Branson’s Virgin Galactic to sell space flight tickets starting at $450,000

Spaceship company Virgin Galactic (SPCE.N) said it will open ticket sales on Thursday for space flights starting at $450,000 a seat, weeks after billionaire founder Richard Branson’s high-profile trip to the edge of space.
Cooling measures doing little to slow New Zealand’s housing boom

Desperation among homebuyers is pushing New Zealand house prices to record highs, overpowering the government’s efforts to rein in the red-hot market and putting in jeopardy a key policy promise by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
China-U.S. container shipping rates sail past $20,000 to record

Container shipping rates from China to the United States have scaled fresh highs above $20,000 per 40-foot box as rising retailer orders ahead of the peak U.S. shopping season add strain to global supply chains.
Oil firms but still set for weekly loss on demand worries

Oil prices edged higher on Friday but remained on track for their biggest weekly decline since March on concerns over the impact on fuel demand from travel restrictions to curb the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
Deere, Bear Flag aim to automate tractors as ‘fast as possible’

U.S. tractor maker Deere & Co (DE.N) said on Thursday it would buy agriculture tech startup Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million, with the goal of developing over the next year systems Deere can sell to allow farm tractors to operate without a human driver in the cab.
Thyssenkrupp sells infrastructure unit to German investment firm

Thyssenkrupp (TKAG.DE) on Thursday said it agreed to sell its infrastructure unit to German investment firm FMC Beteiligungs KG for an undisclosed sum, the second deal in as many weeks as the German conglomerate implements its reorganisation plan.
Biden seeks to make half of new U.S. auto fleet electric by 2030

President Joe Biden took a step toward his goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions on Thursday with an executive order aimed at making half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 electric, a move made with backing from the biggest U.S. automakers.
Amazon delays office return until January as COVID-19 cases surge

Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) on Thursday said it would not expect U.S. corporate employees to return to the office until next year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Outdoor grills maker Weber raises $250 mln in downsized IPO

Weber Inc (WEBR.N) on Thursday raised about $250 million in its initial public offering, which was less than half the amount it had planned to raise earlier.
German industrial orders bounce back, but supply bottlenecks weigh

German industrial orders rose more than twice as much as expected in June, driven by bookings from domestic clients for large manufacturing products, but weaker turnover suggested that supply bottlenecks continued to hold back production.