Tesla lands $200m Panasonic investment in Gigafactory deal July 31, 2014 Japan's Panasonic is set to invest over $200m in American electric carmaker Tesla Motors' lithium-ion battery plant in the US, according to a person familiar with the matter. Panasonic had signed a preliminary agreement to be involved in the project back in May. In a joint statement the companies said Tesla would be responsible for [...]
Santander no longer have a “moral problem” with circus group account July 30, 2014 Santander has reversed its position on denying a circus group a bank account because the troupe's burlesque acts presented a "moral problem" to the bank. Founder of Circus Uncertainty Joshua Morris had applied for a Santander business account in Bristol but later received a call saying his company could not bank with Santander because it [...]
Labour and Tories rush to deny secret tax plans July 30, 2014 Both the Labour and Conservative parties have rushed to deny claims they plan to radically alter the tax system in the wake of two separate recordings emerging of senior figures in both parties voicing their views on the subject. Obtained by Sky News, a recording of Labour's Andy Burnham at the Fabian Society's summer conference [...]
Driverless cars to take to UK roads from 2015 July 30, 2014 Driverless cars will be allowed to use public roads as soon as next year, the business secretary Vince Cable announced today. Furthermore, the business secretary outlined measures to boost research in the area. UK cities will be able to bid for a share of a £10m competition to host a driverless cars trial, with the [...]
Eating more fruit and vegetables after your five a day is useless, study finds July 30, 2014 Eating more than five portions of fruit and veg a day has no significant health benefits, according to research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The researchers, who came from both Chinese and American universities including the Harvard School of Public Health, examined 16 studies across the US, Asia and Europe involving over 833,000 [...]
EU hits Russia with fresh sanctions as tensions escalate July 29, 2014 EU governments have agreed to impose a host of economic sanctions against Russia, taking aim at bank financing, technology, defence equipment and the oil industry, according to EU sources. At meetings held today in Brussels, it was also agreed that Russian state-owned banks would be barred from selling shares or bonds in Europe. Today's developments [...]
Labour topped political party funding in 2013 July 29, 2014 The Labour party bested its rivals in the party fundraising game for 2013, according to figures released by the Electoral Commission. Ed Miliband's party netted £33.3m, while the Conservatives coming in second, raising £25.4m. The Lib Dems came a distant third with £7.3m. Labour's funding included £6.9m of Short Money, which is intended to assist opposition [...]
Fat taxes could hit competitiveness thanks to complex rules says EU report July 29, 2014 Taxes on foods high in sugar, salt and fat, do reduce consumption but can lead to consumers simply switching brands or finding other ways to purchase fatty foods while avoiding the tax, according to a new report from the European Commission. Higher taxes "In general do lead to a reduction in the consumption of the [...]
Apple welcomes back Bitcoin wallet Blockchain to App Store July 29, 2014 Apple's App Store has welcomed back Bitcoin wallet Blockchain following its removal in February. Already available on Android devices, Blockchain launched its new iOS wallet yesterday, which has been “completely rewritten from the ground up with an emphasis on security and usability,” the company said in a press release. Before Apple's unexplained removal of all [...]
Russell Kane on Tube etiquette: What drives Londoners mad on the Underground July 25, 2014 With London Underground commuters now braving the sometimes unbearable heat of the Tube at rush hour, Woodford resident and comedian Russell Kane has been called on to investigate some of the well known 'faux pas' commuters dread committing on their way to work. "The Underground is a metal 'Test Tube' filled with the essence of British [...]