Minimum alcohol pricing receives fresh backing from government panel July 25, 2014 The Welsh government's Advisory Panel on Substance Misuse (APoSM) has voiced its support for plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol to clamp down on substance misuse. "Alcohol health and social harm problems are preventable," said the APoSM's chair Kyrie LL James. The body claims the measure will reduce alcohol-related harm amongst the heaviest [...]
Bitcoin banned in Ecuador until new state-run currency is established July 25, 2014 Ecuador's socialist dominated National Assembly has for all intents and purposes banned digital currencies while the country prepares to establish a new currency, reports Coindesk. However, the government will still be allowed to make payments using "electronic money." 91 members voted in favour of the reforms. Furthermore, Ecuador will be introducing a national digital currency, which [...]
Mars lawyers slam tobacco plain packaging July 24, 2014 Lawyers for confectioner Mars have warned that plain packaging for tobacco could have a major impact on other products to the detriment of consumers, according betterRetailing. Should the government proceed with plans to introduce plain packaging, it could lead to brand names being put into plain type, as well as certain colours and shapes being removed [...]
Uber finally launches native Windows Phone app July 24, 2014 Uber has at last re-launched its Windows Phone app after it was pulled last year. In 2013, the official Uber app was withdrawn from the Windows Phone Store after customers realised the app simply offered access to Uber's mobile site. The San-Francisco based firm said: "Previously, Windows Phone users accessed Uber through our mobile site, but [...]
Labour considers fresh taxes on Premier League clubs and the betting industry July 24, 2014 The Labour party is considering extending the levy on horseracing profits to all sports, as well as bets placed online. Furthermore, the party may place new taxes on Premier League football clubs to pay for more grassroots football, should it win the general election in 2015. The current levy on gross profits made by betting firms on [...]
Winter storm power cut compensation payouts cost UK energy companies an extra £3.3m July 24, 2014 Energy regulator Ofgem has announced it has secured an additional £3.3m from SSE and UKPN following its investigation into the companies' performance during the dramatic storms seen last Christmas. The regulator has now landed a total of £8m from the two energy firms, which had to payout to the 1m households that suffered power cuts at [...]
Climate change conference calls for an end to capitalism July 23, 2014 A climate change conference held in Venezuela involving roughly 130 green groups has ended with a call to end capitalism and reject carbon markets, reports RTCC. The UN-backed conference included organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund, Christian Aid and the Third World Network. Ending with the Margarita declaration, the conference was the largest of [...]
Hailo taxi app actively looking into accepting Bitcoin says CEO July 23, 2014 London-based taxi app Hailo could allow customers to pay for their rides using cryptocurrency Bitcoin, according to the company's CEO Jay Bregman. Speaking to digital currency news site Coindesk, Bregman said Hailo could also allow Bitcoin to be sent directly to drivers. Hailo, founded in London in 2011, gives customers the ability to hail cabs through its own app. "We [...]
Bitcoin exchange lands $1.6m as ex-Goldman Sachs trader seeks to replace MtGox July 23, 2014 Following the disastrous collapse of the MtGox Bitcoin exchange, Japan is set to see a revival of the Bitcoin ecosystem. This comes after former Goldman Sachs employee, Yuzo Kano, raised $1.6m for the Japan-based bitFlyer exchange, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The money was raised from a venture capital firm and is the country's largest Bitcoin [...]
EU maternity leave law set to be shot down by Commission July 7, 2014 A draft directive intended to ensure 20 weeks fully paid maternity leave across the EU looks likely to be blocked by the European Commission under its Regulatory Fitness and Performance (REFIT) programme, according to Euractiv. REFIT is one the European Commission's programmes to make EU law simpler and reduce regulatory burdens to foster growth and [...]
