This £50 million plan to build an office right on top of Old Street roundabout wasn't even structurally possible | ||
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A local councillor has explained why a multi-million pound plan to build a giant office in the centre of London's Old Street roundabout never got off the ground, Techworld reports. In 2012, the UK government announced a £50 million plan to build a giant office in the centre of Old Street roundabout — also known as "Silicon Roundabout" due to the close proximity of many London technology companies — to house a group of tech startups. The "civic centre" would also contain classrooms for students, 3D printers, and have exterior walls used as a giant advertising screen, Wired reported in 2012. But funding for the project was pulled in 2014, seemingly without explanation. Now, local councillor Guy Nicholson, who looks after regeneration for Hackney Council, has revealed to Techworld that the project was doomed from the start due to engineering obstacles. “The ambition was in effect to put a building on top of a roundabout, quite literally, which proved to be, engineering wise, totally impossible because of what’s going on underground with railway lines and an all manner of things,” Nicholson told the publication. “It was one of these ideas that I’m sure was developed with the best of intentions initially but it was done in isolation of the community," he added. Old Street London Underground station is located right beneath Old Street roundabout. Therefore, the proposed site of the new building wasn't feasible because it was placed on top of a "big electricity substation," the Mayor of London's office told TechCrunch in 2014, when the investment was initially axed. The money that was originally set aside for the project was ultimately reallocated to general government spending, TechCrunch reports. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 5 cool tricks your iPhone can do with the latest iOS update  | ||
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This £50 million plan to build an office right on top of Old Street roundabout wasn't even structurally possible | ||
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A local councillor has said a multi-million-pound plan to build a giant office in the centre of London's Old Street roundabout never got off the ground because it was impossible from an engineering standpoint, Techworld reports. In 2012, the UK government announced a £50 million plan to build a giant office in the centre of Old Street roundabout — also known as "Silicon Roundabout" due to the close proximity of many London technology companies — to house a group of tech startups. The "civic centre" would also contain classrooms for students, 3D printers, and have exterior walls used as a giant advertising screen, Wired reported in 2012. But funding for the project was pulled in 2014, seemingly without explanation. Now, local councillor Guy Nicholson, who looks after regeneration for Hackney Council, has revealed to Techworld that the project was doomed from the start due to engineering obstacles. “The ambition was in effect to put a building on top of a roundabout, quite literally, which proved to be, engineering wise, totally impossible because of what’s going on underground with railway lines and an all manner of things,” Nicholson told the publication. “It was one of these ideas that I’m sure was developed with the best of intentions initially but it was done in isolation of the community," he added. Old Street London Underground station is located right beneath Old Street roundabout. Therefore, the proposed site of the new building wasn't feasible because it was placed on top of a "big electricity substation," the Mayor of London's office told TechCrunch in 2014, when the investment was initially axed. The money that was originally set aside for the project was ultimately reallocated to general government spending, TechCrunch reports. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 5 cool tricks your iPhone can do with the latest iOS update  | ||
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Baker found guilty in N. Ireland 'gay cake' case | ||
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London (AFP) - A Christian bakery in Northern Ireland was on Tuesday found guilty of discrimination for refusing to bake a cake advocating gay marriage in a landmark legal case brought by local authorities. Ashers Baking Company, which takes its name from an Old Testament figure, took the order but declined to make a cake with the bedroom-sharing characters Bert and Ernie from the US television show "Sesame Street". "The defendants have unlawfully discriminated against the plaintiff on grounds of sexual discrimination," judge Isobel Brownlie told a packed courtroom in Belfast at the end of a high-profile inquiry. "This is direct discrimination for which there can be no justification," the judge said. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage remains against the law. Gay marriage is a highly divisive issue in the province, where church attendances in both the Protestant and Catholic communities remain strong. The case comes ahead of an historic referendum on Friday that is expected to approve same-sex marriage in the traditionally Catholic Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland's southern neighbour. The lawsuit was brought by Northern Ireland's Equality Commission, which oversees the implementation of anti-discrimination laws, on behalf of an activist from the advocacy group Queer Space. The cake was ordered for a private function to mark International Day Against Homophobia last year. Ashers Bakery, which employs 80 people in Britain and Ireland, received financial backing in the case from the Christian Institute, a charity. The row has prompted a proposal from some local politicians to include a "conscience clause" in Northern Ireland's anti-discrimination laws.
