Thursday newspaper round-up: Dyson, Brexit, US shale gas, Barclays

European ministers are expected on Thursday to push telecommunications and digital service providers to work more closely with government authorities to track down terror suspects as part of a post-Brussels attack crackdown. At a hastily arranged meeting, EU ministers responsible for security issues will call for a European legislative blueprint to be drawn up by June to enable governments to obtain easier access to such “digital evidence”, according to a draft statement seen by the Financial Times. – Financial Times

Dyson is developing a new product to add to its signature vacuum cleaners and high-tech hand dryers — an electric car. The British company’s work on the car was confirmed in a government document revealing public funding for “Dyson to develop a new battery electric vehicle at their headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire”. The document, buried within the National Infrastructure Delivery Plan, said: “This will secure £174m of investment in the area, creating over 500 jobs, mostly in engineering.” – Financial Times

Boris Johnson has said that leaving the EU would result in “no economic shock” at all to the UK, despite the claims of economists including the Bank of England’s own Governor to the contrary. The London mayor compared fears over an economic shock on the event of a Brexit to the concerns people had over the “millennium bug”, a much prophesied computer glitch which was set to wreak havoc as the world moved into the year 2000, but passed without incident. – Telegraph

Energy bills would soar by £500m a year if the UK left the EU, Amber Rudd, the energy secretary, will claim on Thursday. In remarks dismissed by leave campaigners as “absurd”, the cabinet minister will deliver the latest in a series of warnings from senior government figures about the costs of Brexit. These have included claims that 600,000 jobs in the drinks industry would be safer inside the EU and that lamb and beef farmers could face an extra £330m a year bill to export their goods. – Guardian

The first US shale gas sailed into Europe bringing controversy in its wake. Ineos, the chemical group, said that its own gas carrier arrived in Norway on Wednesday with 27,500 cubic metres of American ethane on board. Shipments to Ineos’s UK refinery at Grangemouth are scheduled to start later this year. - Guardian

Wafic Saïd has launched a lawsuit against Barclays for ditching him as a client after 40 years with no explanation. The Syrian-born billionaire businessman and philanthropist said yesterday that he had instructed lawyers at Carter-Ruck to issue proceedings in the High Court. Barclays is understood to have provided no documents to explain its decision to walk away from Mr Saïd after being served with a so-called subject access report under the Data Protection act. – The Times

The Times and The Sunday Times have boosted profits on the back of lower printing costs, growing subscription revenues and cost-cutting. Times Newspapers reported a pre-tax profit of £10.9 million in the year to last June, against a loss of £935,000 previously, according to accounts filed at Companies House. The increase came despite a dip in revenues from £347 million to £345 million. Operating profit was £21 million, up from £1.7 million. It is the first time the newspapers have made a pre-tax profit since 2002. – The Times