Virgin Atlantic opens talks to buy struggling budget airline Flybe November 22, 2018 Virgin Atlantic has opened talks with struggling low-cost airline Flybe over a possible takeover. The airline partly owned by Sir Richard Branson has emerged as a surprise potential buyer after the Exeter-based airline put itself up for sale earlier this month, Sky News reported. Sources said Virgin Atlantic saw the move as an opportunity to feed [...]
Defence firm BAE Systems plugs £20m into augmented reality and artificial intelligence on warships November 22, 2018 Defence contractor BAE Systems has today announced a £20m investment to innovate combat systems on its warships, using augmented reality and artificial intelligence to bring its fleet up to date with the latest tech. The firm unveiled several new solutions it has been working on as part of the investment, including augmented reality glasses that would [...]
Jaguar Land Rover and Addison Lee receive £25m to trial their self-driving cars in Greenwich November 22, 2018 Jaguar Land Rover and Addison Lee are among the winners of a government-backed £25m funding pot to develop driverless cars in London by 2021, it was revealed today. A consortium of tech, vehicle and transport firms have secured a grant from the government's Connected and Autonomous Vehicles programme to introduce 15 self-driving vehicles as part of [...]
Southeastern investigates claims ‘unauthorised’ person drove high speed Javelin train out of St Pancras November 22, 2018 Southeastern is investigating five drivers after claims that a high-speed Javelin train was driven out of St Pancras International by an “unauthorised” person. The train, which is capable of speeds up to 140mph, was leaving the station for Portsmouth on a fundraiser for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. The Govia-owned rail operator confirmed it has launched [...]
Water giant Seven Trent rides out long, hot summer as interim results remain steady November 22, 2018 Water companySevern Trent’s shares remained steady this morning as it published solid interim results with small profit gains and more than £300m invested in the first six months. The figures The group reported £299.1m profit for the six months to 30 September, up 4.3 per cent from the same period last year. Meanwhile, it saw [...]
Nissan dismisses chairman Carlos Ghosn following arrest in Japan November 22, 2018 Nissan’s board of directors has voted to oust its chairman Carlos Ghosn following his arrest for suspected financial crimes. Ghosn was removed as chairman and representative director after a unanimous decision in a board meeting at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, the company said today. Ghosn was arrested in Japan on Monday following allegations of financial misconduct, [...]
UK tech firm Aircharge launches wireless charging on London Waterloo’s South Western trains November 22, 2018 Trains on London Waterloo's South Western railway network have become the first in the world to debut wireless charging points for smartphones and tablets, helping commuters to grab that extra bit of power on their travels. Aircharge, the UK tech firm behind wireless charging points in Starbucks, Mcdonald's and Costa Coffee, has teamed up with train [...]
British Gas owner Centrica expects £70m hit from government’s energy cap November 22, 2018 Shares in British Gas owner Centrica dropped almost eight per cent this morning as it revealed a new cap on energy bills will cost £70m in the first quarter of next year. The £1,137 cap, revealed by regulator Ofgem earlier this month, is £68 lower than prices paid by 3.1m British Gas customers. It has [...]
Mitie profits fall as post-Carillion business costs mount November 22, 2018 Profits at outsourcing firm Mitie have fallen over the last six months in the wake of Carillion's collapse, despite selling off several of its divisions and reporting a rise in revenue. Its share price fell more than three per cent as markets opened this morning. The figures Revenue rose four per cent to £1.04bn in the [...]
Embattled budget airline Flybe secures further $5m as it bolster finances ahead of potential sale November 21, 2018 Embattled budget airline Flybe has raised a further $5m (£3.9m) as it continues to bolster its finances ahead of a potential sale. Flybe said it secured the funds through a German bank Norddeutsche Landesbank, secured against a Bombardier aircraft. The Exeter-based airline confirmed it was seeking a sale earlier this month after profits nosedived 54 [...]