Fireball stuns onlookers in Seattle as SpaceX rocket burns in atmosphere March 26, 2021 Onlookers have said they briefly thought “aliens were finally here” after a falling SpaceX rocket lit up the skies over the United States’ Pacific Northwest. The Falcon 9 second stage rocket drew awe from onlookers in Seattle as it burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere shortly after 9pm on Thursday. Front desk supervisor Eberton Paul [...]
Virgin Atlantic launches two ‘vaccine passport’ trials March 26, 2021 Virgin Atlantic today said that it would launch two parallel digital health certificate – or “vaccine passport” – trials as more carriers turn their attention to restarting international travel. The Sir Richard Branson-founded airline said it would trial global aviation body IATA’s smartphone app on trips from the UK to Barbados from 16 April. It [...]
Volkswagen to seek damages from former chairman over dieselgate March 26, 2021 Volkswagen today announced that it would seek damages from its former chairman Professor Marin Winterkorn, as well as former Audi chair Rupert Stadler, over its diesel emissions scandal. The crisis, which exploded when the firm admitted in 2015 it had rigged emissions tests in the US, has cost the car giant €32bn (£27.4bn) in fines [...]
Honda to sell Swindon factory to developer Panattoni March 26, 2021 Honda will sell on its Swindon factory to industrial property developer Panattoni when it leaves the site in July, it was announced today. It is expected that the site will be handed over to the European firm in the spring of 2022, the carmaker said. It did not disclose the value of the deal. Following [...]
Irish Ferries enters Dover to Calais ferry market March 26, 2021 Irish Ferries has this morning announced a new Dover to Calais service, its first foray into the Britain to France market. As a result of the new route, the firm said that hauliers would now have the option of using a single ferry firm connecting France, the UK, and Ireland. It added that the additional [...]
Car production tumbles again in worst February for a decade March 26, 2021 UK car production fell 14 per cent last month as the sector suffered its weakest February for over a decade. Just 105,008 units rolled off production lines last month, according to new figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It was the eighteenth straight month of declining car production in [...]
British electric vehicle startup Arrival secures $13.6bn valuation in New York March 26, 2021 British electric van and bus startup Arrival secured $13.6bn (£9.87bn) valuation upon its listing in New York yesterday, despite being yet to begin production. The firm, which is yet to turn a profit, went public on Nasdaq yesterday, raising around $660m in gross proceeds to ramp up the delivery of its electric vehicles and expand [...]
Rolls-Royce bulk-buys Liberty steel ahead of feared collapse March 26, 2021 Rolls-Royce is buying enough steel from Liberty to last until Christmas to guarantee supplies in case parent company GVG Alliance collapses. The jet engine manufacturer is buying a relatively small amount of speciality steel for an undisclosed value, the Telegraph first reported, for fear the steel manufacturer may go out of business. Liberty Steel is [...]
It’s the end of the road for the Ford Mondeo March 25, 2021 Ford said today it will phase out the Mondeo early next year after nearly three decades of production. The saloon car used to be hugely popular among executives and families, with about 5m sold in Europe since its introduction in 1993. At the Labour Party Conference in 1996, leader Tony Blair identified “Mondeo man” as [...]
Rapid build-up of tankers and laden vessels at blocked Suez Canal as alternatives are limited March 25, 2021 Overnight on Tuesday, the container Ship Ever Given ran aground in the southern part of the Suez Canal, a rare event in the history of the waterway. The potential for a rapid build-up of liquid and gas tankers in the region is marked with multiple laden vessels now indicating major delays for their Suez transit. As of this morning [...]