News Headlines - 03 June 2014

▽U.K. House Prices Edge Up - WSJ.com

U.K. house prices hit a record in May and construction activity remained buoyant, according to data Tuesday, a sign that demand for homes in Britain shows no signs of ebbing despite tougher mortgage rules.

▽Dealing with the wreckage left by Northern Rock - The Independent

The vast sum is still owed to the taxpayer by UK Asset Resolution, the bad bank containing the dodgy loan books of crisis casualty Bradford & Bingley, and the bits of the nationalised Northern Rock left over after Virgin Money plucked out the healthier parts from the wreckage.

▽France takes U.S. to task over BNP Paribas fine : euronews

France stepped up its protests to the United States on Tuesday over a possible $10 billion-plus (5.97 billion pounds) sanctions busting fine for its biggest bank BNP Paribas

, saying such a move could hurt transatlantic free-trade talks.

▽Bitcoin Wallets and Apps May Soon Be Approved for Apple iTunes App Store »

Following Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday, some tentatively good news came out for bitcoin loving iGadget users.
An update to Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines has made mention of allowing apps to transact in approved digital currencies, though the aforementioned “approved digital currencies” do not detail which specific ones are approved.

▽BBC News - Japan begins building Fukushima ice wall

The 1.5km (0.9 mile) wall will be made by inserting 1,550 pipes into the ground. Coolant circulating in the pipes will freeze the surrounding soil.
Some experts have expressed concerns over whether the project will work.