29 minute read
BUSINESS DIALOGUE
Leaders’
MEETING POINT
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MILLENNIUM RESORTS VLADIMIR BOŠKOVIĆ,
Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank Serbia
INGRAM
This Will Be An Exceptional Year
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Vranjska Banja, which once represented an important location for spa and health tourism, with almost 20 hotels and a large number of villas that have today fallen into ruin, will be revived and allowed to flourish thanks to the 90-million-euro investment of Millennium Resorts
HOTEL WESTIN, COVERING AN AREA OF 40,000 SQUARE METRES, WILL REPRESENT THE MOST MODERN HOTEL TOURISM SOLUTION IN SERBIA
Millennium Resorts’ investment in Vranjska Banja will have a positive impact on southern Serbia’s economic recovery and its economic and social development, as well as opening 350 new job positions. With this project, company Millennium Resorts, a member of the Millennium Team system, is investing in the further development of the Serbian economy and tourism as a whole.
Millennium Resorts will build two hotels in Vranjska Banja that will be part of the chain of American hotel company Marriott - Westin 4* and Autograph Collection 5*, representing Marriott International’s largest project in the Balkans and Millennium Resorts’ largest investment in tourism, worth 90 million euros. Both hotels will be part of a significant hotel complex that will also include the Sofka Medical Centre, holiday apartments, villas and chalets, located in the ambience of the dense forest that surrounds this spa. The Kičer restaurant will also be renovated and will offer sweet specialities made according to old recipes of the best confectioners of Ottoman Turkey and Austria-Hungary.
Construction of the entire hotel complex has been divided into four phases, with the last one scheduled for completion in 2026.
Vranjska Banja once represented an important destination for spa and health tourism. Almost 20 hotels and a large number of villas for guest accommodation operated in this municipality, but these facilities have all today fallen into ruin and tourism is almost non-existent. With this project, Millennium Resorts is investing in the further development of Serbian economy and tourism, dedicated to return Vranjska Banja to the tourist map- not only in Serbia, but the whole of Europe.
WESTIN AND SOFKA WILL BE
COMPLETED BY 2023
The first phase of the Project by Millennium Resorts will comprise the construction of the Westin Hotel and Sofka Medical Centre. Hotel Westin, the construction of which will be started soon, will represent one of the most modern hotels in Serbia, while the plan is for it to welcome its first guests in 2023.
Encompassing an area of 40,000 square metres and eight floors, it will have 190 rooms and suites, a congress centre able to accommodate 600 guests, two presidential suites of 300 square metres each, a special children’s area and a fitness and business centre.
The Spa centre, encompassing two levels, will cover an area of 4,000 square
metres and will include outdoor and indoor pools, saunas, a hammam and relax-salt rooms. Making it special and unique will be the separate part intended exclusively for ladies (rendering it exceptional in Serbia and this part of Europe), as well as 20 spa rooms that will have access to their own outdoor pool.
“The Art of Being” Sofka light medical centre will also be completed under the scope of the project’s first phase. Covering an area of 6,600m2, it will be located on the site of the existing hotel Železničar, in a building dating back to 1935 that will be partially reconstructed and adapted.
The Sofka Centre will represent a completely new dimension to the country’s spa and wellness industry, providing modern medical procedures and holistic techniques of healthy living.
The second hotel, Hotel Autograph Collection, to be housed in an existing special rehabilitation hospital, will be a five-star facility offering guests 100 rooms and suites, a spa with indoor pools filled with geothermal water and a business centre.
THE WARMEST MINERAL
WATER IN EUROPE
Vranjska Banja is the closest spa to a highway in Serbia, situated just five kilometres from the Belgrade-Skoplje Highway. With a new hotel capacity built with modern solutions, this excellent location will contribute to the development of Vranjska Banja tourism, offering a new level of service and meeting the needs of tourists from the country and abroad.
The water that bubbles to the surface from several springs and has a temperature of 94°C, and can even exceed 110°C, has a capacity of 140 litres per second and has positioned Vranjska Banja as the spa town with the warmest mineral water in Europe.
This water has numerous benefits and is rich in sulphur that is extremely beneficial in the treatment of all forms of rheumatism, neurological diseases, post-traumatic conditions, diseases of the digestive systems and gynaecological and skin disorders.
