Hero in a taxi: Victor Needham-Crofton

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May 04, 2018 at 09:01AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Last minute bargain: 5* luxury Crete half board holiday from £404pp - incl. flights & hotel

Ahoy pirates! We've just spotted this last minute bargain for one week's stay with half board staying at the luxurious 5* Cretan Pearl Resort & SpaCretan Pearl Resort & Spa on the island's west coast. Enjoy the serene spa measuring up to 2.000 sqm, 2 restaurants with fine dining, 2 bars and 2 seawater swimming… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Direct flights to Los Angeles from £336rtn - incl. luggage & meals

It's time to start California Dreamin' thanks to these direct fares to Los Angeles from our Flights Finder! You'll be flying with Air New Zealand or Thomas Cook Airlines, with departures available from London and Manchester. Checked luggage and inflight meals are included. We've seen options in May and between September and December - plenty… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Mega cheap flights to Frankfurt-Hahn from just £13 return (June dates)

Ahoy, we have come across these cheap flights to Frankfurt Hahn in Germany for the bargain price of £13 return, working out at only £6.50 each way. Team these cheap flights we found on our flight finder with a hotel of your choice and you have yourself a bargain getaway. The flights are available from… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cyprus sizzler: 7nts family holiday in July from £234pp incl. hotel & flights

Pirates, if you're looking for inspiration for your summer holidays, hit up this deal: 7 nights in Cyprus in peak-season July from £234pp including the 3* Marion Hotel & flights. This rate is based on a family of four, but you can change the amount of people and time of year to suit your needs.… jcrdawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Private hire driver charged over crash outside Natural History Museum

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A private hire taxi driver who crashed outside the London tourist attraction the Natural History Museum is due in court to face a series of charges.

A total of 11 people sustained injuries from the collision involving a TfL licensed Toyota Prius on 7th OctoberNone of the injuries were life threatening. The driver Juma Ali Omar, 43, of Barking is to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court tomorrow charged with dangerous driving. Mr Omar is also facing charges of possessing identity documents with intent, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

The incident was originally feared to be a terrorist attack given its timing and proximity to the busy tourist attraction. Police later ruled out the possibility.

May 03, 2018 at 07:00PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cruise over to Calais: Day trip to France plus 6 free bottles of wine from £35

Pirates, we're all fans of a freebie or two, but how about 6? Our friends at P&O Ferries are offering a day trip over to Calais this May/June where you can take a car and up to 9 people from just £35! As an added sweetener, they're also throwing in 6 free bottles of wine… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Family summer holiday in Valencia, Spain from £279pp - 5nts 4* hotel & flights (7nts £348pp)

Pirates, if you are still looking for a holiday in the summer holidays we have just the thing, this holiday in Valencia is under £280 each and departs at the beginning of August. For this Spanish getaway there is a choice of departure dates available from alternative airports. You can also choose to stay longer… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Chic 4* Mykonos escape 4nts from £274pp - incl. flights, hotel, breakfast & welcome drink

My, my Mykonos! Pirates, next up we've spotted this great value for money holiday placing you on the gorgeous Greek island in the Aegean Sea. You'll be staying at the chic 4* Rhenia Mykonos hotel in the quiet Tourlos Bay on the west coast, a short walk from sandy Aghios Stefanos beach and the island's… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Luxury overlooking Lake Bled: 4nts B&B from £294pp incl. flights & spa hotel w/ a view

Over looking the serene Lake Bled in the heart of Slovenia lies the 4* Rikli Balance Hotel. Set on a cliff top, the hotel boasts panoramic views of the lake and castle. The 4* accommodation also has it's own on site spa and you'll be invited to enjoy breakfast each morning of your stay. With… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Green Tomato teamed up with Toyota in 2015 for London’s first hydrogen-fuelled private hire vehicle.

A project to test the capabilities of hydrogen-powered fleets across three European capitals gets underway in London this week.

ZEFER (Zero Emission Fleet vehicles for European Roll-out) will see a total of 180 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in service, divided equally across London, Paris and Brussels. The €26m project is designed to explore how hydrogen fleets perform in the real world, and the cars will be deployed as taxis and private hire vehicles (170) as well as police cars (10), driving long distances each day and requiring rapid refuelling.

Led by Cambridge-based consultancy Element Energy, the ZEFER consortium also includes hydrogen suppliers (Air Liquide and ITM Power Trading), vehicle end users (Green Tomato Cars, HYPE and the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime), observer partners (BMW and Linde) and partners supporting the analysis and policy conclusions (Cenex and the Mairie de Paris). The trial begins this week in London, with Green Tomato deploying 25 Toyota Mirais as private hire vehicles.

“This is a truly unique project where investors in hydrogen technology, manufacturers of hydrogen cars and Green Tomato Cars as the end users, have come together with a commitment to make hydrogen transport work for the good of the people and the environment,” said Jonny Goldstone, managing director of Green Tomato Cars.

As well as testing the cars under high-mileage operation, the project aims to bolster the hydrogen infrastructure in each of the cities. With the vehicles in daily use, each will create hydrogen demand roughly four times that of a regular privately-owned car. According to the consortium, the goal is to gather data and disseminate results to demonstrate the business case for future FCEV adoption.

