Ryan Air boss on thin ice
Ryanair says it is prepared to recognise pilot unions as it seeks to avoid strike disruption over the Christmas period and has written to pilot unions in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal inviting them for talks.
In September CEO Michael O’Leary said “hell would freeze over” before his company becomes unionised. Irish union Impact, which represents pilots confirmed that it is now in talks with the airline.
Time for O’Leary to invest in a pair of ice skates, methinks!
So long, Sonia
The leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, steps down this week making way for her son, Rahul Gandhi, to be elected unopposed as the new president on Saturday.
Gandhi, 71, has been party president since 1998 but she will not retire from politics and will continue as a member of the Indian parliament. She entered politics in 1994 , three years after after her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was assassinated.
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Murdoch’s King Lear moment
I used to work for the Murdoch Empire and at that time the abrasive Aussie-born mogul seemed invincible. Even during the phone hacking scandal in 2011 he managed to emerge a little shaken but unstirred.
However today it seems 86-year-old Murdoch is preparing to break up the empire and its riches like some sort of King Lear confronting his own mortality. The Walt Disney Company says it will acquire most of 21st Century Fox Inc., the Murdoch-owned company that includes the movie and television studio, national cable networks and 22 regional cable channels dedicated to sports plus a 39 per cent stake in Sky TV.
The $52.4 billion dollar deal signals the end of an era although Murdoch spins it as “new business opportunities”.
Catch up on part one The Week So Far The Week So Far with Yvonne Ridley – Travel Ban & Brexit Madness
Match of the Day
The great date debate is over – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding will take play on May 19 which, as every soccer fan knows, is the FA Cup final at Wembley. As President of the Football Association, Harry’s older brother William, the Duke of Cambridge, usually attends Wembley to present the trophy. However, he is expected to be best man at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. I know where I’d rather be!
Dangerous Americans
I’m indebted to Producer of MSNBC’s @TheLastWord. for this enlightening map which shows how prolific the US gun problems are even if President Donald Trump and his mates in the gun lobby are in denial.
In the 5 years since Sandy Hook, there have been: 1,576 mass shootings 1,788 people (at least) killed in those shootings 6,333 wounded (at least) in those shootings
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Lineker tackles politics
I wonder if Gary Lineker is becoming bored with his Match of the Day job with BBC TV. I only ask because in the last week he managed to upset the world’s pro-Israeli groups by expressing his disgust at shocking images of Israel’s occupation forces arresting a Palestinian child.
After upsetting the global Zionist lobby the retired England footballer who holds England’s record for goals in FIFA World Cup finals, with 10 scored, has now decided to tackle Britain’s Tories, the Brexit lobby and The Daily Mail newspaper in a single tweet – see image below.
Maybe he’s after a job presenting political shows instead. After all, playing on the losing side in various world cups and then having to commentate on more spectacular defeats in more world cups must be rather challenging for someone who realises events outside of the Beautiful Game can be far more interesting.
Jaw-dropping
Roy Moore’s campaign spokesman says Muslims shouldn’t be in US Congress because they have to swear on the Bible. He responds with silence, mouth agape, when CNN’s @jaketapper informs him that’s not the case. Watch it all unfold here: http://cnn.it/2nViCGP
I couldn’t stop laughing … I swear!
No words needed
This agency shot by AFP of Grenfell survivors outside Thursday’s memorial service needs no words … indeed there are none to convey the suffering as the agony goes on.
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