THIS INVESTMENT OF MILLENNIUM RESORTS WILL BE COMPLETED BY 2026
THE SECOND HOTEL, HOTEL AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION (TO BE HOUSED IN AN EXISTING SPECIAL REHABILITATION HOSPITAL) WILL BE A FIVE-STAR FACILITY OFFERING GUESTS 100 ROOMS AND SUITES, A SPA WITH INDOOR POOLS FILLED WITH GEOTHERMAL WATER AND A BUSINESS CENTRE
LOCAL NEWS
“Serbia has a lot to show in the field of advanced technologies used in space research, aviation and related activities” – MARKO SELAKOVIĆ, SCCI
HEAD OFFICE IN DUBAI AND B2B DIRECTOR OF “EXPO 2020 DUBAI”
ERICSSON ESTABLISHES A NEW DIGITAL SERVICES SERVICE DELIVERY HUB IN SERBIA
Ericsson announced the establishment of a new Digital Services Service Delivery (DSSD) hub in Belgrade, accelerating 5G momentum in Serbia. This newly-unveiled hub will focus on network virtualization and cloud native 5G networks, benefitting the global 5G ecosystem and leveraging on the existing Ericsson collaboration with Serbian mobile operators. The announcement marks the 25th anniversary of Ericsson in Serbia and was made during an open discussion meeting about “5G for growth and innovation in Serbia” organized by H.E. Mr. Jan Lundin, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Serbia, on the occasion of the visit of a Swedish parliamentary delegation headed by the Speaker of the Parliament, H.E. Mr Andreas Norlen.
UNIQA GROUP: PROFIT QUADRUPLED IN FIRST HALF OF YEAR – OUTLOOK RAISED FOR 2021 AS A WHOLE
In the first six months of the 2021 financial year, UNIQA Insurance Group AG (UNIQA) generated earnings before taxes of nearly €216 million. Premiums written rose by 17 per cent in the first half of 2021. This is predominantly due to the successful integration of the former AXA companies in CEE. There was a significant improvement in the investment result year-on-year as it rose from €215 million to €307 million. While write-downs on shares and fixed-income securities caused some heavy losses in the first half of 2020, in the first six months of 2021 UNIQA made gains from investments in shares and bonds in a strong capital market environment.
A1 SERBIA SUPPORTS PROJECTS INTENDED FOR CHILDREN
A1 Serbia has launched the First Tariff, which together with parents supports the youngest members of the company, since the company will allocate funds in the amount of one monthly subscription for the realization of projects intended for children for each contract concluded on the First Tariff during the promotional period until the end of September. In addition, with this tariff, A1 Serbia wanted to make it easier for parents whose children are starting the school year by creating a package that provides them with a 100% discount on a monthly subscription for 6 months. The first tariff is an excellent postpaid choice, because it enables constant and simple communication between parents and their students.
RAIFFEISEN BANK INTERNATIONAL SIGNS AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE CREDIT AGRICOLE SERBIA
Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) announces that its Serbian subsidiary Raiffeisen banka a.d. has signed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the shares of Crédit Agricole Srbija (Crédit Agricole Srbija a.d. Novi Sad and Crédit Agricole Leasing Srbija d.o.o.) from Crédit Agricole S.A. Successful closing of the transaction is subject to inter alia obtaining regulatory approvals. The acquisition of Crédit Agricole Srbija is expected to have an impact on RBI’s CET1 ratio of approximately 16 basis points. The final impact is dependent on completion accounts at closing, which is expected by the end of the first quarter of 2022. “Agricole Srbija is an excellent strategic fit to our bank in Serbia and the acquisition will support our growth ambition in the market,” said Johann Strobl, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International.
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AND DEPUTY COMMISSIONER GENERAL OF THE SERBIA PAVILION AT EXPO 2020 DUBAI
postings Placements &
appointments@aim.rs
Born 27th November 1974 in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region, Madi Atamkulov graduated from the Kazakh National Technical University, Satbayev University, the Institute for Diplomacy of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and in 2003 completed diplomatic training courses at the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He began his work in the diplomatic service in 2003, serving as first secretary of the CIS Affairs Committee of the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And in 2006 he became the head of the State Protocol Service and the head of this department of the Ministry. He served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan during 2014 and 2015, and from 2015 – prior to his appointment as ambassador to Serbia – he served as Head of Protocol of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Ambassador Atamkulov holds the diplomatic rank of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary First-Class Envoy.
