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From TfL Tube strike and Greek debt crisis to awful colleagues and FTSE woes: Here’s what got us talking this week
There was a flypast. There was a bus in someone’s front garden. And somewhere – or perhaps everywhere – the sound of prosecco corks being popped overtook those of champagne.
Here’s what got us talking this week
1. Our colleagues
To be fair, it’s something we probably discuss most weeks, and we’re not alone. Perhaps that’s because two-thirds of us think our colleagues are bad at their jobs. LinkedIn launched a new app to help you connect with the colleagues we do like, perhaps so we can talk even more about the ones we don’t. And that definitely includes our bosses. So this article, detailing how to be the perfect boss, couldn’t have come any sooner.
2. The Greek drama is back on stage
It was too good to be true. Having finally agreed reforms, Greece received €13bn – the first tranche of its latest bailout. But just hours later, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had called a snap election and resigned from his post. Then Syriza split in two, with 25 rebels forming a new party called Popular Unity. The move raised at least one eyebrow, with Slovakian finance minister Peter Kazimir saying it was “cynical timing”. But either way, Greece is returning to the polls for the second time in eight months, and a vote for more radical parties – right or left – could jeopardise the country’s future.
3. Big trouble in little China
There was blood on the trading floor this week as China’s shock manufacturing figures pushed global markets lower. The FTSE recorded its longest losing streak since 2011, closing down 2.8 per cent on Friday, below 6,200 points. All that meant the so-called “fear index” went bananas.
4. Cor, blimey Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign for Labour leader went from strength to strength this week, with a series of announcements bound to appeal to the left, including introducing a national maximum wage and committing to a formal apology about the Iraq War.
But it seems someone at Labour HQ is not so keen on him. It emerged that genuine party members were being blocked for voting – and more than a few of them have been vocal Corbyn supporters.
5. When EasyJet says no, it means no
Whatever you do, if you’re flying EasyJet don’t try to take on more than one piece of carry-on luggage. We learned this week what happens if you do.
Chart of the Week
Five charts showing where political parties get their money
Leisurely Reads
You might want to settle down to this: it’s what TfL is expecting to happen during next week’s double-whammy Tube strike. TL;DR? It’s going to be hectic.
And you’ve probably heard of the self-driving car, but smart dust probably isn’t on your radar just yet. Both emerging technologies feature on this year’s “Hype Cycle” – but they are at very different stages. Find out what’s happening in the world of emerging tech trends here.
Great Reads from Elsewhere
Back in the late 600s, there was really only one cutting edge technology that got people talking: the book. But with printing presses still a few hundred years away, they weren’t for everyone. This article looks at the “radical” Bede, the man behind the phenomenon that changed the world we live in.
Amazon may be changing the 21st century world, but when it comes to working practices that might not always be the best thing. This article explores how far it is pushing its white-collar workers as it continues its inexorable rise.