“We are delighted to be leading this major project which will demonstrate commercially viable use cases for hydrogen fuelled vehicles in high mileage urban fleets,” said Ben Madden, director at Element Energy.

“The increasingly widespread hydrogen infrastructure network in leading European cities as well as new FCEV models from manufacturers are beginning to drive real market adoption. We are excited to see first large-scale users starting to take up the technology in large fleets to do the day to day work of vehicles which operate in urban centres.”

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Family holiday in Majorca: 7nts in July from £202pp incl. apartment & flights

Pirates, pick up a summer holiday for the family with 7 nights in Majorca from £202pp including the 2* Arcos Playa Aparthotel & flights. There are some decent rates available in peak summer months, so this is a good option for hanging out at the pool and beach for a week with the fam. Holiday… jcrdawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Minicab drivers protest at TfL offices to highlight the “blight of institutional racism”

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Today the United Private Hire Drivers branch of the IWGB union staged a surprise flash demo at TfL's main offices at the Palestra building on Blackfriars Road. The aim of the protest was to highlight the problem of institutional racism at TfL's taxi and private hire directorate.

The union says TfL's discrimination against 117,000 mostly BAME minicab drivers blights the development of fair and effective regulation and fosters a culture of accepted exploitation of workers by large operators including Uber, Addison Lee and Green Tomato Cars.

Abdura Hadi, Chair of UPHD London said: “TfL's refusal to allow dedicated trade union recognition for 115,000 mostly BAME minicab drivers is indefensible and unconscionable. Worse, it leads to poorer outcomes for drivers and the travelling public when key constituents are excluded by the regulator like this.”James Farrar, National Chair of UPHD said: “Discrimination and exploitation are two sides of the same coin with one enabling the other. Time and again, we have asked the Mayor and TfL to take meaningful action to end sweatshop conditions for minicab drivers in the capital. But instead of helping us they take our money and punish us more.”In addition, new testing requirements for language and driver proficiency as well as the prospect of ULEZ and congestion charging are all adding crushing new costs for drivers already earning far below minimum wage. The IWGB union is calling on TfL to:

Recognise all trade unions representing minicab drivers and allow them an equal say along side corporate operators and black taxi driversTake action to secure the powers to make worker rights a condition of licensing for operators such as Uber, Addison Lee and Green Tomato CarsSet up an independent review into the problem of sweatshop conditions in the licensed trade and formulate a robust plan for eradictationReduce costs of licensing and qualification for minicab drivers and/or mandate that operators pick up a fair share of the cost burden

May 03, 2018 at 04:09PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cool Adults Only Fuerteventura break 3nts from £279pp - incl. flights, Melia hotel & breakfast

Ahoy mateys! We've spotted the super stylish Adults Only Sol Beach House at Melia Fuerteventura on the popular Costa Calma making for a laid-back holiday. Here's you'll be just a few steps from the sand, with a host of top-amenities at your disposal not to mention great waves perfect for surfing! This holiday is… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cambridge Analytica has announced today that it will be shutting down.

Since the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal erupted seven weeks ago, Mark Zuckerberg’s social network has been the epitome of contrition. The same cannot be said of the British election consultancy, which last night announced it was shutting down.

Cambridge Analytica, which worked for Donald Trump's election campaign, blamed a “siege of media coverage” for the legal claims and lost clients that mean the company could no longer continue.

But if this is the end of Cambridge Analytica, it is far from the end of the story. 

Britain’s data watchdog said its investigation into the company will continue; meanwhile, executives appear to have already moved to create a new firm.

'NO LONGER VIABLE'

Cambridge Analytica has faced a series of damaging allegations in recent weeks, of which the claim that it obtained the private information of up to 87m Facebook users was only one.

It said an independent report from the lawyer Julian Malins had found that recent allegations were “not borne out by the facts”, but that news reports meant it had lost clients. The company had been banned from advertising on Facebook and Twitter in recent weeks, blocking a lot of its potential work.

THE SAGA CONTINUES

Despite shutting down, Cambridge Analytica may well live on in some form. Company filings show that several executives have created a new firm called Emerdata, a potential rehousing of the company under a new name.

Meanwhile, investigations into the company will continue. 

Damian Collins, the MP in charge of the committee investigating Cambridge Analytica among others, last night said the company should not be allowed to delete its data.

