Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority has asked 20 banks and other financial firms to check if they have any ties to Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca, the regulator said on Thursday. A massive leak of documents from the firm released this week detailed how the world’s rich skipped through loopholes to park cash in low-tax jurisdictions. “We have written to the Read More

The European Union’s executive has proposed clear separation of research and trading costs to inject more transparency into the fees that asset managers charge customers. The European Commission published long-awaited draft rules on Thursday to flesh out a key section of the bloc’s reform of securities markets, known as MiFID II. It has decided largely to back advice from the Read More

“Vitamin D can produce ‘amazing’ improvements in heart function,” claims The Independent about the results of a recent study, while BBC News reported suggestions the results were “stunning”. However, the study in question, which involved giving people with heart failurevitamin D supplements, did not result in better exercise capability. Heart failure is caused by the heart failing to pump enough blood around the Read More

Libraries are suffering at the hands of budget, curriculum and digital demands. But we must not underestimate this vital resource ‘Libraries need to be accessible to all children – not made redundant on the whim of those who mistakenly think they are outdated and irrelevant.’ Iremember my school library: it had two floors with spiral staircases, individual study cubicles and Read More

The system would be triggered when on-board cameras detect that a person is stood on or near a suitable landing area. 14:18, UK,Thursday 31 March 2016 Amazon’s delivery drones could use their propellers to tell people to get out of the way. A new patent filed by the online retailer describes how propeller speeds could be tweaked to produce sounds Read More

Nigel Farage unveils party’s manifesto for Scottish elections, promising to raise drink-driving limit and provide free town centre parking Nigel Farage unveils Ukip’s manifesto for the Scottish election at the B&B club in Edinburgh on Thursday. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA Ukip has launched its Scottish manifesto by pledging to allow smoking in pubs, raise the drink-driving limit, and provide 30 minutes Read More

Judge locks up girls, who were just 13 and 14 when they mounted ‘gratuitous, degrading’ attack on vulnerable alcoholic, for at least 15 years Angela Wrightson was subjected to a nine-hour ordeal before she was killed by the two girls, who were 13 and 14 at the time. Photograph: Cleveland police/PA Two teenagers who were in care and described as Read More

A company founded by an ex-CIA operative says it has created software that could predict the future. Predata ‘scrapes’ data from sites like Facebook, Wikipedia and YouTube and compares chatter to past patterns. It can then provide predictions of political unrest and terror attacks, according to founder James Shinn. The team said their system spotted a “clear spike” in the Read More

Many people get stressed before exams, but there are ways to increase your confidence and minimise your nerves A bit of stress before exams can be good, but if you’re overwhelmed by anxiety your university should be able to help you. Photograph: Alamy Some students will feel a growing sense of dread as exam season approaches – while others may Read More

“Food and drinks should carry labels showing how long it would take to walk or run off the calories, a leading health expert suggests,” the Daily Mail reports. In an opinion piece in the British Medical Journal, Shirley Cramer, chief executive of theRoyal Society for Public Health, argues that the current “traffic light” food labelling system is not promoting positive changes in Read More