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Ed Miliband hints at cut to VAT on energy bills
Becky MortonPolitical reporter BBC The government is looking at the possibility of cutting the rate of VAT on energy bills, Ed Miliband has suggested. The energy secretary said he would not speculate ahead of the chancellor’s Budget in November. But asked if the government would consider scrapping the 5% rate, he told the BBC the…
Madeleine the boring machine poised to build HS2 tunnel in London
A giant 1,600-tonne machine called Madeleine that will bore a tunnel taking HS2 trains into central London has been switched on. Named after Madeleine Nobbs, the former president of the Women’s Engineering Society, the 190m-long contraption will create a 4.5 mile link connecting Old Oak Common in west London to a proposed expanded station at…
UK and US unveil nuclear energy deal ahead of Trump visit
The UK and US are set to sign an agreement aimed at accelerating the development of nuclear power. The move aims to generate thousands of jobs and strengthen Britain’s energy security. It is expected to be signed off during US President Donald Trump’s state visit this week, with both sides hoping it will unlock billions…
Trump administration to invest $1.6bn for stake in rare earths firm
The Trump administration will invest $1.6bn (£1.2bn) in a US critical minerals firm, marking officials’ latest push to reduce China’s dominance over the rare earths sector. The agreement with USA Rare Earth, which will give the government a stake in the firm, emerged days after US President Donald Trump claimed to have secured the “framework”…
EU reaches South America trade deal after 25 years of talks
The EU has reached a free trade agreement with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, 25 years after talks began and despite opposition from farmers in several European countries. The deal with the Mercosur trading bloc will require the approval of the European parliament within the next few months Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva…
UK drug price rises ‘necessary’, says Lord Patrick Vallance
The price the NHS pays for medicines will need to rise to stop a wave of pharmaceutical investment leaving the UK, science minister Patrick Vallance has said. His comments follow several recent announcements from some of the world’s largest drug companies either pausing or scrapping UK projects. Critics in the sector say low prices for…