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The man who leaked a damning report on Britain's nuclear submarines is being held by Royal Navy Police | ||
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William McNeilly, the navy whistleblower who released a report on the UK's Trident nuclear deterrent that he called a "disaster waiting to happen," is reportedly being held by Royal Navy Police after going on the run following its publication, according to Sky News. On Twitter, Sky News reported sources as saying that "missing able seaman William McNeilly apprehended at #Edinburgh airport last night and now under care of Royal Navy Police." The Ministry of Defence has now confirmed that McNeilly was "apprehended" on Monday night and is being held at a military facility in Scotland. In the 18-page report published on the WikiLeaks site, McNeilly warned of the "shockingly extreme conditions that our nuclear weapons system is in" claiming that Britain's "nuclear weapons are a target that's wide open to attack." He claims to have collected evidence of serious lapses in security on the UK's nuclear submarine fleet while serving as an Able Seaman including failure to check security passes, flooding and fires onboard the vessels and the risk of infiltration "by a psychopath or a terrorist". The Navy has rejected his allegations saying that they represent "subjective and unsubstantiated personal views, made by a very junior sailor." However, they also confirmed that there would be an investigation into the claims. A spokesperson said: "The Royal Navy takes security and nuclear safety extremely seriously and we are fully investigating both the issue of the unauthorised release of this document and its contents." The question now is what, if any, charges McNeilly will face now that he has handed himself in. In his report the submariner says that he believes the Prime Minister would give him a pardon for his actions. He writes: There's still a good chance of me receiving a pardon from the Prime minister. I only released selected information, I'm not selling the information to the paper or a foreign government., I will be handing myself in to the police and my desires to serve the people are same as the Prime Ministers [sic]. I also believe it's in the Prime Ministers [sic] best interest to release me. Prosecuting someone for alerting the people and the Government to a major threat isn't a good image for someone who serves the people. Despite his appeals, it's unclear whether the government would view the case in that light. Instead the Crown Prosecution Service could pursue charges of breaching the Official Secrets Act, under which McNeilly could face up to two years in prison. His supporters are already campaigning against such charges being filed. A Change.org petition calling for the Ministry of Defence and Crown Office not to prosecute the 25-year-old has so far garnered 2,735 signatures. The questions that need answering now will be: a) whether the report does indeed have merit and; b) whether, even if it does, the government chooses to prosecute McNeilly in order to disincentivise other would-be whistleblowers from leaking sensitive information. The case is likely to rest on whether McNeilly is right that the "selected" information he provided to the public will not be considered highly sensitive in nature and that the information he provided was clearly in the public interest, as his supporters claim. With the debate over the future of Britain's nuclear deterrent yet to be comprehensively resolved and widespread opposition to the programme by the Scottish National Party and its supporters in Scotland, where the submarines are based, the timing of the leak picks at a difficult thread for the new Conservative government. Its response could help define the lines in the sand between those opposed to renewing the Trident missile system and those who believe it remains crucial to the UK's defence capabilities. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: This addiction specialist makes a compelling case for the legalization of marijuana  | ||
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Vodafone just got a big boost from India | ||
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Vodafone is finally growing again after ten consecutive quarters of decline — all thanks to Africa and India. The telecoms giant revealed in its full-year results today that it grew by 0.1% in the final three months of the year. Although small, it indicates that the company's turnaround plan is working. Vodafone, the world's second largest mobile operator, also said seven year's of earnings declines could finally be coming to an end this year. The company reported earnings of £11.9 billion ($18.63 billion) for the year ended March 31 and forecast earnings for the year ahead of £11.5-12 billion ($18-18.79 billion) — stability at last. Vodafone has been hit hard by increased competition in the European mobile market and a squeeze on consumer spending since the financial crisis. The key to the company's return to growth was the rise and rise of mobile internet across Africa, the Middle East and Asia Pacific (AMAP). While its European business shrunk 2.4% in the fourth quarter, AMAP grew by 6%. Vodafone highlighted particularly strong growth in India and said across its AMAP markets data usage — the amount of time people are spending browsing the web on their mobiles — more than doubled, growing by 106%. The company is also hoping to fix its European business by investing in high-end services like 4G as part of its turnaround plan codenamed 'Project Spring'. Vodafone said Europe began to stabilise in the second half of the year. Vodafone's full-year revenue rose 10.1% to £42.2 billion ($66.08 billion), while operating profit fell by 150.3% to £1.96 billion ($3.07 billion) as the company invested more in 4G and acquisitions. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Forget the Apple Watch — here's the new watch everyone on Wall Street wants  | ||
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