Supermoon, Uber’s drama and Jeremy Corbyn’s 80s flashback: Here’s what got us talking this week
It was the week in which everyone saw red – from water on the red planet to the rare super-blood moon to a sudden surge in the popularity of Donald Trump Halloween wigs. And, of course, the Labour Party conference. In fact, the only one not wearing rose-coloured glasses was Burger King, which unveiled a new version of its Whopper – all in black.
1. Uber drama
Uber's never been popular among London's cabbies, but this week Transport for London appeared to side with them, launching a consultation on a series of measures which includes mandatory five-minute waiting time, even if a cab is just around the corner.
Uber immediately hit back with a petition, which has since received thousands of signatures. Meanwhile, various rival cab apps chose their side in the dispute – while commentators reflected on what the crackdown means for business in the capital.
2. Glencore melted
A rollercoaster ride of emotions for Glencore shareholders: the company's stock fell sharply at the beginning of the week after analysts warned on metal prices. But while the $8m sale of a nickel mine failed the reassure investors, sudden enthusiasm for its shares from the company's management did.
Confused about what went wrong at the company? Here's a timeline of everything that went wrong.
And to be fair, Glencore wasn't the only one to be dragged through the mud – VW's woes also continued.
3. Corbyn made his conference debut
New Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was rumbled when it emerged parts of his conference speech were written in the 1980s – which made Lord Turner's warning that "Corbynomics" carries huge risks to the UK's economy even more potent.
Turner wasn't the only business leader to warn markets on Corbyn – but at least he can count on one vote: Boris Johnson's mum, who revealed this week she has "never voted Tory".
The Conservatives must feel some threat from Corbyn: it also turned out this week that the party had started its own trade union movement. Fight the power, and all that…
4. Posh property was turfed into the bargain basement
Has the top end of London's property market had its day? Figures published this week showed new tax rules had hit the capital's "super-prime" property market – which one writer suggested might be self-defeating for the government.
Still, that doesn't mean the capital's crazy housing market has calmed down. This week a developer put student digs up for rent at this insane price, while one joker tried to call this miniature space a "bedroom".
5. The end of steel production in Redcar
After much speculation, the SSI steelworks in Redcar was mothballed for the second time by its Thai owners, with the loss of 1,700 jobs.
It was a sad end for workers, who faced a similar situation when the plant was mothballed in 2010. But the government offered some assistance, with cash to help workers find new jobs.
Leisurely Reads
England's rugby team enter their last-chance saloon when they face Australia tomorrow – we've looked at whether the numbers are on their side.
With new developments in the Volkswagen emissions scandal emerging on an hourly basis, are their shares untouchable? We look at whether now is the time to invest.
Infographic of the Week
Here's the average rental price for each tube stop
Great Reads from Elsewhere
China's super-wealthy have an embarrassing problem: their kids have a tendency to flash the cash, which doesn't sit well with the Communist Party's hard-working ethos. Bloomberg meets members of the so-called "fuerdai", and finds out how they're being turned into productive members of society.
Ad blockers: some see them as relief from constant invasion into their personal space, some see them as unethical. Either way, they're now available on your smartphone. The New York Times the puts new apps to the test.
"Data scientist" has been called the "sexiest job of the 21st century" by the Harvard Business Review. Management Today disputes that, pointing out that no one can even agree on the meaning of the term "Big Data".
The Last Word
