All Hallow’s eve, or Halloween, is the day when spirits roam the earth. It is traditionally when children gorge on sweets and people of all ages dress to impress. According to an analysis of Google data, this year’s hottest costume is Wonder Woman. As festivities go, it is second only to Christmas in terms of consumer spending. There can be only one question: trick or treat?
Facebook is trialling splitting users’ news feeds. The move would shift non-promoted posts out of the news feed and could be catastrophic for publishers that rely on the social network for their audience. Is this really, as Facebook claims, a way to make it easier to see what our friends and family are up to? Or is it a canny and calculated move to increase advertising revenues?
What’s on your shopping list? Milk, eggs and a three-piece suit? Sainsbury’s is confident that shoppers will grab a garment bag alongside their groceries as they launch a smart men’s clothing range. Will this new line of bargain priced formalwear be a real rival to men’s high street retailers? Or will Sainsbury’s suits sit stubbornly on the shelves?
Do snakes give you goosebumps? Do big hairy spiders have you quivering in your boots? New research from Sweden has found that a phobia of snakes and spiders may be innate. Babies shown photos of snakes and spiders exhibited signs of internal stress. It seems some threats are scary no matter what your age. Remember that when planning your Halloween scare fest...
Three people died and thousands were without power and water after Hurricane Ophelia struck the British Isles. Tropical air and dust from the Sahara, drawn by the storm, also caused the sky and sun to appear red. It was extreme weather, but did our focus on the storm detract media attention from the terror attack in Somali? Or is it inevitable that dangerous weather conditions at home will dominate the front pages?
Who killed Crimewatch? If you have any information, please call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 1111. After 33 years and featuring over 4,000 cases Crimewatch has itself become the victim. Was it declining viewers or an out-dated format that finally killed the show? And will any dedicated fans attempt to stage a reconstruction?
A new report from thinktank Future Advocacy has confirmed Optimus is primed and ready to take on human jobs. Put plainly, the report predicts that automation will affect one in five jobs across the UK. Despite the threat the public appears largely untroubled, with only 2% very worried that they might be placed by a machine. Are we woefully oblivious to the risk we may become obsolete? Or are we wisely opting not to worry about things beyond our control?
The Today programme on BBC Radio 4 is a morning must for millions, providing reliable news and current affairs in uncertain times. The presenters are known for their aggressive, ‘take no prisoners’ style and it makes great radio. But for potential guests it’s a daunting prospect. Is it worth the likely mauling to give your side of the story? Or are you better to refuse than risk it?
Yorkshire has a population similar in size to Scotland and an economy that’s bigger than 11 EU states, but despite several proposals councils have so far failed to agree a pan-Yorkshire deal to gain devolved powers. Will intervention from the Archbishop of York help end the stalemate? Would the official snack of a devolved Yorkshire be the Yorkshire Pudding or a Yorkie bar?
Finally, Good Housekeeping shared the results of an extensive Christmas food and drink taste test. M&S took top spot for turkey, while Aldi won best marks for its Christmas pud and Tesco had the finest mince pies. But is October too early to start planning the Christmas food shop? Or is it high time we ditched the diets and started scoffing brandy butter?
Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has been fired from his own company after the New York Times published a story alleging he has been sexually harassing women for decades. Since the story broke, dozens more women have come forward. Did everyone in Hollywood really know what was going on? Will Weinstein face charges?
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been labelled a ‘heartless billionaire’ and accused of exploiting disaster after appearing as a virtual reality cartoon in hurricane-hit Puerto Rico. Was this the best way to showcase Facebook Spaces potential to bring social interaction into 3D virtual spaces? Or cringeworthy marketing that severely missed the mark?
Will the real FLOTUS please stand up? Ivana Trump kicked a hornet's nest this week when she declared herself the real First Lady. Melania Trump – the actual First Lady – came out swinging and retorted that it was attention-seeking and self-serving noise. Handbags at dawn? Or a clever move by Ivana to shift copies of her latest book?
A Dove advert was deemed racially insensitive after it appeared to show a black woman transforming into a white woman after using its soap. Dove quickly apologised and pulled the advert. Has this advertising blunder tarnished the brand's reputation? Or will the swift apology wash this incident from shoppers’ minds?
The father of nudge theory, Richard Thaler, has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics. Thaler’s ideas of nudging people through subtle changes found favour with both Number 10 and the White House. A big recognition for the man whose thinking boosted the number of people saving for a pension? Or a small acknowledgement for the power of suggestion?
The Wall Street Journal has ceased printing its Europe and Asia editions. And Glamour magazine has announced it’s going digital-only. Will readers follow these titles online? Or will paywalls and subscriptions prove to be a click too far?