Trade Union Bill explained: Will it prevent strikes? What does it mean for employers? Here’s everything you need to know November 9, 2015 Some have called it an "attack on workers' rights", others have defended the plans – either way, the government's proposals to impose a minimum turnout of 50 per cent has left employers scratching their heads. Here's everything you need to know about the Trade Union Bill. Explain the new threshold rules Under the existing rules, [...]
Kill the Bill rally organised targets Parliament Square ahead of final Commons vote on Trade Union bill November 9, 2015 Trade union bill protestors will be taking to the streets one more time in an attempt to stop the controversial law passing as it reaches its final vote in the Commons this week. The Kill the Bill rally will take place outside Parliament Square from 6pm tomorrow (10 November). It has been organised by the [...]
Myanmar elections 2015: Aung San Suu Kyi’s party wins first 15 of 16 seats declared November 9, 2015 Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has won 15 of the first 16 seats declared in the country's first free elections in decades, local media is reporting. The National League for Democracy is thought to be on course for a landslide victory, with all of the first 12 seats being declared a victory for the challenger party. NLD [...]
Metrojet A321 flight 7K9268 crash investigators “90 per cent sure” bomb brought Russian plane down over Sinai November 9, 2015 Investigators of the Russian plane crash that killed 224 people two weeks ago are "90 per cent sure" the incident was caused by a bomb. The Metrojet A321 flight 7K9268 crashed 23 minutes after taking off from popular holiday destination Sharm el-Sheikh on 31 October. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack on what it [...]
A conscious decoupling: Paperhat Group CEO Tim Peppiatt talks CGI, direct mail and building wraps November 8, 2015 They used to have to cut the roof off, but when you see a car seat in a sports car advert, it's likely to be CGI," says Paperhat Group chief executive and founder Tim Peppiatt. "They reproduce the same leather and stitching using the same wire frame used to build the vehicles in the factory. [...]
John Lewis and Argos Christmas adverts 2015: Sentimental or rational? The Christmas campaign conundrum November 8, 2015 Brands have long used sentimentality to draw custom at Christmas. John Lewis has been a standard-bearer for emotional Christmas placements, and this year's offering, which encourages donations to Age UK, is no different. Last year's "Monty the Penguin" spot has received 24m YouTube views, and the retailer's like for like sales grew by 4.8 per [...]
Watch: The best parodies of John Lewis’s Man on the Moon Christmas advert 2015 November 7, 2015 If you're one of the 6.4m people who have already watched John Lewis's new Christmas advert, Man on the Moon, you might enjoy some of the parodies that have cropped up across the web over the last 24 hours. 1. Star Wars How much more fun would everything be with bit of Star Wars excitement [...]
The Voice UK: BBC loses popular TV show to rival broadcaster November 7, 2015 Hit TV show The Voice UK will no longer be hosted by the BBC, the broadcasting company has confirmed. After the fifth series is aired next year, the programme will fall into the hands of one of the BBC's major rivals. The BBC has not confirmed the organisation taking over, but reports suggest it is [...]
The UK is great at supporting startups – so why can’t we do the same with scale-ups? November 6, 2015 The last five years have seen an unprecedented growth in the number of new, registered companies and we have now surpassed the rate at which even the United States produces startups. This is terrific progress, but when these businesses grow and try to move to the next stage – be that taking on more employees, [...]
Alibaba agrees $4.3bn merger with Youku Tudou November 6, 2015 Alibaba has bought Chinese online entertainment company Youku Tudou for $4.3bn (£2.8bn) in a bid to increase its presence in China's booming online video sector. The price represents a premium of 35.1 per cent over the closing price of Youku Tudou shares the day before Alibaba signalled its takeover intentions. Alibaba upped its original offer [...]