H.E. SANJIV KOHLI, AMBASSADOR OF INDIA TO SERBIA
As a qualified electronics engineer, Sanjiv Kohli served in industry and worked for Indian Railways prior to joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1988. During his diplomatic career to date, he has previously served within the scope of Indian missions in Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Russia and Qatar. He has also held different positions at the Ministry of External Affairs, including the West Africa Division. Prior to his arrival in Belgrade, he served as India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand and Tanzania. Ambassador Kohli, who speaks Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic and English, is married to Dr Ruma Kohli and is the proud father of two daughters and a son.
Born 15th April 1968, Kamil Khasiyev studied at the Military Institute of the USSR Ministry of Defence from 1985 to 1990, before completing a diplomatic course at the UK’s University of Leeds in 1993. He also studied international security studies courses at Harvard University in 2000. He served as an Amharic language interpreter to the Military Mission of the USSR to Ethiopia from 1990 to ’91, then served as Chief military interpreter for English at the Military Education Centre (1991-92) and third secretary/attaché of the Azerbaijan MFA Department for international organisations (1993-95). His international diplomatic postings include, among others, second secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of Belgium (1995-98), counsellor/chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Austria, Permanent Mission to the OSCE (2001-04) and permanent representative of the Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to NATO (2004-10). Prior to arriving in Serbia, he served as ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Croatia (2010-17) and head of the Department of Regional Security at the Azerbaijani MFA (2018-21). Ambassador Khasiyev speaks English, French, Amharic, Russian and Serbo-Croat, and is a married father of two children.
This Will Be An Exceptional Year
Sberbank Serbia has traditionally been a link and a bridge of partnership between the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation. And this is completely understandable, given that a large number of companies and enterprises in Serbia today export their products and services to Russia, or cooperate with Russian partners.
The entire Sber group has extremely liquid operations, which it is particularly important to highlight considering the difficulties caused by the pandemic. We’ve recorded excellent pay-outs in almost all segments over the previous months, says Sberbank Serbia CEO Vladimir Bošković, speaking for CorD.
Congratulations on your appointment. We cannot help but notice that the representatives of Sberbank Europe Group are confident that you and your team will contribute to further strengthening the market position and improving the bank’s business performance. What will be your starting point? - We are about to face numerous challenges, but also some excellent market opportunities. All of us here at Sberbank Serbia are committed to using our potential, experience and knowledge in the most efficient way possible in the coming period, in order to keep improving our business and strengthening our market position.
Sberbank Serbia and the entire Sber Group are today operating with strong liquidity, which is particularly important having in mind the difficulties caused by the pandemic. The high level of our busi-
ness liquidity was highlighted once again by international ratings agency Fitch Ratings, which affirmed the investment rating of Sberbank Europe, as well as of all its members, at BBB-, thus confirming the fact that Sberbank’s business is today exceptionally stable, with remarkably good financial indicators. In the first six months of this year, Sberbank Serbia delivered as much as 35% better financial and business results than had been initially projected for the first half of 2021. Over the past months, we’ve recorded excellent pay-outs, both in the retail and micro-client segment, and in the segment of small and medium-sized enterprises. As a result, it is already safe to say that, financially, 2021 will be our most successful year since we launched
our operations in Serbia.
It is up to all of us to continue building the market image and strengthening our business. In the months ahead, the bank will continue the rationalisation and further optimisation of its operations, the efficient digitalisation of all services and the creation of even more attractive offers for all clients.
I expect that, until year’s end, Sberbank Serbia will continue providing excellent business loans with a government-backed guarantee. By the beginning of August, our bank has already disbursed and approved around 160 million euros as part of this programme. Our market share in the programme stands at more than seven per cent.
Sberbank was one of the three local banks that were the first to take part in the “My Banking Data” project. By working jointly with the Serbian Government, the National Bank of Serbia, the Office for Information Technologies and E-government, and the Association of Serbian Banks, our bank has enabled its clients, through this project, to submit their documentation and required data for a loan application electronically, i.e., in digital format, through the E-government website, eUprava. This is a big step forward for all of us, and a significant benefit for clients that will save them a lot of time while helping them get the loan they desire faster than ever before.
You are widely regarded as a highly committed manager, with a constant focus on building team spirit and employee development. What type of people do you seek? - Sberbank Serbia has always been composed of extraordinary professionals and employees who are truly committed to their work. The bank’s executive board, chaired by Marijana Vasilescu, spent years building this team. And I, as the new chairman, have inherited a bank where business relations are harmonious and all teams are well coordinated.
