The Trump administration ended a credit for car manufacturers installing start-stop technology, a move that could impact fuel efficiency standards, according to a report by the New York Times. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the decision on Thursday, stating that manufacturers would no longer receive credit for engines that automatically shut off when vehicles come to a complete stop and restart when the driver takes their foot off the brake pedal.
The start-stop feature is designed to save fuel and reduce emissions. The Trump administration rejected the scientific findings that the government used to support vehicle emission reduction regulations, making it possible to eliminate the credit, according to the NY Times. Until Thursday, carmakers could be fined if their vehicles with a model year of 2012 or later did not meet a greenhouse gas emission standard, and these credits could be used to help reach that limit. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said in a news release that the decision was made.
In other news, Iran is ready to consider compromises to reach a nuclear deal with the United States if the Americans are willing to discuss lifting sanctions, an Iranian minister told the BBC in Tehran. US officials have repeatedly emphasized that Iran, not the US, is holding up progress in this protracted negotiating process. On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump preferred a deal but it was "very hard to do" one with Iran. Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, said the ball was in America's court, according to the BBC.
Meanwhile, the gender pay gap in the UK is not expected to close until 2056 if progress remains at its current rate, according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), as reported by BBC Business. The disparity between average wages for men and women is 12.8%, or £2,548 per year, according to TUC analysis of official pay data. The gender pay gap is widest in the finance and insurance industry, at 27.2%.
In other developments, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is facing another accusation of sharing an official document, according to BBC Business. Reports indicate that he gave a Treasury briefing to one of his personal business contacts. Emails published in the Telegraph suggest that in 2010, the then Prince Andrew asked for information from Treasury officials on banking problems in Iceland. This briefing was shared with Jonathan Rowland, a business connection of Andrew's, whose father David Rowland took over part of a failing Icelandic bank.
Finally, diplomats in Havana are preparing for a potential shift in US tactics regarding Cuba, according to The Guardian. The US may attempt to starve the country until people take to the streets, allowing the US to step in. Ambassadors from countries traditionally allied to the United States are expressing increasing frustration with Washington's approach.
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