Why has Croydon Tech City been so successful? Here’s why we think Martha Lane Fox chose the south London borough to launch her digital skills pilot November 2, 2015 Croydon has been selected by tech entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox to launch her charity Go On's first London digital skills pilot. But before fixing on the area, she wanted to know what made the south London borough so special. It's a straightforward question to ask – but the answer is that there have been many factors that [...]
Thomas Cook Corfu review: Former Sainbury’s boss Justin King accuses travel firm of “significant” shortcomings after deaths of Bobby and Christi Shepherd in 2006 November 2, 2015 The former boss of Sainsbury's has accused Thomas Cook of having "significant" shortcomings in the run-up to the deaths of two children in Corfu in 2006. Justin King's review into the deaths of Bobby and Christi Shepherd, aged six and seven, who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a hotel in Corfu, accused the company of putting [...]
Black Friday 2015: Amazon US reveals some of its best deals for 27 November – and how to get them even if you’re stuck in the UK November 2, 2015 It's three weeks until Black Friday, but Amazon has just thrown down the gauntlet to all other retailers planning to get in on the sales bonanza, unveiling some of its top deals available for US shoppers ahead of time. There is no word yet on what Amazon UK will be offering – a spokesman told [...]
Trade Union Bill: Union members and activists from around the UK heading to Westminster for rally over controversial bill November 2, 2015 Thousands of union members and activists are heading for central London this lunchtime to take part in a huge rally against the introduction of the Trade Union Bill. Unions including Unison, Unite, the Fire Brigade Union, Aslef and Bectu and activist groups such as Occupy London and War on Want will be taking part in the rally, which will [...]
Markit PMI: Sterling climbs as UK manufacturing reaches 16-month high – factory output grows amid growing consumer demand and exports November 2, 2015 The pound jumped against the dollar this morning, after UK manufacturing reached a 16-month high in October, recording its best month since June 2014, according to Markit PMI. The pound rose 0.3 per cent to $1.5479 in mid-morning trading, after the index's seasonally adjusted headline figure rose to 55.5, up from 51.8 in September (which was itself revised [...]
Heathrow Airport taxi crash: Emergency services attend as minicab driver smashes into Terminal 5 November 2, 2015 Emergency services were in attendance after a car crashed into the departures area of Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport this morning. It was suggested that the car was a taxi, whose driver had a heart attack, although those reports have not been confirmed. https://twitter.com/airlivenet/status/661124964632936448 A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport confirmed that there had been a "road incident" [...]
The very highest-paying job specialisms in the finance sector include structurer, trader, M&A and leveraged finance November 2, 2015 The UK's finance sector is regarded by many as one of the best in the world when it comes to salaries – and for good reason: one study has found more UK bankers received €1m (£711,000)-plus bonuses than the rest of the EU combined. But how to get to the top of the top? Salary [...]
Sinai plane crash: “External factor” blamed for Russian Metrojet A321 flight 7K9268 tragedy over weekend November 2, 2015 Russian airline Kolgalymavia has blamed an "external factor" for the Metrojet A321 flight 7K9268 crash this weekend, in which 224 people were killed. It was "impossible" for the Airbus plane to have broken up in the air because of a technical fault or pilot error, the company has said. The only explanation was a "physical or [...]
UK house prices: The most popular properties in the UK according to Zoopla November 2, 2015 There's a lot more to the housing market than what's in offer in London, according to research by property website Zoopla. Read more: Land Registry – London house prices hit half million-pound mark Using data compiled from Zoopla's tool which allows users to search by "most popular", the company found a list of the five most popular properties in [...]
Boris Johnson announces plans to raise London’s Living Wage to £9.40 an hour November 2, 2015 London's Living Wage is set to rise again, after Boris Johnson and the Living Wage Foundation announced another round of hikes. In a speech this morning the Mayor of London said voluntary Living Wage will be raised to £9.40 an hour in the capital, from £9.15 an hour now. Meanwhile, the UK Living Wage will rise to £8.25 [...]