Q&A: What is behind Fiat Chrysler’s proposed mega-merger with Peugeot? October 30, 2019 After Fiat Chrysler’s (FCA) deal with Renault fell apart over the summer, chairman John Elkann has wasted no time in finding a new suitor – Peugeot-owner PSA. The two European automakers are in talks over a potential tie-up that could create a £36bn giant, in a move which highlights how urgently car makers are looking [...]
Bog off: Fatberg finally cleared from Greenwich sewer by Thames Water engineers October 29, 2019 A fatberg the size of a London red bus has been cleared from a sewer by Thames Water engineers – who pulled some of it out by hand. The 40-tonne mass of fat, grease and other waste, was found earlier this year clogging up a Greenwich sewer. Workers at Thames Water spent three weeks trying [...]
Boeing chief executive accused of lying as senators grill him on 737 Max crashes October 29, 2019 Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg faced accusations of lying this afternoon during a bruising hearing on how his company certified its 737 Max jet to fly, after two crashes in the last year killed 346 people. Muilenburg, who was last month stripped of the dual role of chief executive and chairman, has spent much of [...]
‘It can’t get any worse’: What City workers think of another General Election October 29, 2019 It’s that time again: Britain is on course for another General Election, after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced he was ready to fight the “most radical election ever”. But Brits have endured more than three years of uncertainty since the EU referendum, and few groups of workers have felt the effects of it more sharply [...]
Boeing boss to tell senators in 737 Max hearing: ‘We made mistakes’ October 29, 2019 Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg will face a grilling from US senators this afternoon over how his company certified its 737 Max jet to fly, after two crashes in the last year killed 346 people. Muilenburg, who was last month stripped of the dual role of chief executive and chairman, has spent much of this [...]
Government backs MPs’ criticism of workplace ‘cover-up culture’ via non-disclosure agreements October 29, 2019 The practice of using non-disclosure agreements to cover up mistreatment at work has come a step closer to being abolished. The government has thrown its weight behind a parliamentary report which was highly critical of the practice, in which NDAs are routinely used by companies to cover up unlawful discrimination and sexual harassment at work. [...]
Rail: Williams review recommendations ‘could take 10 years to implement’ October 28, 2019 Some recommendations of an upcoming wide-ranging independent review into Britain’s railways could take up to a decade to implement, the review’s chairman suggested today. Keith Williams, who heads up the Williams Review, told MPs that the government would be able to bring some of his suggestions about in a short timeframe, others would require primary [...]
Virgin Galactic shares blast off as Sir Richard Branson’s firm makes New York Stock Exchange debut October 28, 2019 Sir Richard Branson’s space tourism venture, Virgin Galactic, has taken off on the New York Stock Exchange this afternoon, with shares soaring more than eight per cent in early trading. The company completed a merger with a US investment vehicle late on Friday, making it the first commercial space venture to go public. Branson, who [...]
Volkswagen throws down the gauntlet to Silicon Valley on self-driving cars October 28, 2019 Europe’s biggest car manufacturer has shifted its fight against Silicon Valley’s nascent self-driving car industry up a gear. Volkswagen has announced the foundation of Volkswagen Autonomy, or VWAT, its own self-driving tech subsidiary, to take on the likes of rivals such as Google’s Waymo. Read more: Car alarm: Half of UK consumers fear driverless vehicles [...]
Johnson mulls new route to election October 27, 2019 DOWNING Street is considering all possible options for securing a General Election, including a plan cooked up by Remain MPs, as the EU considers how long a Brexit extension they will grant the UK. Parliament will vote on a motion later today which would see a 12 December ballot, but this seems poised to fail [...]