By Valentina Magri Mamma mia, here we go again. But this time is different: neither Abba nor Mr Berlusconi are part of the story. Despite this fact, there is an eerie feeling over déjà vu in the air. Italy has dipped back into recession for the third time since 2008. The latest Istat preliminary estimate of GDP fell by 0.2 per cent in the second quarter 2014. It is the minimum level in 14 years. How could this of happened (again)?...

Sport News 24/7   By Ian Carroll It’s been an odd summer. After United finished the season well before everybody else, signing off with a 3-1 win at West Ham in January, this last few months have seen something very rare happen- Newcastle United have actually bothered to sign some footballers. Some, no doubt, better than others, but it’s hard not to be a little bit optimistic about seeing Cabella (loves a step-over, looks like he gets dressed in the...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Nearly three-quarters (73.4%) of the professionals who responded to the 2014 Morgan McKinley UK Working Hours Survey say they are working longer than the hours stipulated in their contracts. Among Finance Senior Contract personnel, more than 92% stated that they work more than their contracted hours. Additionally those in Finance Senior Permanent roles, the figure is 84%. More than half of respondents say that they are more productive outside of their contracted hours and this...

By Steve Taggart Year after year new fitness crazes emerge, each full of promise to keep you motivated and fit, but unfortunately very few ever really end up fulfilling these hopes. Whilst 2013 was dominated by dance fusion classes such as Zumba and Pure Barre, 2014 is undoubtedly the year of HIIT. HIIT training is effectively a workout that alternates between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of less intense activity, or rest. Its popularity is derived from its...

By Duncan McCaslin Start-up businesses are constantly innovating and becoming globally competitive, particularly when attracting a younger, hungrier workforce. The on-going question for many businesses trying to build a committed workforce is the question of how to stay relevant, competitive and appealing. It’s important to invest your time wisely when marketing your start-up. Whether it’s an approach to strengthening user engagement, customer loyalty, team building and employee wellness, brand awareness, or face-to-face signups, a start-up business has the ability to...

By James Mackney  @JimMackney The problem with this season is last season…  The Saints did extraordinarily well last season. Highest points total ever in the Premier League, joint highest finish with the only bleak point being dumped out of the FA Cup to Sunderland with a whimper. We played exciting, attacking and prolific football that cemented the football club as everyone’s favourite second team much like Swansea had done a couple of seasons previously.  Then it all went a bit pear...

By Richard C Roberts I vividly recall the 2001 last night of the Proms. I remember the tears rolling down my 12-year-old cheeks as Leonard Slatkin conducted a devotional rendition of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings in memory of all those who had died a few days earlier in the terrorist attacks of 9/11 – it was almost certainly the first time I cried at a piece of music (though by no means the last). When set alongside the manifold...

By John S. Locke I first saw Robin Williams on ‘Happy Days’, the classic American TV sitcom when I was a wide-eyed kid – he was electric! He was like a comedy Elvis! He was a comedic whirlwind – he changed comedy completely from that point onwards. This lightning rod, who zapped out of the big telly box and lit up our small 1970′s North Walian living room, was a laughter bolt which energised, enthralled and entertained like none before him. He literally...

By Alex Lodge @alexlodgemusic Everyone loves a back-story with their music – it puts everything in context – and as back-stories go, there’s nothing better than a rags to riches, underdog-takes-the-prize back-story. In today’s world of the relentless digital information tsunami, pop music has become much more this type of package deal, which is why everything you read about Tahliah Barnett aka FKA Twigs debut full length LP1 (Young Turks) plays on the fact that she began her career as...