简体中文
"In recent weeks, as the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require – and what it means for the global role I signed up for."
Kevin Mayer has resigned as the CEO of TikTok, amid growing political and economic tensions between the U.S. and China. The development will only add to the uncertain future of the video-sharing social network, which has an estimated 100 million U.S. users.
Mayer's resignation follows U.S. President Donald Trump's order to ban TikTok unless its parent company, Chinese tech firm ByteDance, sells its U.S. operations to an American company within 90 days.
Microsoft is in talks to buy TikTok's U.S. operations, however the deal is far from completion and it faces competition from Larry Ellison's tech group Oracle. The deal, if it goes through, would be one of the most high-profile tech purchases of 2020.
Also in today's newsletter, we have coverage from the launch of a new e-scooter from TIER Mobility, as the company attempts to break into the UK's personal mobility market. And we have an interview with an expert on Europe's travel industry who has a stark warning for those looking to book a holiday and for the future of the sector in general. Scroll down to find out more.
Happy reading,
Daniel Harries
Digital correspondent
**P.S. Did someone forward this to you? **
Sign up here
An internal investigation by McDonald's of potential misconduct has extended beyond its former CEO, who was forced out late last year. The board has hired an outside law firm to investigate** allegations that misconduct claims were being covered up.**
French business confidence rebounded in August to its highest since the country went into a coronavirus lockdown, despite a resurgence of new infections.
French Telecoms and construction company Bouygues will replace 3,000 Huawei-made mobile antennas in France by 2028 following a decision by Paris to remove equipment made by the Chinese company from highly populated areas.
British aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce will sell assets to try to raise at least $2.6 billion as it battles to shore up a balance sheet ravaged by the pandemic, which has led to a dramatic decline in orders.
The European Commission signed a contract on behalf of EU states with British drug maker AstraZeneca for the supply of at least 300 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
The U.S.'s FDA authorized the first rapid coronavirus test that doesn't need any special computer equipment to get results. ** The 15-minute test from Abbott Laboratories will sell for $5** , giving it a competitive edge over rival tests that require samples be placed into a small machine.
Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods jumped 11.2 percent in July, the third consecutive monthly gain.
Half-year earnings at Paddy Power, Betfair and PokerStars owner Flutter Entertainment rose 35 percent year-on-year as a jump in poker and gaming players more than compensated for a global sports shutdown at the world's largest online betting group.
Amazon has launched a fitness band and app, called "Halo," as the e-commerce giant moves to take on Apple, Fitbit and Samsung in the increasingly crowded fitness tracker market.
Abercrombie Fitchreported a surprise profit as the retailer slashed costs and benefited from a surge in online orders during the pandemic, sending its shares up as much as 17 percent.
Berlin-based TIER Mobility has launched what it calls the "safest and most advanced" e-scooter in the world. The machine, which was made in China, includes a foldable helmet and can be charged in local shops. It is set to be rolled out in more than 70 cities across Europe within the next year.
01:56
Olivier Ponti, the vice president of insights at global travel specialist ForwardKeys, spoke to CGTN Europe about the continent's struggling travel industry. The effects of quarantine measures, imposed by some countries on travelers from nations deemed to have high infection levels, has stalled the sector's recovery. Ponti now believes it might take several years for the industry to return to pre-pandemic levels.
How have the quarantine measures affected travelers?
Consumers are informed often on a very short notice. That makes it really difficult to make any kind of meaningful travel plan or long-term travel plan. And we see this in booking behavior. We can see that the lead times, that is the difference between the moment people book and the moment people fly, it's getting increasingly shorter and is reflecting a lack of confidence.
How can the industry better protect consumers?
It's important not to inform people at the very last moment regarding border closures or quarantine measures. And it's important that people feel safe. And at the moment, it's just not happening. We're seeing a lot of last-minute changes and restrictions, which are once more shattering consumer confidence. And the situation could get worse as a second wave may once more take its toll on ... the European travel industry and I don't expect travel, intra-European travel, to recover by the end of this year, that's for sure. Probably not within one, two years from now, at best.
On Wednesday, Ant Group announced plans to float on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges ** – a move that could value the company at $225 billion. The firm, headed by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, could raise as much as $30 billion, which would make it the world's largest ever initial public offering (IPO), dwarfing other companies that have floated on the Asian markets.**
Source(s): AP ,Reuters
