Richard Branson set for space flight aboard Virgin Galactic rocket July 11, 2021 Sir Richard Branson is today due to launch into space aboard a Virgin Galactic rocket plane as he kicks off the race to roll out space tourism. The British billionaire will be one of six people aboard the plane, which will climb more than 50 miles above the New Mexico desert to the edge of [...]
London taxi numbers shrink to lowest in 40 years July 10, 2021 The coronavirus pandemic has sent the number of London cabbies down to its lowest level in 40 years, new stats from the Department for Transport (DfT) have shown. Over the last year, there has been a 29 per cent fall in the number of black cabs operating on London’s roads. As of the start of [...]
Southern Water slapped with record £90m after dumping sewage illegally in Kent, Hampshire and Sussex July 9, 2021 Southern Water has been fined a record £90m after bosses admitted dumping sewage illegally thousands of times over a five-year period. The company pleaded guilty to 6,971 unpermitted sewage discharges – the equivalent to one pipe leaking continuously for seven years. Tonnes of sewage polluted rivers and coastal waters in Kent, Hampshire and Sussex between [...]
Branson and Bezos space race outruns insurers July 9, 2021 Billionaires Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos are reportedly launching into space without insurance for injury or death. Brokers told the NYT’s Dealbook newsletter neither Branson or Bezos, or their respective companies Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, have purchased liability insurance. This is most likely because there isn’t a fully functioning insurance system for casual [...]
Ryanair, BA, Easyjet and Stansted in court today suing over traffic light travel system July 9, 2021 Ryanair, BA, Easyjet and Stansted owner MAG are in court today suing over traffic light travel system
Semiconductor shortage drives car production off the road July 9, 2021 The impact of the ongoing shortage of semiconductor chips was laid bare this morning as the Office of National Statistics (ONS) said that car manufacturing fell over a quarter in May. The government agency said that vehicle production fell 26.9 per cent in the period, driving an overall fall in manufacturing output of 0.1 per [...]
Crossrail to run out of funding before full line opens as cost rises again July 9, 2021 Sadiq Khan is being urged to give assurances that there will be enough money to finish Crossrail after it was revealed that it could cost a further £218m to finish the much-delayed rail project. A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) found that the controversial new line could cost between £30m and £218m [...]
Shares begin to trade for Icelandic start-up airline Play July 9, 2021 New low-cost Icelandic airline Play’s shares have this morning begun to trade on the country’s stock market, following the carrier’s recent successful float. To mark the moment, chief executive Birgir Jonsson rang the bell for the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Iceland at 12,000 feet. The start of trading comes just two weeks after the [...]
Planning reforms: Govt U-turns over infrastructure levy after Chesham and Amersham defeat July 8, 2021 The Government has announced a significant change to its controversial proposals for the reform of the planning system. Speaking to the Local Government Association’s annual conference, Robert Jenrick – the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary – announced that the Government would backtrack on implementing a new nationally-set infrastructure levy that was initially outlined as part [...]
Car giant Stellantis to spend €30bn on electrifying its vehicles July 8, 2021 Car juggernaut Stellantis today announced €30bn (£25.8bn) worth of investment into electrifying its vehicles by 2030 as it joins the race to quit the internal combustion vehicle. Over the next five years, the firm – formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA – will set about rolling out low emission cars [...]