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 [...]
Deplatformed: Vodafone customers seethe after it ditches free wifi deal on Tube June 21, 2021 Out of service: Vodafone customers seethe after it ditches free wifi deal on Tube
Ready, set, go: Britain is bound for the next space race May 26, 2021 The UK is bound for a seat in the next space race, the transport secretary has said today, as the government preps for Virgin’s commercial Orbit mission – the UK’s first space-bound flight. The National Space Agency (NSA) confirmed on Monday that spaceflights will soon be a reality as the government has funded spaceports that [...]
£31bn Virgin Media and O2 merger given final green light by UK competition watchdog May 20, 2021 £31bn Virgin Media and O2 merger given green light by UK competition watchdog
London Covid test capacity spikes half a million a month as Prenetics boosts capacity May 13, 2021 Rapid test developer and manufacturer Prenetics has bolstered its London lab network ahead of its partnership with Virgin Atlantic where it will supply passengers with Covid-19 testing. With demand for rapid testing expected to soar in demand now that foreign travel will be allowed from 17 May and online booking platforms reporting a surge in interest for Vitamin D-doused destinations, the [...]
High Court gives Virgin Active CVA green light in further blow for landlords May 12, 2021 Landlords have lost their legal challenge against Virgin Active’s restructuring plan, in the second high profile defeat for commercial property owners this week. Today’s High Court judgement will come as a further blow to landlords hoping to challenge tenants over Company Voluntary Arrangements. It comes after the court gave New Look the green light to [...]
Virgin Media down: Thousands of broadband customers hit by UK outage March 10, 2021 Thousands of Brits were left without internet access this morning after Virgin Media suffered broadband outages across the country. Users in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow reported issues with their internet connection. The issues began at around 7am and peaked two hours later with more than 2,500 reports of problems, according to website Down [...]
Richard Branson sues train partner for £180m in Virgin brand dispute March 8, 2021 Sir Richard Branson is suing a former US partner for $250m (£180m) over its decision to drop the Virgin name from its trains due to a perceived decline in brand value. Virgin and Brightline inked a 20-year licensing deal in 2018 that allowed the American company to rebrand trains on its service as Virgin Trains [...]
Weightlifting: Virgin Active shareholders ‘set to inject’ £65m to see firm through pandemic February 11, 2021 Virgin Active shareholders are considering plans to inject £65m into the global gym chain as treadmills stand still during the pandemic, according to reports. Investors have tabled a proposed rescue package to lenders and landlords that would see them providing millions in funding over the next few months, Sky News reported. Landlords will likely be [...]
The Phone War October 25, 2005 Richard Branson and Charles Dunstone lead our troops into battle over mobile networks in France. Precisely 200 years after Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar, a new Anglo-French battlefront has opened up, this one over mobile telephone networks. Sir Richard Branson is leading the troops in this latest skirmish. Yesterday, he announced a joint venture with Carphone [...]