Tube strike 6 to 8 February: Transport for London is putting on more buses and cycle hubs to help commuters moving – but warns everything will be busier than usual February 4, 2016 Commuters are being advised to brush up on alternative travel plans ahead of the 48-hour Tube strike scheduled to start this weekend. Transport for London has confirmed that, if the action goes ahead, the Tube will be heavily disrupted – but not closed – between 9pm on Saturday 6 February and for the whole day on [...]
Twitter’s testing a gif button February 4, 2016 In Twitter's ongoing adventure to remain relevant, its latest potential product innovation will likely illicit this kind of reaction from the twitterverse: Several users have reported seeing a dedicated gif button on the Twitter mobile app, just like the picture and polls options users have when posting a tweet now. Read more: Twitter chapter and verse? Here's [...]
Reform think tank proposes radical cuts to disability budget by cutting benefits in half February 4, 2016 The government should radically overhaul the welfare system for sick and disabled people by slashing weekly benefits by nearly half, a top think tank has said. In a new report out today, the right-wing Reform research group said the existing employment and support allowance has "failed to encourage sick and disabled people to work". "The government will [...]
Metropolitan Police will still arrest Julian Assange if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy, despite reports suggesting a UN panel has ruled in his favour February 4, 2016 The Metropolitan Police has said a warrant for the arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange remains in place, despite reports a UN panel has ruled he is being arbitrarily detained at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. A spokesman for the Metropolitan police told City A.M.: "Our position hasn't changed since October." In October last year the [...]
SMMT: New car sales just had the best January in 11 years February 4, 2016 A whopping 169,678 new cars were sold in the UK in January, according to new data – meaning new car sales had their best January in 11 years. Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed registrations increased 2.9 per cent in January. Most of the growth was driven (see what we [...]
UK house price betting odds: A bookmaker is taking bets house prices will fall this year – and London prices will fall fastest February 4, 2016 Today's Halifax house price index may have suggested house price growth is speeding up – but one bookmaker is giving decent odds they'll actually fall this year. Star Sports, which calls itself "the gentleman's bookmaker", is giving odds of 8/11 that house prices will fall in 2016 – against odds of 11/10 they'll rise. The [...]
How one simple change could save the NHS millions: Nurses taking stairs instead of lifts could save £100m, startup StepJockey says February 4, 2016 One simple change to an everyday habit in hospitals across the country could save the NHS millions of pounds, according to new research. More than £100m could be saved if even just 15 per cent of the country's 348,000 nurses took the stairs instead of the lift while on duty, research from health and wellbeing startup StepJockey [...]
Campaigners attempt to test Google “Tories are/Labour are” autocomplete “conspiracy theories” February 4, 2016 A conspiracy theory that Google is blocking negative auto-suggestions for "Conservatives are…." is being put to the test by campaigners trying to train the search engine into offering particularly mean ones. Google was forced to deny "conspiracy theories" that its £130m tax bill is linked to censorship of the search terms around the Conservatives. Users [...]
EU students fill gaps at UK universities as home applications fall February 4, 2016 There is a rising number of EU students applying to spots at UK universities, while the number of home applications is falling, new figures have revealed. Statistics published by Ucas, the university admissions service, show 45,220 EU students applied for a place at a UK university starting this autumn, up six per cent on the number that [...]