Thousands march in Manchester anti-austerity protests at Conservative party conference October 4, 2015 Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Manchester in an anti-austerity protest on the first day of the Conservative party conference which kicks off today. Around 80,000 people have joined the Take Back Manchester march through the city, according to local media reports and organisers. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is also [...]
Macbeth movie review: Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard star in this emotionally stunted Shakespearean spectacle October 1, 2015 Cert 15 | ★★☆☆☆ Rumour has it that Michael Fassbender has been going around calling this film adaptation of Macbeth “the Scottish film”, after the actorly tradition. Presumably, something dreadful happens to you if you say Shakespeare’s title, like Malcolm Tucker shoves a thistle down your oesphagus. Whatever happens to you, it’s a ridiculous, thespy [...]
The Martian movie review: Matt Damon brings life to Mars in Ridley Scott’s new film October 1, 2015 Cert 12A | ★★★★☆ When returning from a manned mission to Mars, it’s important to check that you’ve got all of your Matt Damons with you. Look underneath your seat. Check any nearby craters for hidden Damons. Because like some sort of interplanetary Home Alone, The Martian proves that it’s all too easy to leave the [...]
Blossom Hill and Piat d’Or could move Down Under in Diageo deal October 1, 2015 The Alcoholic drinks giant Diageo, which owns Johnnie Walker and Ciroc vodka, is looking to offload its wine division. The move by FTSE-100 listed firm, first reported by Sky News, would likely see wine brands Blossom Hill and Piat d’Or sold off to Australian wine maker Treasury Wine Estates. The deal could be announced as [...]
Sky steps in as BBC pulls plug on live coverage of the Open September 30, 2015 Live coverage of golf’s oldest Major, the Open Championship, has been axed from free-to-air television a year early after the BBC made it a victim of cost-cutting measures across the corporation. Sky had been due to take up the rights on a five-year deal in 2017 but will now assume exclusive live broadcaster status a [...]
iPhone 6s review: An in-depth look at Apple’s new mobile phone September 30, 2015 I’m an “s” kind of a guy. If you look beyond the design overhaul that comes with Apple’s numerical releases, you’ll see that a lot of established features have been slipped into the biannual “s” update. The iPhone 4s had Siri, the 5s had Touch ID, and the 6s has 3D Touch. This new pressure sensitive [...]
What the UK could learn about the Internet of Things from India’s smart cities September 30, 2015 The term smart city has been thrown around for a while now. Many still view it as a futuristic concept that won’t see light of day in our lifetime. But across the world, these smart cities are being created, and in places that you might not expect. Take India for example. The country’s first smart [...]
Glencore share price slips back while reports suggest it held a secret meeting with investors September 29, 2015 Embattled Glencore reportedly held a secret meeting with an influential investor trade body yesterday, over the commodities miner and trader's £1.6bn share placing earlier this month. A meeting took place between the Investment Association – whose members manage £5.5 trillion of client assets – and John Burton, Glencore's company secretary, according to Sky News. The summit focused [...]
Ministers reject plea that Lord Burns carry on as Channel 4 chairman September 29, 2015 Lord Burns is to step down as Channel 4 chairman after ministers overruled a recommendation by the media regulator that he stay on to steer the broadcaster through the BBC Charter Review next year. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) rejected a suggestion from Ofcom that Burns should be granted a year-long extension, [...]
Total supermoon lunar eclipse 2015 in pictures: Rare super blood moon rises around the world September 28, 2015 Amateur astronomers around the world had cause to cheer overnight, as a “super blood moon” made a rare appearance in the night skies early on Monday morning. The astronomical phenomenon occurs when a total lunar eclipse coincides with a supermoon as some sunlight still illuminates the moon, causing it to turn red as it passes through [...]