The interview: Sir Richard Branson on the past, present and future August 14, 2021 Christopher Jackson talks to the CEO about the pandemic, work and his friendships with Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela. Thanks to our friends at Finito for allowing us to republish their article. Fame will sometimes have a blurring effect. Public presence sustained over a long period of time can create a confusing image. During a [...]
Elon Musk sets sights on October opening for new Tesla Berlin factory August 13, 2021 Tesla hopes to make the first cars at its new gigafactory near Berlin in October or soon afterwards, boss Elon Musk has said. The electric car giant has pushed back its planned opening of the plant to late 2021, blaming German bureaucratic hurdles. The £5bn project has also come under fire from locals due to [...]
Wall Street smashes records yet again August 13, 2021 Wall Street opened higher today to breach record highs once again driven by a string of strong earnings reports. The S&P 500 came out of the blocks quickly to hit an all-time high, but fell back slightly to rise 0.06 per cent to 4,463.75 points in the early afternoon session. Similarly, the Dow Jones sped [...]
UEFA close to €6bn aid package for European football clubs August 13, 2021 UEFA is reportedly close to signing off on a rescue package worth up to €6bn (£5.1bn) to help European football teams recover from the pandemic. The funding is part of a proposed three-part strategy by the governing body, to be outlined in the coming weeks, aimed at helping clubs following stadium closures and a sharp [...]
The Very Group owners select trio of banks for £4bn float August 13, 2021 The owners of fashion retailer The Very Group have selected a trio of investment banks to organise a £4bn flotation. Banks Barclays, Morgan Stanley and UBS have been appointed to coordinate an initial public offering (IPO) to take place next year, according to Sky News. This would mark the first time the Barclay family – [...]
US consumer sentiment plummets to decade low August 13, 2021 US consumer sentiment fell sharply this month to its lowest level in a decade in a worrying indication of Americans’ outlook on economic recovery. The University of Michigan’s preliminary consumer sentiment index fell to 70.2 in the first half of August from a final reading of 81.2 in July. That was the lowest level since [...]
Low wind speeds deflate Orsted’s earnings August 13, 2021 The world’s leading offshore wind provider has warned that its profits for 2021 have been buffeted by low wind speeds The UK’s coastline is normally a prime location for wind speeds, particularly in the North Sea where Orsted has most of its wind turbines. However, in April, May and June wind speeds were the worst recorded [...]
Russia to expel BBC journalist in ‘symbolic deportation’ August 13, 2021 Russia has told a BBC journalist working in Russia to leave the country by the end of the month in what it described as a “symbolic deportation”. In a sign of further tensions between the two nations, Russian state media reported that Sarah Rainsford, one of the broadcaster’s two English-language Moscow correspondents, will be expelled [...]
Samsung boss released from jail on parole in ‘national interest’ August 13, 2021 Samsung’s boss has been released from prison on parole with a government spokesperson claiming his release was taken in the ‘national interest.’ Lee Jae-yong was convicted for bribery and corruption in Seoul High Court on January 2021 which sentenced him to 30 months in jail. He has been released after just 207 days, a year [...]
Exodus: Hong Kong population shrinks by 87,000 in just one year August 13, 2021 Hong Kong’s population has shrunk by 87,100 in just one year, according to official data, as residents flee China’s crackdown on the former British colony. The rate at which residents have exited the city has picked up pace since the introduction of China’s controversial national security law last year, according to provisional data released by [...]