Sports Direct kicks back at Ed Miliband for zero-hours contract criticism November 15, 2014 Sports Direct has dismissed negative comments made by Labour leader Ed Miliband about its employment contracts. Miliband said the use of zero-hours contracts – where the retailer does not have to guarantee regular work to its employees – meant it was a “terrible place to work”, and added that he intends to “ban the [...]
“More sanctions? I’m off”: Putin leaves G20 early after being blasted over Ukraine November 15, 2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to wave goodbye to his fellow G20 summit attendees a day early, after they criticised Russia's involvement in Ukraine and threatened to impose more sanctions on Moscow. Western leaders from both Europe and North America berated Russia for its part in the recent escalation of military activity in [...]
Could there be another independence referendum for Scotland? Alex Salmond says it “will become an independent nation” November 15, 2014 During his final speech as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Alex Salmond said Scotland “will become an independent nation”, indicating that the country may seek to hold another referendum. He said that the dream for independence from London was “alive and well” despite the no vote on 18 September, and issued a [...]
Five banks are taking back traders’ bonuses because of the Forex rigging scandal November 15, 2014 Five of Britain's biggest banks are preparing to take back millions of dollars worth of traders' bonuses, in an attempt to make reparations for their involvement in the Forex rigging scandal. According to the FT, the banks going ahead with the clawbacks are UBS, RBS, Citigroup, HSBC and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Earlier [...]
Virgin America share price shoots up more than 30pc on market debut November 15, 2014 Shares in Virgin America rose by over 30 per cent during its market debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange yesterday. Initial share price for the low-cost carrier was $23, but in the middle of the day it peaked at $31.18, valuing the company at approximately $1.35bn (£861m). 13.3m shares had been sold by [...]
Is drinking coffee bad for you? Three or four cups a day can help fend off disease November 14, 2014 For years, it has been ground into us by health experts that coffee is bad for our health. But it turns out that the drink could actually help fend off certain diseases, as long as it's consumed in moderation. A new report by the Institute for Scientific Information of Coffee has shown that [...]
Are the Somerset floods a sign of problems to come? Winter storms raise warnings and put homes at risk across Britain November 14, 2014 Eleven months ago, Britain experienced its wettest winter in 250 years. Somerset was hit so hard, thousands of people were forced to leave their homes, and the government has only just finished dredging two of the main rivers in the area. As part of a £5.8m attempt to prevent heavy rain from causing [...]
Sweden confirms foreign vessel entered its territory: How would Sweden and Russia fare in a military conflict? November 14, 2014 Sweden says it has proof a foreign submarine entered its waters last month, prompting Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Loefven to increase the country's border defenses and military arsenal. Swedish Armed Forces Supreme Commander Sverker Goeransson said the navy had “fully confirmed that a foreign power violated Swedish territory underwater”. At a press conference [...]
London’s favourite superheroes: Superman wins, but an on-body thermostat is the top superpower November 14, 2014 While Batman and Spiderman patrol the streets of New York, London suffers from a serious shortage of superpowered protectors. But that doesn’t stop its inhabitants from showing a keen appreciation for the legendary beings, with a recent survey of 1,500 Londoners revealing Superman as their favourite superhero. This was followed closely by Batman [...]
Here’s what you should know about the tattooed Londoner who landed Rosetta on a comet November 13, 2014 He's been trending on Twitter all day – the tattooed physicist from East London who was one of the key scientists behind yesterday's comet landing. Dr Matt Taylor is a project scientist for the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, and he was so confident that it would prove successful that in January, he had [...]