It is up to all of us to continue encouraging the further development of employees at Sberbank Serbia, to keep motivating and inspiring them to continue with their professional development and enhance their prospects. Considering the fact that nowadays one part of our team comes to the bank while the other works from home, I believe it will be important to maintain a high level of commitment, unity and motivation of all our employees in the period ahead. I firmly believe that the key to a company’s sustainable development and successful operations is the knowhow of its employees. With this in mind, we have launched a project named “Sberbank Route to Knowledge” (“Sberbank put znanja”), with the aim of encouraging the development of our employees’ general and specific knowledge, through formal education and the practical application of the acquired skills and knowledge.
As part of this initiative, we will engage in a number of interesting programmes,
such as “Talents” (“Talenti”) and “Exceptional” (“Izuzetni”), the Sberbank Internship Programme, as well as our Sberbank Academy. The aim of these programmes is to provide our promising colleagues with an opportunity to advance their professional development, but also to show them that we, as their employer, truly appreciate and recognise their efforts, results and achievements. I am confident that, thanks to this project, we will succeed in maintaining our excellent staff potential, increase the satisfaction of both employees and clients and, consequently, ensure the long-term development of our business. For our executive board, and for me personally, this is one of the priorities on the journey of further development. Sberbank is a kind of a link between Serbia and Russia, between companies from the two countries. Do you see any room for more advanced cooperation between them, and do you have a vision of how your bank could contribute to that?
Our strategic direction is to provide all Serbian companies that plan to establish cooperation with partners in Russia, or that are already doing so, with the most comprehensive support and innovative services, and to help them maximise the benefits of such partnerships. The best proof of this is the fact that more than 20 per cent of our companies’ inflows based on exports to Russia are performed through Sberbank Serbia.
Our bank will continue to organise various gatherings and conferences in the coming period, with the mission of providing opportunities for members of the Serbian and Russian business communities to come together, get to know each other and possibly consider business cooperation. Over the course of this year, Sberbank Serbia and Sberbank Russia have already organised one such conference, where local food companies presented their products and export opportunities to representatives of Russia’s largest supermarket chain, X5. This is an excellent way to establish initial contact, as it was precisely thanks to one such meeting that Modital, a company operating as part of the famous Italian Pompea Group, now exports its products - primarily socks - to Russia, which they market through the X5 trade network.
Sberbank Serbia offers a product that could be of particular interest to local enterprises and companies looking to establish cooperation with Russian partners – factoring. Our bank’s share in the total value of factoring services on the Serbian market is growing month-onmonth, which is a strong indicator that a growing number of companies recognise the advantages of this service and use them ever-more frequently, along with the numerous benefits provided by factoring in their everyday operations.
REGIONAL NEWS
“We connect with the aim of developing our economies, building a common economy, for the development of the region, for a better life for each of our citizens” – ZORAN ZAEV, PRIME MINISTER
OF NORTH MACEDONIA
REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM AS PART OF THE MINI SCHENGEN INITIATIVE HELD IN SKOPJE
A regional economic forum was held in Skopje, attended by regional leaders of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia, President Aleksandar Vucic and the prime ministers of Northern Macedonia and Albania, Zoran Zaev and Edi Rama. “I believe that all countries should be part of this process, because it is a benefit for them and their citizens, and every day of looking back is a day lost,” the Albanian Prime Minister emphasized. President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, stated that the Mini Schengen or “Open Balkan” initiative is open to all other countries in the region that want it and that anyone who wants to join is welcome, but no reason for someone to pray, FoNet reports.
WIZZ AIR TO LAUNCH BANJA LUKAHAMBURG FLIGHTS
Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air announced it will launch a new route from Banja Luka to Hamburg. “We are happy to announce the expansion of our route network from Banja Luka by adding the second destinations in Germany – Hamburg,” said company’s corporate communications manager in a statement. The route will be launched in December and will operate twice weekly. Earlier, Wizz Air launched flights connecting Banja Luka with Dortmund, Malmo, Eindhoven and Basel. Wizz Air is already present in Bosnia, in Sarajevo and Tuzla.
EBRD ACQUIRES EQUITY STAKE IN SOFIA AIRPORT OPERATOR
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the development of Sofia airport with an indirect equity investment in SOF Connect, the company operating and managing the airport through a concession agreement with the Bulgarian government. The EBRD’s total investment of €74.3 million will include a €58 million equity investment and a further €16.3 million contingent equity exposure. The equity investment follows a €50 million loan to SOF Connect earlier this year to support the airport’s transformation. SOF Connect is a joint venture between Meridiam, an asset manager specialising in public-private-partnership projects, Munich airport and Austrian construction company Strabag, which started operating in April 2021.
