Private companies added 44,000 jobs in July, falling short of forecasts and June's figures. Growth was driven largely by healthcare and services, while pay gains for job switchers reached 7%.
Indian space-tech startup Skyroot successfully test-launched a low-orbit rocket with a 350kg payload, becoming the first Indian private company with orbital launch capability. It plans commercial operations by 2027, aiming for monthly launches and cost competitiveness in the small payload market.
A Guardian investigation reveals CT Group, a lobbying firm co-founded by Lynton Crosby, allegedly secretly pays journalists to publish stories favorable to its clients in British newspapers, raising concerns about influencing public opinion.
Goldman Sachs has introduced a new alternative investments platform to offer wealthy clients and family offices direct stakes in fast-growing private companies, including those benefiting from the AI investment boom, and to facilitate secondary market transactions for private holdings.
China saw a significant resurgence in its innovation ecosystem in H1 2026, with 67 new unicorn start-ups created, driven primarily by AI and robotics. This marks the highest growth in nearly five years, though most new unicorns are valued between $1-2 billion, indicating early growth stages.
The article explores Labour's historical approach to nationalisation, from Clement Attlee's post-war reforms to Tony Benn's proposals, highlighting the economic context and public perception shifts. It draws parallels to contemporary discussions on state ownership.
St Lucia faces a severe, decade-long water scarcity crisis exacerbated by climate change, a "super El Niño," and aging infrastructure leading to 45% water loss. Despite significant international funding, political disputes and low tariffs hinder solutions, prompting calls for increased home water storage.
A NASA Inspector General report reveals that the agency's launch infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center is aging and nearing its capacity limit due to increased demand from private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, potentially impacting future missions.
India's draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026 aims to reshape its missile industry by ending Bharat Dynamics Limited's (BDL) monopoly and involving private companies. This move reflects a strategy to boost production scale, foster innovation, and enhance resilience in defense manufacturing to meet evolving security challenges.
India's Department of Telecommunications has proposed new draft rules for administrative spectrum assignment to state-run firms like BSNL and MTNL, law enforcement, and private satellite/broadcasting companies. These rules specifically target geostationary orbit (GSO) users, with spectrum fees set at 3-4% of adjusted gross revenue. Non-GSO players like Starlink await separate pricing and approval.
Coinbase unveiled a new product offering pre-IPO perpetual futures contracts, allowing traders to speculate on private companies before they go public. The first offering is tied to SpaceX and is available to non-U.S. traders, aiming to provide trading opportunities even in down crypto markets.
Coinbase has launched pre-IPO markets, starting with SpaceX, offering perpetual futures contracts tied to private companies' estimated pre-listing prices to users outside the US. This move intensifies competition among crypto exchanges in tokenizing real-world assets.
A study by Beyond Plastics tracked 53 Starbucks plastic cups labeled as 'widely recyclable' and found none reached a recycling facility, instead ending up in landfills, incinerators, or transfer stations.
Polymarket is launching prediction markets for private companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, allowing traders to bet on milestones such as IPO timing and valuations. Nasdaq Private Market will provide resolution data.
Polymarket has launched new prediction markets for private companies, partnering with Nasdaq Private Market to allow trading on pre-IPO company events like fundraising and valuation changes. This move aims to increase price discovery in opaque private markets and broaden Polymarket's appeal to financially oriented users.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage, drifting since January 2021, is set to impact the Moon's Einstein crater on August 5, posing no immediate danger but underscoring the need for lunar debris management regulations as space activity increases.
Live facial recognition technology is being used to fight crime, but raises concerns about surveillance and accuracy.
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa has emerged as the biggest landlord among Hong Kong ministers after declaring that she has 25 properties in her name in the city, mainland China and the UK. The 61-year-old constitutional affairs chief also revealed that she or her family held shareholdings of more than 1 per cent in eight private companies, including two food-ingredient firms, more than any other principal official has declared. Tse’s portfolio comprises 23...
Plans to erect over a hundred giant wind turbines in Wales's Cambrian Mountains, a landscape of significant wildness, are facing strong opposition due to environmental concerns and the industrialization of a pristine area, despite the push for renewable energy.
Research reveals private firms providing services to the NHS have made £1.6bn in profits over the last two years from contracts worth £12bn, sparking calls for profit caps.
