6:37 am, November 11, 2022
Musk tells staff to brace for ‘difficult times’ as he warns of Twitter’s demise
Elon Musk has warned Twitter employees to prepare for ‘difficult times ahead’ that might end with the collapse of the social media platform if they can’t find new ways of making money.
Workers who survived last week’s mass lay-offs are facing harsher working conditions and growing uncertainty about their ability to keep Twitter running safely as it continues to lose high-level leaders responsible for data privacy, cybersecurity and complying with regulations.
Employees were also emailed by Musk on Wednesday night ordering them to stop working from home and show up in the office yesterday morning.
Train drivers to stage fresh strike in pay dispute
Train drivers at 12 operators are to stage a fresh strike in the long-running dispute over pay, threatening more travel chaos across the country.
Members of Aslef will walk out on Saturday, November 26 after the union said it was still waiting for a pay offer from the employers, despite a series of talks.
Armistice Day silence to be observed
People across the UK are set to fall silent to mark Armistice Day today.
Poignant services will be held across the country for the anniversary of the end of the First World War, and a two-minute silence will be observed at 11am to remember those who have died in military conflicts.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will attend the National Memorial Arboretum Armistice Day Service in Staffordshire and services are also being held in London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Portsmouth.
PM says nurses’ pay demands ‘not affordable’
Rishi Sunak has said pay demands from unions representing nurses are ‘not affordable’, as the threat of strike action that will hit operations and appointments looms.
The PM said he shared the public’s ‘respect and gratitude’ for nurses, and that he was pleased health secretary Steve Barclay was meeting the Royal College of Nursing union to resolve the issue.
But he was understood to be resistant to negotiating on pay, with the union demanding an increase of at least 15 per cent compared with the £1,400 rise awarded earlier this year.
Made.com staff taking legal action over Zoom redundancies
Staff at Made.com are taking legal action against the collapsed retailer after being told over Zoom they were losing their jobs with immediate effect.
About a dozen employees have instructed law firm Aticus to pursue the legal challenge after their jobs were made redundant yesterday, despite the business being bought out of administration by Next.
The furniture retailer’s collapse will result in hundreds of job losses, with administrators PwC confirming 320 redundancies.
UK gas prices more than doubled in a week, says ONS
Gas prices in the UK have more than a doubled in the space of a week, according to new official data.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that the system average price of gas rose by 110 per cent in the week to November 6 versus the previous week.
It was the biggest week-on-week increase of 2022, said the ONS.
Apprentice winner sells multi-million-pound firm he built with Lord Sugar
Apprentice winner Mark Wright who scooped the top prize and investment from Lord Alan Sugar in 2014 has sold his business.
It’s the first time one of the companies formed after the show has been successfully disposed of.
The two partners have sold digital marketing agency Climb Online to larger peer xDNA for what is believed to be in the region of £10m.
Mercedes-AMG’s One takes Nürburgring production car record
The Mercedes-AMG One has become the fastest production car to lap the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The new hypercar set an official measured time of 6:35.183 minutes, beating the previous record – set by a Porsche 911 GT2 RS – by almost 10 seconds.
Racing driver Maro Engel was behind the wheel to set the record lap, which took place on October 28 but has only now been announced.
Section of destroyed space shuttle Challenger found on ocean floor
A large section of the destroyed space shuttle Challenger has been found buried in sand at the bottom of the Atlantic, more than three decades after the tragedy that killed schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe and six others.
The Kennedy Space Centre announced the discovery yesterday. Divers for a TV documentary crew first spotted the piece in March while looking for the wreckage of a Second World War plane.
Nasa verified through video that the 15ft by 15ft-plus piece was part of the shuttle that broke apart shortly after lift-off on January 28, 1986.
Thursday’s headlines on Car Dealer you might have missed
- Auto Trader clocks up £149.1m six-monthly profit – but figure takes a hit from Autorama
- Wheeler Dealer star Mike Brewer chats used cars with Black Horse ahead of big night
- Used car sales drop for second quarter in a row – but prices are holding firm
- Cazoo backers agree to extend financing deal by nearly 11 months
- Jaguar Land Rover losses easing thanks to new Range Rover
- Police car smashes into Honda car dealership leaving motorist needing medical attention
- Used car dealers are stocking up on Fiestas after end of production is announced
- Nearly half of car buyers plan to spend more on their next vehicle – report
- GardX Group launches today as automotive retail undergoes dramatic change
- Autoguard Warranties wins Used Cars NI deal to support Northern Ireland motor dealers
Market movements
The FTSE closed up 79.09 points yesterday to finish on 7,375.34. Meanwhile, the Cac 40 rose by 126.26 points, ending on 6,556.83, the Dax was up 479.77 points to 14,146.09 and the Dow Jones gained 1,201.43 points, closing at 33,715.37.
Weather outlook
It’ll be mainly cloudy today but with rain in the far north-west of the UK, sinking southwards over Scotland and Northern Ireland later but becoming lighter and patchier, while the south will be drier, says BBC Weather.
Saturday will continue to be cloudy in Northern Ireland and Scotland, with more rain in the far north-west. Wales and England will see early mist and fog patches disappear, giving sunny spells and variable cloud.
