We’re now in a very weird pandemic phase. On Twitter, doctors such as Eric Topol sound five-alarm warnings about the latest subvariants of omicron. Offline, people are back to parties and restaurants — and will soon be flying around the world with no testing requirements to return to the US. Things feel as if they’ve lost any coherence. There’s ...
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The UK’s Conservatives need to find a new leader
If ever there was a Pyrrhic victory, Boris Johnson’s win in this week’s no-confidence vote must qualify. Britain’s prime minister secured the majority he needed to hang on, if he decides to, but by the surprisingly narrow margin of 211 votes to 148. More than 40% of his own party in Parliament told him to go. In a similar ...
Read More »Trump’s Air Force One deal pains the Pentagon, not just Boeing
Bloomberg The fixed-price contract for the new Air Force One that Donald Trump talked Boeing Co. into signing hasn’t just caused the $1.5 billion in cumulative losses so far that the company’s CEO has lamented. It has also created headaches for the Air Force. Under a fixed-price agreement, a company’s incentive is to “finish and minimise costs†while the Pentagon ...
Read More »Judge backs Home Depot’s ban on staff wearing BLM
Bloomberg A complaint by US labour board prosecutors against Home Depot Inc — for allegedly interfering with workers’ rights to protest against racial harassment — should be dismissed, an agency judge ruled. The US National Labour Relations Board’s (NLRB) general counsel alleged that the company violated federal labour law by preventing staff from displaying the message “Black Lives Matter†(BLM) ...
Read More »United Airlines jet looks worse for wear on paint shop back-up
Bloomberg Airlines are racing to bring parked planes back into service now that post-pandemic travel demand is picking up. But some of those jets are looking a little rough around the edges. Eagle-eyed observers say some aircraft due for a routine grooming at United Airlines Holdings Inc. didn’t get fresh coats before being brought back into its active fleet. ...
Read More »Airlines get relief from Covid rule, but may not be ready for it
Bloomberg Airlines have been petitioning for months to ease a pandemic-era restriction on arrivals from abroad. Now that the White House has lifted mandatory Covid testing for inbound passengers, the industry may rue having its collective wish granted just ahead of the busiest time of year for travel. Travellers by air will join those at land ports of entry ...
Read More »Revlon plunges by record 53 percent
Bloomberg Revlon Inc plunged 53%, the biggest one-day drop on record, after distressed debt news outlet Reorg reported that the cosmetics empire is preparing to file for the bankruptcy. The company, controlled by billionaire Ronald Perelman, could file as soon as next week, Reorg said, citing unnamed sources. Revlon shares triggered the multiple trading halts because of the volatility, ...
Read More »China warns of risk of war over Taiwan while pledging peace
Bloomberg China’s defense chief issued one of the country’s strongest warnings yet about the risk of war over Taiwan, even as he reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to maintain peace in Asia. In a speech to the region’s biggest security conference Sunday, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe repeatedly expressed Beijing’s willingness to fight to prevent a formal split by the democratically elected ...
Read More »China alarms US with new private warnings to avoid Taiwan Strait
Bloomberg Chinese military officials in recent months have repeatedly asserted that the Taiwan Strait isn’t international waters during meetings with US counterparts, according to a person familiar with the situation, generating concern within the Biden administration. The statement disputing the US view of international law has been delivered to the American government by Chinese officials on multiple occasions and ...
Read More »Brazil’s Bolsonaro asked Biden for re-election help against Lula
Bloomberg Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro asked US President Joe Biden for help in his re-election bid during a private meeting on the sidelines of a regional summit this week, portraying his leftist opponent as a danger to US interests, according to people familiar with the matter. During the meeting, Biden underlined the importance of preserving the integrity of Brazil’s democratic ...
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