Iranian foreign minister claims country is close to European oil deal despite US sanctions threat September 30, 2018 The Iranian foreign minister claimed last night that Tehran was drawing close to an agreement which would allow the country to sell oil to European nations, in spite of threats by the United States that it would impose sanctions on countries that do business with Iran. Iran is planning to avoid US sanctions on its [...]
Theresa May unable to guarantee no hard Irish border in case of ‘no deal’ Brexit September 30, 2018 Theresa May today was unable to promise there would be no hard border with Ireland if the Brexit talks break down, instead repeating the UK would do “everything it can” to avoid customs checks. Speaking just hours before the Conservative Party conference is due to start in Birmingham, the Prime Minister launched a defence of [...]
Musk to step down as Tesla chairman and pay $20m fine in settlement with US regulators September 30, 2018 Elon Musk is to step down as chairman of Tesla after settling a fraud lawsuit with US regulators over tweets he made about taking the firm private. The billionaire boss of the electric car-making firm has also agreed to pay a $20m (£15m) fine from the US securities and exchange commission (SEC), staving off a [...]
Former Manchester United and Chelsea chief exec Peter Kenyon in talks to buy Newcastle United September 29, 2018 The former chief exec of football clubs Manchester United and Chelsea is planning a sensational swoop to buy Newcastle United from retail tycoon Mike Ashley. Peter Kenyon, who now heads up a consultancy called Opto Advisers, has approached potential financial backers in recent weeks to raise cash for the deal. Sky News reported he was [...]
Facebook hack: 50m accounts affected by data breach September 29, 2018 Social media giant Facebook yesterday confirmed it had been hit by a hack affecting millions of its users' accounts. Attackers were able to exploit a vulnerability in its "view as" feature, leaving around 50m accounts exposed to hackers. The breach was discovered on Tuesday and the police have been informed. Facebook vice president of product management [...]
Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier puts himself out of contention for EU presidency September 28, 2018 The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has put himself out of the running to become the centre-right's candidate to replace departing Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission. Barnier's announcement ends a protracted period of speculation suggesting that he would throw his hat into the ring for the role of Spitzenkandidat in the [...]
Tesla shares drop despite board backing for Elon Musk after SEC lawsuit September 28, 2018 Tesla shares plunged almost 14 per cent today as boss Elon Musk faced the prospect of a ban from ever running a public company again. The electric car company’s board hailed Musk’s “integrity and his leadership” after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed legal action against him late last night. Read more: US watchdog [...]
Tips for Theresa May: Speak up, don’t cough, and try to keep the writing on the wall September 28, 2018 It says something about how low the bar has dropped for your speech if your primary aim is to ensure that the letters on the sign behind the stage don’t start falling to the floor as you talk about building a strong economy. Factor in a robust set, some industrial-strength cough sweets, and make sure [...]
Watch out, Tories – Labour has got its anti-capitalist mojo back September 28, 2018 I started my week in Liverpool. It’s a great city. It’s got soul. It’s got a clear identity. And it’s clearly on the up. In the past week, all those words could apply to the main opposition party that just might be capturing the zeitgeist of middle Britain. Rubbing alongside those delegates partying by [...]
Editor’s Notes: The Tories face a huge challenge, but they must take the fight to Corbyn September 28, 2018 Having observed the Labour party conference from a safe distance I’ll be travelling to Birmingham on Sunday to soak up the atmosphere at the annual Tory gathering. My first port of call will be speaking at a dinner hosted by City comms firm Cicero, where I shall sing for my supper and offer a [...]