Parliament suspension fuels no-deal Brexit fears, M&S forced to rename 'sexual' drink, and more top news
The news professionals are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments.
The Queen has approved UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plans to suspend Parliament in mid-September, making it unlikely MPs will be able to pass laws to prevent a no-deal Brexit at the end of October. Critics of the move to shut down parliament until October 14 say it denies MPs a role in the Brexit process, with high-profile figures already threatening to go to court. A new Queen's Speech outlining the administration's legislative agenda is set to be held after the suspension. ? Here’s what people are saying.
Thomas Cook has agreed a ￡900m rescue deal that could see the troubled travel firm disappear from the London Stock Exchange and wipe out shareholders' interests. The new deal would see major shareholder Chinese group Fosun put in ￡450m in return for at least 75% of the tour business and 25% of the group's airline, taking control of the world’s oldest travel company. Thomas Cook, which employs 22,000 staff across 16 countries, has issued three profit warnings this year and in May reported a ￡1.5bn half-year loss. ? Here’s what people are saying.
Apple said it's no longer keeping audio recordings of customer interactions with voice assistant Siri and apologised for the practice. The tech giant used contractors for what it called “grading”, but suspended the program a few weeks ago amid rising complaints. While it plans to reinstate the practice after some software updates this autumn, according to Bloomberg, it will give users more control over their privacy. Amazon still "audits" interactions with its virtual assistant, Alexa, but is letting users opt out of human review. ? Here’s what people are saying.
People in Shanghai stormed the aisles of China’s first Costco, which opened its doors on Tuesday. So many people showed up that the store had to close early after officials raised concern over standstill traffic surrounding the store, reports the Financial Times. The store’s popularity may quell concerns that big-box chains won't gain traction in China. Walmart’s Sam’s Club, a Costco competitor, has been operating in China for about two decades and says it plans to expand, reports Yahoo Finance. ? Here’s what people are saying.
Marks and Spencer has been forced to rename its Porn Star Martini drink following complaints over the name’s sexual connotations. Drinks industry body The Portman Group upheld complaints from members of the public that the name breached rules by associating alcohol with sex and would "open the floodgates" for other suggestively-titled drinks. The ￡2.25 canned passion fruit-based vodka mix, launched last September, is now called a Passion Star Martini. The Porn Star Martini was labelled the most popular cocktail in the UK in November. ? Here’s what people are saying.
Idea of the Day: Treat the culture of the company as a living, breathing thing, says Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman in an interview with LinkedIn.
“You're not placing it under a slide or encasing it in amber. You're trying to make it better every year and someone new who shows up has something to add to that, not just something to learn about it.”
What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Senior Consultant at In Focus Asset Management and Tax Solutions Ltd
5 年Exactly right, even the BBC don’t endorse the fact that it was a majority who voted to leave the EU
Now Retired - formerly Financial Adviser and Pension Consultant at In Focus Asset Management & Tax Solutions
5 年Robert is absolutely right. There was no qualification to the question, it was a simple binary choice - leave or stay. No issues of a deal or conditions. It is our elected MPs who are ignoring the democracy that put them in post who have been allowed to introduce conditions because they didn’t like the country’s decision. Leave and if the rest of the EU doesn’t like it that is something they will need to get used to. There are 195 countries in the world, but only 27 in the EU after we leave, so we will be joining the majority! The treasonable behaviour of our MPs is a disgrace.
Forklift Operator at EXPECT, woodlands, Bradford.
5 年That's a poor is it.