The Information Commissioner’s Office says its investigation will continue to pursue “individuals and directors”. Cambridge Analytica is down, but its story seems far from finished

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Last minute Algarve bargain break from £85pp - incl. 4-7nts apartment & flights

At a loose end this May pirates? Then book a last minute break to the amazing Algarve using our Holiday Finder! You'll be stating at Rio Apartments in Vilamoura, with flights included from a variety of UK airports. We've added options to stay out there for 4 nights or 7 nights. For more options this… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Bali on a budget: 10nts in tropical bliss from £499pp incl. 4* hotel, flights & bags

As savvy travel pirates, we love Bali! It's cheap, it's luxurious and if you've ever been, you'll know it's one of the friendliest places in the world. If it isn't on your bucket list pirates, it should be! We've made it super simple by finding you a whopping deal there for Autumn/Winter this year. You… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Uber driver's accused of “zoning in” on Essex town

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Essex private hire firm A & B Taxis have been forced to expand into other areas following an influx of Uber drivers taking work in their usual location.The Basildon firm have been left no choice but to expand into Canvey and Castle Point to drum up enough business to stay afloat. Since Uber introduced "geo-fencing" to their app in March, more and more Uber drivers are patrolling areas such as Basildon to look for work. Whereas before, drivers could pick up in areas such as Southend, Chelmsford and Rayleigh, the new geo-fencing system now blocks any riders requests that would of previously gone to drivers with licences from outside of those areas. Uber drivers are now being accused of "zoning" in on Basildon, an area which has not been included in the geo-fencing. A & B boss Mr Cowley told the echo news that you now see many Uber drivers at Festival Leisure Park and more and more at the station. Local drivers are becoming more and more "disgruntled", and some even suggest that Uber is illegal. Since the geo-fencing was introduced local drivers in Southend say that business is booming for them. But it seems that poor little Basildon are feeling the squeeze as more and more drivers look for work.

May 03, 2018 at 02:43PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Magical Marrakech holiday in June from £288pp - 7nts 4* hotel, breakfast & flights

Pirates, if you are still deciding where to go on your next holiday why not head to Marrakech in Morocco, we have found this holiday departing in June at a great price with breakfast included each morning. You can upgrade to holiday in July for only £334 per person and you can also opt to… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Let's Remind Ourselves What The Prime Minister Said To The BBC About Uber In September!

Uber ruling puts jobs at risk, says Theresa May 

The decision to stop Uber operating in London was "disproportionate" and has put thousands of jobs at risk, the prime minister has told the BBC.

The taxi-hailing company has been told it will lose its private hire licence, after Transport for London cited public safety and security concerns.

Uber is appealing against the decision but has apologised for its "mistakes".

Mrs May said Uber had questions to answer but the decision to stop it operating had "damaged lives".

Uber: Mayor backs talks after firm's apology

In one of a series of interviews ahead of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester next week, Mrs May told BBC London political editor Tim Donovan she blamed London Mayor Sadiq Khan - who is also the chairman of TfL.

"At a stroke of a pen, what the mayor has done is risked 40,000 jobs and of course... damaged the lives of those 3.5 million Uber users.

"Yes there are safety concerns and issues for Uber to address, but what I want to see is a level playing field between the private firms and our wonderful London taxis, our black cabs, our great national institution.

"I want to see a level playing field. I think a blanket ban is disproportionate."

'Must change'

She said: "What I think people want to see is choice."

People use the Uber app to book taxis with their smart phones.

London's transport authority, TfL, took the decision last Friday not to renew Uber's licence to operate in the capital beyond the end of September, saying the company was not fit and proper to hold a London private hire operator licence.

It cited concerns about Uber's treatment of criminal offences, medical certificates, and drivers' background checks.

London's mayor asked TfL to meet Uber's chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, after he said in an open letter that Uber would appeal against the city's decision but accepted the company "must change".

On Thursday, the mayor's spokesman said: "Sadiq has every sympathy with customers and drivers of Uber, but is clear that any anger must be directed at Uber itself.

"Regulation is there for a reason and it would have been wrong for TfL to have renewed Uber's licence if they had concerns about Uber being a fit and proper operator."

Mrs May was also asked about the Grenfell Tower disaster.

She said there was a need to "get to the bottom of the truth of what happened" but also make sure that, in future, when tenants complained about safety, they were listened to.

"That's why the housing minister is going around the country, listening to social housing tenants. We want to listen to them, we want to ensure that in future, when they raise their voice, their voice is heard," she said.

Sixty six people who died in the fire have now been formally identified - the total number of estimated deaths is 80, although police have said it may be lower.

In other BBC interviews, Mrs May addressed an issue referred to by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in his own conference speech - the UK's housing crisis, particularly for young people.

'Not quitter'

The prime minister told the BBC's South East Today's Helen Catt: "We need to show how we are addressing the issues that we know are of concern to people, like housing for young people.

"You'll be hearing from the government, in due course, obviously, how we are going to address those issues.

"We need to ensure that young people are able to build a better future for themselves and don't fear that they are going to have a worse future than their parents."

In his closing speech at this week's Labour conference, Mr Corbyn pledged to curb rents in the private sector and said any redevelopment of a housing estate under a Labour government would have to be backed by a council ballot of residents.

Conservative Party members will gather in Manchester next week for the party's annual conference, against the backdrop of Mrs May having lost her parliamentary majority in a snap election and continued questions about cabinet unity over Brexit.

Asked about her future, Mrs May said: "I've been very clear. I've said I'm not a quitter - but there's a job for this Conservative Party in government to be doing and that's what we're getting on with.

"At this Conservative Party conference, we'll be setting out very clearly how, as Conservatives in government, we will build the road for a better future for people."

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