Eurostar Workers To Strike Over Summer Holiday

Eurostar rail workers will strike over two weekends in August in a dispute over work and life balance, the RMT union has said.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will walk out from 0.01am on Friday 12 August until 11.59pm on Monday 14 August, and for three days over the Bank Holiday weekend from 27 August.

The union said the dispute centres around Eurostar's failure to honour an agreement from 2008 which ensured a good work/life balance for train managers, specifically regarding unsocial hours and duty rosters.

Members voted in favour of strike action, claiming that balance had been "repeatedly undermined".

General Secretary Mick Cash said: "Our train manager members at Eurostar have a heavy commitment to shift work and unsocial hours and are sick and tired of the company's failure to honour agreements.

"Our members have every right to have a fair work/life balance that fulfills the operational needs of the company while guaranteeing quality time off for friends and family.

"It's now time for Eurostar to come to the negotiating table with a set of proposals that honours our agreements and guarantees our members a genuine work/life balance."

Around 80 train managers are involved in the dispute.

It is the third dispute to hit the train network after RMT members on Southern Railway went on strike this week over the role of conductors, and workers on Virgin East Coast also voted to strike.

A spokesman for Eurostar said: "We are aware of the plans for strike action and our focus has been seeking a joint resolution whilst planning to provide a good service for our customers.

"On the days of the strike we have made some small changes to our timetable to ensure that all passengers booked to travel will be able to on those days. Passengers affected will be notified in advance."

New Duke Of Westminster 'Owns Half Of London'

The new seventh Duke of Westminster has inherited his father's £9bn estate at the age of just 25 and has been described as now owning "half of London".

Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor, previously known by his honorary title Earl Grosvenor, also inherits Eaton Hall in Cheshire - home to the Grosvenor family since the 15th century.

One of four siblings, he is the only son of the late Duke of Westminster - who died at the age of 64 on Tuesday - and his wife Natalia.

He was the youngest chosen by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2013 to be a godfather to Prince George.

A former student of countryside management at Newcastle University, he has largely kept out of the spotlight, but is known to have thrown a lavish 21st birthday party for 800 guests at Eaton Hall which was reported to have cost £5m.

Police Investigate Heathrow Security Pass Scam

Police are investigating a scam involving airside security passes at Heathrow Airport.

They have arrested two young women, thought to be airport workers.

Heathrow said it had "taken appropriate action" until the police investigation is complete.

Scotland Yard would not reveal details of their suspicions around airside passes, but it is not thought to involve their illegal sale or cloning.

It could be part of a criminal plot - Heathrow was dubbed 'Thiefrow' after a string of thefts - but it will inevitably raise concerns about terrorism.

Kevin Hurley, former head of counter terrorism at the City of London Police, said: "It could be used to get close up to some of the high-value cargo areas and of course we have already had the Brink's Mat saga here once before.

Facebook Attempts To Bypass Ad-Blockers

Facebook says 'well-made' adverts can be 'useful

Facebook wants to make it harder for people to block adverts on its website.

The social media giant says it is changing the design of adverts to reduce the effectiveness of ad blockers, which reduce the number of adverts a user sees.

Facebook said it had decided to alter the design of its adverts after commissioning a study into consumer opinion on online adverts.

The firm, founded by billionnaire Mark Zuckerberg, said more than two thirds of those surveyed said they used an ad-blocker because they found adverts disruptive.

Vice president of ads and business platform Andrew Bosworth said: "We've designed our ad formats, ad performance and controls to address the underlying reasons people have turned to ad-blocking software.

"When we asked people about why they used ad-blocking software, the primary reason we heard was to stop annoying, disruptive ads."

In July, Facebook revealed that more than $6.2bn (£4.7bn) of its revenue in the previous three months came from advertising.

Just $200m (£153m) of the firm's total revenue came from other sources.

As a way of dissuading users from employing ad blockers, account holders will also be given the opportunity to control the type of adverts they see on the site by selecting and de-selecting suitable subjects.

Users of the desktop version will also be able to edit their advert preferences to block adverts from some businesses.

Mr Bosworth, added: "When they're relevant and well-made, ads can be useful, helping us find new products and services and introducing us to new experiences - like an ad that shows you your favourite band is coming to town or an amazing airline deal to a tropical vacation.

"But because ads don't always work this way, many people have started avoiding certain websites or apps, or using ad-blocking software, to stop seeing bad ads. These have been the best options to date."

In March, one study found that 22% of internet users over the age of 18 in the UK are now using an ad-blocker.

Windows Smashed As Olympic Media Bus Attacked

Two windows were smashed during an attack on a bus carrying members of the media between venues at the Rio Olympic Games.

A Press Association photographer, travelling on the bus at the time of the incident, said: "I was sitting at the back. There was a popping, cracking noise.

"The bus didn't come to a stop but paused. Everyone was on the floor so I got on the floor as well.

"The bus driver stopped the bus about half a minute afterwards. People started shouting 'just keep going'. After a couple of minutes we had a police escort.

"A few minutes later the bus pulled over on the motorway and the driver spoke to the police. Then we all got back on the bus and came back to the main transport mall."There were minor injuries from glass shards but nobody was seriously hurt."

The International Olympic Committee has said "security authorities" are investigating the incident.

The bus was travelling between the Deodoro zone and the main transport mall in the Olympic Park at around 7.30pm local time when the incident occurred.

Economy Shrinks After Brexit Vote - Report

Britain's economy shrank slightly last month following June's vote to leave the European Union, according to a new report.

The country's gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.2% in July compared to the same time last year, said the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR).

Between April and June, the economy grew by only 0.3% in what has been described as a "marked economic slowdown".

The think-tank has warned there is a 50/50 chance of Britain falling into recession - two quarters in a row of falling GDP - over the next 18 months following the 23 June Brexit vote.

It predicts growth will hit 1.7% overall this year with a decline of 0.2% in the third quarter and risk of "further deterioration".

The NIESR's James Warren said: "The third quarter has got off to a weak start, with output declining in July.

"Our estimates suggest that there is around an evens chance of a technical recession by the end of 2017."

The Bank of England last week predicted the UK was set to avoid recession after it slashed the base rate of interest to 0.25% from 0.5% - the first rate reduction for more than seven years.

Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries'

If Russia is a nation at war, the Kremlin has always been careful to frame its campaign in Syria as an aerial operation.

Other than a limited number of 'instructors and military advisers', Russian officials have repeatedly stated that they do not need to put 'boots on the ground'.

The Russian narrative of low-cost conflict has been seriously challenged however by a group of young Russian men who claim that their country's involvement in Syria is far more extensive - and more costly - than anyone in President Putin's administration is prepared to admit.

These individuals told Sky News that they were recruited by a highly secretive private military company called 'Wagner' and flown to Syria aboard Russian military transport planes.