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5 Things You Need To Know, Today, on Tuesday 31st August 2021
5. Toyota is resuming operations of its autonomous vehicles at the Paralympic Games village in Tokyo following an accident.
Services of the e-Palette pods were halted after a vehicle hit a visually impaired athlete last week.
4. A £450m fund is being set up to encourage energy suppliers to explore greener ways to power British homes and businesses.
The energy regulator, Ofgem, said firms should submit ideas that were "big, bold and ambitious".
3. Government has announced plans to ban single-use plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene cups in England as part of what it calls a "war on plastic".
Ministers said the move would help to reduce litter and cut the amount of plastic waste in oceans.
2. Demand for home deliveries and takeaways has continued to grow despite lockdown restrictions being lifted.
Nearly a quarter of people are spending more on takeaways and food deliveries now than before the pandemic, according to market research.
1. British business confidence hit highs not seen since April 2017 on hopes the economy is recovering strongly to pre-pandemic levels.
Employers in England's North West and East registered the biggest jump in confidence, the latest Lloyds Bank Business Barometer found.