Asda staff locked in bitter contract row; what’s crushing kids’ ambitions? and more top news

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Approximately 12,000 Asda workers are currently facing the sack if they do not accept a controversial new contract. On Wednesday, hundreds of workers marched to the supermarket’s Leeds headquarters to deliver a 23,000 strong petition opposing the contract, under which the GMB union claims workers will lose pay breaks and be forced to work bank holidays. Asda says contract six "represents an investment of over ￡80m and an increase in real pay for over 100,000 of our hourly paid colleagues”. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The UK’s competition watchdog has launched a formal investigation into Amazon’s investment in food delivery company Deliveroo. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it would consider whether Amazon’s investment would “result in a substantial lessening of competition” in the UK. Earlier this year, the e-commerce giant led a $575m (￡452m) funding round in Deliveroo. The regulator could block the deal if it finds the companies have breached antitrust rules. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Children as young as seven are ruling out future career options due to stereotyping around their gender, ethnicity or class. That's according to a report from think tank the OECD, which found primary school children begin making assumptions about the type of people that enter particular types of work, and these assumptions only change minimally between the ages of seven and 17. Andreas Schleicher of the OECD said pupils need access to role models to help them see what they could achieve in the future. “You can’t be what you can’t see," he added. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Under Armour has added a new line to its range: Spacesuits “for the masses.” The royal blue outfits were modeled by Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson and others this week in New York in a special "zero gravity, vertical catwalk." Under Armour says creating a suit that met space safety standards while maintaining aesthetics was “an entirely new challenge.” About 600 people have so far paid deposits for the $250,000 tickets for Virgin Galactic’s first commercial flight into space, planned for 2020. ? Here’s what people are saying.

ASOS, the darling of the UK online fashion industry, has experienced a plunge in its profits, Yahoo Finance reports. The firm's profits have fallen almost 70% to ￡33.1m for the year, after it added more robots to its European warehouses and expanded its US operations. ASOS said it now realises it wasn't adequately prepared for these "additional complexities". Despite the disappointing figures, the firm dodged another profit warning and its shares actually surged as much as 18%, according to the FT. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: Closing the gender gap means teaching adolescents why equality matters, says Bridget Lohrius, founder of Tin Roof Communications.

“[It] would help to educate adolescents around why gender equality matters. How balance helps drive community and commerce.”

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.

— Natalie MacDonald and Emily Spaven