British Airways boss Keith Williams said the airline would resist higher passenger charges at Heathrow airport to fund construction of a third runway, The Times reported. Heathrow wants top construct a third runway but a dispute between the airport and airlines over how much they should charge passengers to use the UK hub is putting funding for expansion under threat.
Britain’s leading business organisation has warned that a Norwegian or Swiss-style relationship with the European Union would not be better than full membership for the UK. With MPs later debating a Bill to enshrine an in/out EU referendum in law, some advocates of withdrawal have held up Norway and Switzerland as models for a future for Britain outside the 28-nation bloc. But a report from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that the “halfway house” positions followed by the two states “are not easy options that simply allow a country to gain the advantages of membership while removing the disadvantages”. “The CBI rejects the premise that these models would be better options for the UK,” said the report. Neither Norway nor Switzerland are members of the EU, but both enjoy varying degrees of access to the single market. Sky News.
Two former employees of Rolls Royce have accused the enginemaker of cutting corners on quality control requirements in a US lawsuit, according to The Telegraph.
Investment specialist Coller Capital has put shirtmaker chain TM Lewin up for sale just over a year after it underwent a major refinancing.
The Bank of England’s new Governor, Mark Carney, kicked off his Threadneedle Street revolution on Thursday by ruling out interest rate rises for years to come, hitting the pound but sending the FTSE 100 surging 3.0%, The Independent.
Google has been warned by regulators it must provide more information about how it uses the data it collects about people or face legal action, The Telegraph.
Egyptians are bracing themselves for more violence on the Muslim day of prayer – two days after a military coup backed by a popular uprising removed its president. The Muslim Brotherhood is refusing to accept the fate of its deposed president. Mohamed Morsi is believed to be under house arrest along with other members of his movement. As the country’s top judge, Adli Mansour, was sworn in as interim president on Thursday, at least four senior figures of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested. Mr Morsi’s supporters are digging in for sit-in protests in parts of Cairo, manning barricades, brandishing shields and clubs. They have been surrounded by concentric rings of armour by the military, but there are still fears of violent clashes after Friday prayers. Reuters.
