchdog London TravelWatch was commissioned by mayor Sadiq Khan after Tube ticket offices were closed under his predecessor Boris Johnson's tenure. The decision did not [...]
These are the most “Yahooed” terms of 2016: Featuring Brexit, David Bowie, Jose Mourinho, Holly Willoughby and… “How do I set Yahoo as my homepage?” December 2, 2016 Politics triumphed in terms of internet searches in the UK in 2016, new research out today shows. Brexit beat the Olympics, Euro 2016, David Bowie, Andy Murray and even Celebrity Big Brother to be the top searched term this year. Take the findings with a pinch of salt – they are based on searches made [...]
Boris Johnson: The UK is not a nation hauling up the drawbridge December 2, 2016 Boris Johnson has signalled the government's intention to ensure Britain remains a powerful force in global politics after Brexit, saying the UK is "not a nation hauling up the drawbridge". In one of his most forward-looking speeches since the Brexit vote, Johnson said Brexit "emphatically does not mean that Britain turns in on itself". "There [...]
Tube delays: What exactly is going on with the Piccadilly Line? December 2, 2016 Commuters using the Piccadilly Line are still experiencing severe delays – and they're set to continue for the foreseeable future. https://twitter.com/piccadillyline/status/804592078017675264 The disruption on the line started a week ago, with Transport for London blaming a shortage of trains. TfL later revealed that the train shortage was caused by the fact that around half the [...]