International trade secretary Liam Fox blasts British business as “too lazy and fat” September 10, 2016 Trade secretary Liam Fox has hit out at Britain's businesses for becoming "too lazy and fat" and said executives are more interested in playing golf than focussing on overseas exports. Fox launched the attack on UK companies, which he believes are not ready for the free trade deals he is planning to broker, while speaking at a drinks reception on [...]
Age UK sells its personal alarm care business to Axa’s healthcare branch September 9, 2016 Age UK has sold its Personal Alarms business and its parent company, Aid-Call, to Axa's PPP healthcare arm for an undisclosed sum. More than 50,000 elderly people use the personal care alarms, which are worn as a wristband or around the neck, and aid those who wish continue living at home. Users can press a [...]
This Fidget Cube wants to make you more productive and less stressed while you’re at work September 9, 2016 We've all been stuck next to that one person who can't help but click their pen, constantly tap their notepad or otherwise fidget during a meeting or otherwise quiet working day. Or, maybe, that person is you. Whether you're a sufferer of other people's fidgeting or you know you're guilty of it, pro-fidgeters Mark and Matthew [...]
Sugar tax: George Osborne’s soft drinks levy has been slammed again after new data suggests soft drink sugar consumption is falling September 9, 2016 George Osborne's sugar tax has been slammed again today after new data released as part of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey showed the consumption of sugar from soft drinks is falling. In all but one demographic group, men aged 19-64, in the NDNS research, soft drinks are now a smaller contributor to sugar intake than in [...]
Elon Musk just went on a mini rant about the SpaceX Falcon fireball September 9, 2016 Tesla founder and tech-world entrepreneur Elon Musk has been on a mini-rant today about the explosion that engulfed his SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket last week. Musk's SpaceX is a space tourism company that is aiming to take humans to Mars by 2025. But the forward-looking group suffered a major setback during pre-launch testing last week, when it [...]
The cause of London’s Great Plague has been confirmed from DNA taken from a Crossrail site September 9, 2016 Researchers have used DNA testing to confirm the cause of London's 1665-1666 Great Plague using skeletons from a Crossrail site near Liverpool Street station. An analysis of DNA from 20 skeletons excavated from a suspected Great Plague burial pit at the Bedlam burial ground, at the New Churchyard, found a significant proportion of the samples [...]
Forget the kettle: You can now get spray tea from an aerosol can from YumCha’s “No More Tea Bags” range September 9, 2016 For many, this will be an innovation too far, for if there's one thing we Britons are protective about, it's our cups of tea. But tea industry disrupter YumCha has created a new way to brew our favourite, comforting hot drinks with its No More Tea Bags "liquid instant tea". Ever heard of making a cup of [...]
Struggling retailer Game Digital’s stock dips after new chairman appointed September 9, 2016 Video game retailer Game Digital's share price was down this morning after it announced the appointment of a new chairman, who will take up the position following the group's AGM in January next year. John Jackson, who has been a senior non-executive of the struggling Basingstoke-based group since 2014, will succeed David Hamid as chairman designate. David has been [...]
The popularity of English sparkling wine soared this summer according to the world’s most downloaded wine app September 8, 2016 English sparkling wine hit an all-time high in the UK this summer as interest boomed from drinkers wanting to try home-made tipples. User engagement, including review uploads and searches, on the world’s most downloaded wine app, Vivino, for English sparkling beverages grew by 32 per cent in June, 17 per cent in July and 17.5 [...]
Leading Channel Islands pub group raises glass to £118m takeover by Caledonia Investments September 8, 2016 Caledonia Investments completed its deal to gulp up leading Channel Islands pub owner and brewer The Liberation Group today for a tasty £118m. Liberation was previously owned by LGV Capital, a branch of Legal and General, before Caledonia backed a management buyout led by the pub group’s chief executive and finance director. The company, founded in [...]