TTIP leak is a “storm in a teacup” says EU trade commissioner after Greenpeace publishes secret documents May 2, 2016 A leak of confidential information claiming to reveal the disagreements in negotiations between Europe and the US on the TTIP free trade deal have been labelled a "storm in a teacup" by a senior official in Europe. Draft documents detailing the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks were published by Greenpeace in the Netherlands, which it said show serious cause for [...]
British astronaut Tim Peake to control a UK-based rover from outer space April 29, 2016 British astronaut Tim Peake will control a UK-based rover as he orbits the earth from the International Space Station. The live space-to-ground test today involves Peake — who is located hundreds of miles away — operating the rover nicknamed "Bridget" in a specially built "Mars yard" at Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The experiment will help researchers learn more about the [...]
Venezuela orders two-day working week as energy crisis bites April 29, 2016 Venezuela has given public sector workers a two-day working week as its government fights to weather a worsening power crisis. Britain was forced to introduce a three-day week to combat energy shortages during the 1970s. A coal miners' strike followed the first oil crisis when an Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) embargo sent prices soaring. Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, said on [...]
Seven reasons Brexiteers are wrong to think EU exit negotiations would be easy April 29, 2016 Some eurosceptics think that Brexit negotiations would be a piece of cake. But if Britain decides to leave the EU, it will have no choice but to invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. That will set in motion a complicated procedure that puts the departing member state at a disadvantage. The Leave [...]
Sick-man France’s economic reform failures risk restarting the Eurozone crisis April 29, 2016 Although Britain had its own strike this week, this time by junior doctors, spare a thought for the French public who once again faced widespread industrial action yesterday. A strike was held over proposed reforms to France’s employment rules. Reform is desperately needed. Employment protection in France is higher than in any other major western economy, [...]
Baidu’s share price jumps in after hours trading after the company reports revenue to have soared April 28, 2016 Chinese search engine Baidu's share price jumped almost five per cent in after hours trading after the company reported strong financial results. Sometimes dubbed China's Google, Baidu reported first quarter total revenue had climbed 24.3 per cent year-on-year to 15.82bn yuan (£1.68bn). The company also said that online marketing revenue had risen to 14.93bn yuan in the three months [...]
Linkedin share price shoots up as earnings and revenue for the first quarter beat expectations April 28, 2016 LinkedIn's share price shot up by over 15 per cent in after hours trading, as the company beat expectations in its results for the first quarter. The professional networking website posted revenue of $861m (£589m), well ahead of its own expectation for the three months of the year, and marking a 35 per cent increase compared to [...]
Five questions and answers about Libya’s potentially “illegal” oil shipment April 27, 2016 A ship loaded with 650,000 barrels of potentially illegal oil from war-torn Libya is currently sailing across the ocean. It left a port in what was once one of Africa's biggest oil producers late yesterday. The move has sparked international outcry, with various actors denouncing it as illegal and one country refusing to let the tanker enter [...]
Unions warn that tens of thousands of industry jobs are at risk in South Africa April 26, 2016 Tens of thousands of jobs in mining, metals and engineering are at risk in South Africa as firms cut costs due to the commodity rout. South Africa's Solidarity union said today that more than 29,000 jobs could go in the mining sector, as well as 8,000 in the metal and engineering industry. The union, which [...]
Charter’s $55bn takeover of Time Warner Cable is approved by the US Department of Justice April 25, 2016 Charter's $55bn (£38bn) takeover of Time Warner Cable has been granted antitrust approval by the US justice department. The two broadcasting companies agreed the deal last May, with Charter beating rival Comcast to make a successful bid for Time Warner. The justice department's approval was granted with conditions aimed at protecting competition. These measures include an [...]