“Everything that has been happening on the internet for the last year or so can easily move onto the streets” – DRITAN
ABAZOVIĆ, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF MONTENEGRO
SALE OF SINGLE-USE PLASTICS BANNED IN SLOVENIA
The government of Slovenia has banned the sale of single-use plastic products bar a few exceptions. The relevant regulation, endorsed at the correspondence session, also prescribes the labelling of certain singleuse plastic items and their packaging to raise awareness about recycling. Products to be banned under the regulation include plastic cutlery, plates and straws as well as ear swabs, except for those used as medical equipment. Also banned are plastic stir sticks and balloon sticks with the exception of those intended for industrial use and not for customers. The regulation, transposing an EU regulation, also bans expanded polystyrene food and drink packaging and items made of oxo-degradable plastics.
CROATIA’S WEBPOWER ADRIA INTRODUCE 4-DAY WORKWEEK
Dutch entrepreneur Jan de Jong, who lives and works in Croatia, announced a four-day workweek for Webpower Adria employees starting from September. The change will not influence the change in salaries. “Webpower Adria just gave all of its employees a raise of 20%. No, not in money, but in free time. We are introducing a 4-day work week - for the same salary! ?? In addition to that - whether my colleagues will be working from home or from the office will be entirely their own decision. ?? We are all individuals, with different preferences. If we can do our work from anywhere, then who are we to say it needs to be done from the office. ? I strongly believe in the powerful words of sir Richard Branson: “If you look after your staff, they will look after your customers.”
ENGLAND ADDS MONTENEGRO TO TRAVEL RED LIST
England adds Thailand and Montenegro to its “red list” of destinations that require travellers to quarantine in a hotel upon their return, the government said. Canada, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the Azores were added to England’s “green list” of places that are safe to visit without requiring quarantine on return. Changes to the lists came into effect from 30th August, the government said.
The Government of Serbia has adopted its Strategy for the Development of the Information Society and Information Security, based on the proposal of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, thus determining the vision for the development of the information society in the Republic of Serbia until 2026 with the defining of key measures and activities.
Serbia recognises the importance of digitalisation and information security, which is also shown by the enviable results achieved in this area. The strategy encompasses two important areas: the information society and information security, the further development of which represents a precondition for the complete digitalisation of society - said Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Tatjana Matić, as announced by the ministry.
She also added that the adoption and implementation of this strategic document in the field of the development of the information society and information security is important in order to continue further improving the digital knowledge and skills of all citizens, raising the capacity to use new technologies among employees, in both the public and private sectors, as well as improving digital infrastructure in educational institutions.
In addition to this, the announcement states that it is essential to continue and intensify activities on the digitalisation of services and business operations in the public and private sectors and that, alongside all of this, it is also very important to improve information security, primarily through the development of the capacity of competent institutions, raising the awareness of citizens, encouraging public-private partnerships and advancing regional and international cooperation.
The Strategy for the Development of the Information Society and Information Security for the 2021 to 2026 Period, with the associated Action Plan that details activities until 2023, was adopted by the Government of Serbia at its session of 26th August 2021.
The adoption and implementation of this strategic document in the field of the development of the information society and information security is important in order to continue further improving the digital knowledge and skills of all citizens, raising the capacity to use new technologies among employees, in both the public and private sectors, as well as improving digital infrastructure in educational institutions
Faster and Easier To VMware Certification
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Our courses, under the guidance of an instructor, have been developed to teach participants skills that are aligned directly with the real jobs and needs of the IT market, and participants receive effective, highquality training.
Over the course of the previous decade, you’ve certainly had multiple opportunities to hear how everyone is talking about digital transformation and the ever-increasing use of digital tools and technologies, as well as the ways these tools and technologies change modern operations, the work of employees, cooperation with partners and the user experience itself. It was more than three years ago that Ingram Micro recognised the challenges that are being faced by both its partners and end users, and brought them together in one place. We don’t only offer specialised training for engineers with a focus on integrating, introducing and maintaining new solutions, but also maximise the use of new end-user solutions.
The Ingram Micro Training Centre recently became the only accredited VMware training centre in Serbia, so the training courses held at the centre represent a prerequisite for taking exams that enable successful trainees to acquire official VMware certification.
Our courses, under the guidance of an instructor, have been developed to teach participants skills that are aligned directly with the real jobs and needs of the IT market, and participants receive effective, high-quality training. A complete portfolio of VMware authorised training courses will be offered in the period ahead.
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VMware vSphere: Fast Track [V7]
VMware vSphere: Optimize and Scale plus
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VMware vSphere: Design [V7]
WORLD NEWS
“We have a chance now to repair the broken foundations of our economy, and on top of it, to build something fairer and stronger than what came before” – JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY
SECRETARY
After conquering online retail and beating even Walmart in sales, Amazon is now looking to expand into the industry it notoriously disrupted, brick-and-mortar retail stores. Amazon plans to open several 30,000-square-foot stores across the US to further its reach in sales of clothing, household items, electronics and other home goods, sources say. The first stores are expected to open in Ohio and California, The Wall Street Journal reported. The move comes with ironic undertones as department stores and mom-and-pop shops have long blamed Amazon and other online retailers for their loss in sales.
UK CAR PRODUCTION PLUMMETS TO LOWEST LEVEL SINCE 1956
U.K. car production plummeted to a new low last month, marking the worst July performance for the industry since 1956, according to a trade group. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said that U.K. manufacturers built just 53,438 vehicles in July, marking a 37.6% drop on July 2020. A global semiconductor shortage, factory shutdowns and worker absences amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic all contributed to the decline, SMMT said. While July was a particularly bad month, car production across U.K. factories is up 18.3% year-to-date compared to 2020, when Covid restrictions meant people couldn’t go to work. Some 552,361 cars have been built in the U.K. since January, but that’s still 28.7% down on 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
VISA BUYING A ‘CRYPTOPUNK’ FOR $150,000
Visa is the latest major company jumping into the NFT craze. The payments processor said Monday it bought a “CryptoPunk,” one of thousands of NFT-based digital avatars, for nearly $150,000 in ethereum. An NFT — which stands for non-fungible token — is a unique digital asset designed to represent ownership of a virtual item. Unlike bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, NFTs can’t be exchanged like-for-like with another NFTs. Proponents say this makes NFTs scarce, driving up their value. NFTs have often been compared to physical collectible items like rare trading cards and works of art.
“We will continue to make the economic pie bigger and divide it well” – HAN WENXIU, CHINA’S CENTRAL COMMITTEE FOR
FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
AUSTRALIA’S QANTAS HOPES TO RESUME INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS BY CHRISTMAS
Australian carrier Qantas expects international flights to the U.S., the U.K. and parts of Asia to resume by Christmas, CEO Alan Joyce said Thursday. Since March last year, Australia has closed its borders to most foreign visitors and banned residents from leaving unless they had valid reasons. “We know there’s huge underlying demand. People don’t want another Christmas where they are isolated from their families, let alone internationally, but [also] in Australia,” Joyce said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.” A spike in local Covid-19 cases in recent months forced Australian states and territories to step up restrictions, including limitations on interstate travel and stay-at-home notices in high-risk areas.
HACKER BEHIND $600 MILLION CRYPTO STEAL RETURNS FINAL SLICE OF STOLEN FUNDS
The hacker behind the biggest cryptocurrency heist of all time has granted access to the final tranche of stolen funds. Poly Network, a platform in the decentralized finance or “DeFi” space, was hit by a major attack which saw the hacker, or hackers, steal more than $600 million worth of digital tokens. The thief exploited a vulnerability in Poly Network’s code which allowed them to transfer the funds to their own accounts. In a strange twist, the Poly Network hacker didn’t run off with the haul. Instead, they opened a dialogue with the organization that was targeted, promising to return all the funds. And, sure enough, the hacker gave back nearly all of the money — with the exception of $33 million of tether, or USDT, which was frozen by its issuers.
GOLDMAN SACHS TO REQUIRE PEOPLE ENTERING ITS OFFICES TO BE VACCINATED
Goldman Sachs, leading global investment bank , said that only vaccinated people can enter its buildings starting from 7th September and applies to everybody, including employees and clients, according to a memo sent to U.S. workers. Those who aren’t fully vaccinated by then will have to work from home, according to a person with direct knowledge of the memo. Goldman Sachs is the latest bank to require employees be vaccinated to return to offices, following similar edicts from Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. The move comes a day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, clearing the way for more corporations to mandate their employees be vaccinated.
